There was a time when women didn’t have tattoos. It was only the men who had them, and the designs that were popular catered to men only for the most part. Now, with women on a more equal playing field with men, women are holding jobs that typically only men would have, they play the same sports that usually only men play, and they are getting tattoos. The tattoos that are popular with women are usually more feminine, softer, or have deeper emotional meanings. Many tattoo symbols have traditional meanings and historical values to them that give the tattoo a deeper sense of attachment to the person wearing the tattoo.
Tribal Tattoos
Tribal tattoos can be large, dark, and masculine, but they can also be smaller, thinner, and more feminine. Tribal tattoos are also the most popular kind of tattoo among both men and women. These types of designs can be modeled after traditional Polynesian, Aboriginal, Maori, Haida or Native American tribal artwork.
Angel, Butterfly & Fairy Tattoos
Angels can be a symbol of faith or one of protection depending on the meaning that the wearer attributes to it and the kind of angel it is. These kinds of tattoos can be symbolic of life or death, or honor someone alive or passed on. As a symbol of protection, an angel tattoo can be modeled to look like someone close to you who has always been a real life symbol of love and guidance.
Butterflies are one of the most common designs of tattoos that women get because size, overall shape and color are all customizable to what they want it to look like and symbolize. Butterfly tattoos typically symbolize freedom and closeness with nature or your own imagination.
Fairies typically symbolize freedom, imagination, magical powers, and innocence. Oftentimes, tattoos of fairies have the fairy or fairies depicted as young and either having fun or pondering something. The colors of a fairy tattoo often have symbolic meaning for the wearer as well as the background that the fairy is placed on. The shape and style of the fairies wings can help give the tattoo a special or different meaning.
Rose & Star Tattoos
Roses are popular with both men and women when it comes to tattoos. Most rose tattoos for women don’t have thorns on the stems and are colored with a softer palette of color tones. Roses symbolize love, and these types of tattoos are usually elements of a larger tattoo with many meanings.
Because star tattoos are very adaptable to many meanings based on color, number of stars, orientation with other stars, the number of points they have and where they are located, star tattoo designs are very popular with women and can symbolize many things. Oftentimes, a star tattoo is a guiding light for women to remind them of their goals in life and keep them moving forward.
Zodiac Tattoos
Many women are in tune with their zodiac symbol and follow their horoscopes somewhat regularly. Having a tattoo of your zodiac symbol is quite popular and shows the world that you are proud of your zodiac symbol and that you identify with it.
Flower & Heart Tattoos
Other than rose tattoos, tattoos of flowers carry the symbolic meaning that flower is attributed to. For example, Gardenia symbolizes joy and Lilac stands for first love. Whatever a flower’s meaning would have if you were to pick that flower and give it to someone, that same meaning would be linked to a tattoo of that flower. Tattoos of a heart, or multiple hearts, have been popular for over a hundred years and each heart tattoo is meant to symbolize whatever love or friendship the tattoo was meant to tribute. In World War II many men got heart tattoos to remind them of the ones back home they loved and were fighting for and many women today are doing the same.