Tattoo Ideas for Girls

Tattoos are among the most popular contemporary fashion statements. With dozens of female celebrities sporting them, it is not surprising that hordes of other women are following their example. While there are several tattoos that are unisex, most are gender stereotyped. Apart from the odd Angelina Jolie, who breaks the trend with a Bengal tiger tattoo, most women pick designs such as flowers, hearts, or butterflies.

Tattoo designs for girls are usually small, delicate and feminine. The following are some of the favorite tattoo ideas for girls:

• Butterfly: The butterfly tattoo design is by far the most popular female tattoo design and can be frequently spotted, adorning the lower back. In the most basic sense, it represents transformation, from the caterpillar to the butterfly. It could also mean freedom or mark a new beginning. It also holds significance in many cultures: The ancient Aztecs believed butterflies to be the souls of the deceased warriors and the women who died in childbirth. Two butterflies fluttering together, is considered symbol for love in China. Even though many consider it overused, it is almost always very pretty.
• Fairy: Fairies are another popular tattoo design among girls. For most people, it means holding onto precious childhood memories. The fairies, from our much loved bedtime stories, are tiny, winged, magical creatures, who may be mischievous but largely do good. They are believed to live in the woods, and come out in the night time. These designs are usually pretty and delicate, and the standard is a fairy with wings, flowing locks, clothed in a little green dress. Fairies represent the values of innocence, purity, beauty, magic and fantasy.
• Star Tattoos: The popularity of these tattoos can be attributed to celebrities like Rihanna, Victoria Beckham and Drew Barrymore, who sport them. Tattoos of stars usually comprise of clusters of stars, and are relatively small, simple tattoos. As a symbol, stars have been used since the ancient times and feature prominently in most religious iconography. Celestial bodies that capture our imagination, stars represent power and mystery. There are different kinds of star tattoos, each with their own significance. A popular option is a shooting star tattoo design, which is often designed as a large star followed by a trail of smaller stars. The nautical star, is a strong symbol, and is considered an old school tattoo. This 5-point star appears with each point split in half and filled with an contrasting color. A popular tattoo amongst sailors, it represents the North Star, often used for navigation. Another popular star design is the 6-point star of David. This well recognized Jewish symbol, signifies God's dominance over the universe and all directions - North, South, East, West, Up and Down. The moon star and pentagram are other frequently used star tattoos. At large, they represent a guiding light or a light in the darkness.
• Kanji Tattoos: Kanji is a kind of Japanese script, where characters represent a complete object, idea, or meaning. Kanjis are a very popular tattoo design, with characters for love, hope, courage, strength, wisdom and happiness topping the charts. However, a word of caution for all those thinking of getting this type of tattoo, ensure that you get the correct kanji characters tattooed. Most symbols are complex, some comprising over 30 strokes, which means you are likely to get a distorted version from an online translation.

These tattoos for girls are just a few examples from the vast number of designs available. In my opinion, the best tattoos are those that are unique, and hold a special significance to you. So put some thought into it, and get your tattoo artist to create a draft of your own, custom made tattoo design.