Religious Tattoos - Ideas, Meanings, and History

Written by: Jason White
Updated:

People often get tattoos reflective of their inner world: they get tattoos of what is close to them, including their beliefs and devotions. This is the rationale behind the popularity of religious tattoos. By way of body ink of religious icons or texts, the believer shows how his or her faith is strong, how they want and strive to be closer to God, and that they belong to a particular religion.

A religious tattoo for the person wearing it is an additional reminder of his faith and God on which he can always rely on.

While not every religion encourages tattooing, many tattoo enthusiasts profess religious motives. Religious tattoos can rightfully be considered a separate art form. Such images on the body are often admired for their size, detail, and complexity. Sometimes, such a creation is done over days or even weeks. We have gathered some religious tattoo ideas and sketches for your future unique tattoo.

Religious Tattoo Ideas

Popular religious symbols for tattoos are crosses, crescent moons, quotations from sacred texts, faces of saints, and other images from different religions.

Here are some of the popular religious images used as tattoos:

  • The most popular religious tattoos are quotes from scripture.
  • The Cross is a significant symbol in the realm of religious tattoos. In Christian culture, this symbol is inextricably linked to God, but it can also mean destiny because each person carries their own crosses.
  • Angels are believed to be our guardians that protect from evil and help us be good.
  • As the name of the religion suggests, central to Christianity is the figure of Jesus Christ. Consequently, Jesus’ face is often used as a sketch for tattoos.
  • Hands put together in prayer are chosen to symbolize the need for prayer at all times, as well as the power of prayer.
  • The image of the Virgin Mary is often tattooed in the Chicano style of tattooing.
  • The main purpose of getting a tattoo of the Hindu deity Shiva is to show belonging to this religion. Among 800 million believers of Hinduism, 25% are Shivans.

Below we have collected the best religious tattoo ideas for your inspiration.


Religious Sleeve Tattoos













Religious Half-Sleeve Tattoos










Small Religious Tattoos










Religious Tattoos For Men






Religious Tattoos for Women




Forearm Religious Tattoos










Chest Religious Tattoos






Wrist Religious Tattoos




Religious Tattoo Quotes





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