Celebrity Tattoos With Real Meaning: The Stories Behind Famous Ink

Celebrity tattoos get photographed, zoomed in on and dissected more than anyone else's. Most of that coverage is guesswork. But every so often a famous person explains exactly why they got a tattoo, and the story turns out to be far more ordinary, and more relatable, than the headlines.

Here are some of the best documented celebrity tattoo stories, what each one actually means according to the person wearing it, and the idea behind it that you could borrow for your own.

Madonna: her first tattoo, at 62

After four decades of reinventing her image, Madonna got her first tattoo in December 2020, at the age of 62. It is small and simple: the letters LRDMSE in black ink on the inside of her left wrist, the first initials of her six children, Lourdes, Rocco, David, Mercy, Stelle and Estere.

She announced it with a nod to one of her most famous songs, writing that she had been "inked for the very first time."

The idea to borrow: initials are one of the most versatile family tributes there is. They are discreet, they fit almost anywhere, and a string of initials can grow if the family does. It is also a reminder that there is no age limit on a first tattoo.

Selena Gomez: a rose for a nickname

Selena Gomez and her close friend Cara Delevingne got matching watercolour rose tattoos from the celebrity tattoo artist Keith McCurdy, known as Bang Bang. Gomez's rose sits on her back.

Speaking on Live with Kelly and Ryan in January 2022, Gomez explained that it means a few things: Delevingne calls her "Rosebud," and she had also always wanted a rose. She has said she shares matching tattoos with several people who have made a significant mark on her life, including her mother.

The idea to borrow: friendship tattoos do not have to be identical, obvious or tiny. A shared motif placed differently on each person, or rendered in a slightly different style, can feel more personal than two copies of the same design. Just be sure the design means something to you on its own, whatever happens to the friendship.

Chrissy Teigen: a butterfly drawn by her daughter

In June 2021, Chrissy Teigen shared a new tattoo of a simple cartoon butterfly on her forearm. Her daughter Luna, then five, had drawn it on her arm, and Teigen had it made permanent by tattoo artist Winter Stone.

She said she had wanted the butterfly moved and centred, but in the end decided to leave it exactly where Luna had put it, describing it as a little imperfect and a little messy, but here to stay.

The idea to borrow: children's drawings and handwriting make some of the most meaningful tattoos there are. Ask your artist to trace the original rather than redraw it, so the wobbles and quirks survive. Keep the drawing itself too, and consider going a little larger than the original, since very fine or shaky lines can blur over time.

Post Malone: tattoos as armour

Few celebrity tattoos are as visible as Post Malone's, and few explanations are as candid. He told GQ Style in 2020 that his face tattoos came partly from insecurity about how he looks, a way of putting "something cool" on his face so he could feel good looking in the mirror. We cover the full story, and each of his best known face tattoos, in our guide to Post Malone's tattoos.

The idea to borrow: it is fine for a tattoo to be about how it makes you feel rather than what it symbolises. But if confidence is the goal, think carefully about highly visible placements, which we discuss in our guide to face tattoos.

Virat Kohli: numbers only he can wear

Among India cricket star Virat Kohli's many tattoos are two numbers, 175 and 269: his One Day International and Test cap numbers. They mark his place in the line of players to represent India, and alongside them sit tributes to his parents and spiritual symbols he has explained himself. Our guide to Virat Kohli's tattoos separates what he has said from fan interpretation.

The idea to borrow: numbers are powerful when they are genuinely yours. A jersey number, a date, coordinates of a place that matters, or a time of birth can carry a whole story in a few digits.

Hailey Bieber: the tiny tattoo that started a trend

When Hailey Bieber shared a fine line bow tattoo in December 2023, captioned "new tiny baby tat," it became a symbol of the coquette aesthetic that was sweeping fashion and social media. Our guide to coquette tattoos covers the style and how to keep tiny designs from blurring.

The idea to borrow: small tattoos can say a lot. Just remember that the smaller and finer the lines, the more important it is to choose an artist who specialises in fine line work.

What these stories have in common

Strip away the fame and these tattoos fall into the same categories as most people's: family, friendship, identity and feeling good in your own skin. None of them needed to be enormous or complicated to matter.

If a celebrity tattoo has inspired you, the best approach is to borrow the idea, not the exact design. Copying a famous tattoo line for line rarely feels as meaningful as making the same kind of tribute personal to you. And before you book, read our list of tattoo red flags and our guide to how much a tattoo costs.

Sources: Madonna's first tattoo as reported by TODAY; Selena Gomez's rose tattoo as reported by Entertainment Tonight; Chrissy Teigen's butterfly tattoo as reported by Entertainment Tonight.