A tattoo is a great way to showcase your creativity, symbolize something that’s of huge significance to you, or represent an important experience you’ve been through. With 26% of Americans having a tattoo, they’ve become increasingly mainstream over the years, with some designs more popular than others.
Whether you’re considering getting your first tattoo, or already have several that you want to add to, the hardest thing can be deciding what kind of tattoo to get!
With that in mind, we’ve uncovered the most popular tattoos across the USA and UK, by looking at Google search volumes. So, if you’re in need of some ink inspiration, carry on reading…
Butterflies are the most popular tattoos in the USA
They may be a classic, but butterfly tattoos are here to stay, with 201,000 people searching for them every month across the USA. Said to represent young love, summer and joy, their versatility is what makes them so popular – they look great big or small, and can be etched in so many places, such as your lower back, collarbone, or chest.
With a very impressive 165,000 monthly searches, rose tattoos are in second place, with flower designs in joint third, at 110,000 searches. Again, whether you opt for a large or small design, with vibrant colors or intense shading, flower tattoos are extremely versatile.
Roses can represent passion and beauty, making them a great design choice, but the color you opt for can also represent a specific meaning. For example, if you want your tattoo to represent happiness and friendship, then opt for a yellow rose; whereas a white rose means purity and innocence, and black roses signify confidence and rebelliousness.
Coming in joint third place, dragon tattoos also have 110,000 searches a month in the US, and are a great option for both men and women. Said to symbolize strength and intelligence; dragon tattoos are a great idea if you’re looking for a large design, as you can have it snaking around your arm, shoulders, or back.
Other popular tattoos across the US include snakes (90,500 searches), tribal designs (74,000 searches) and traditional tattoos. Much more loved than minimalist tattoos, Americans prefer their tattoos with clean black outlines, bright colors, and virtually no shading.
At the other end of the scale, star sign tattoos are the least popular in the US, with just 140 searches a month, followed by musical notes, Disney characters, and pet tattoos.
Butterfly tattoos reign supreme in the UK too
Interestingly, tattoo tastes are relatively similar across the pond, with butterfly and rose tattoos both keeping their first and second positions. However, the UK population are split between dragon, flower, lion, snake, and matching tattoos, with all of them gaining 18,100 searches every month.
Lion tattoos in particular, are more popular in the UK compared to the US (3rd position compared to 7th). Symbolizing bravery and courage, if you’ve overcome a challenge or gone through a hard time and want a tattoo to represent that, then a lion design can be the ideal option.
Matching tattoos are also more of a thing in the UK than the US. While we all know it’s *never* a good idea to get someone else’s name tattooed on you, there are lots of cute matching tattoos you can get, if you want to share a design with your significant other or best friend. From simplistic line drawings, to a small sunshine design that represents the sunshine in your life, you can be as creative as you want, with matching tattoos!
Angel, bee, and dreamcatcher tattoos are all popular in the UK too, despite not making it into the USA’s top 10. The bee tattoo stands for loyalty, and in the UK, represents the city of Manchester.
However, whereas state by state, favorite tattoos remained the same, they vary from city to city across the UK. For example, Roman numeral designs have come in second place across several cities, including Birmingham, Bristol and Glasgow, despite not making it into the overall top 10.
In Edinburgh, tree tattoos come out on top, with 880 searches a month, and star tattoos feature highly on Bristol’s list.
Musical note tattoos are the least popular tattoos in the UK, at just 480 searches a month, followed closely by pet tattoos and infinity symbols.
If you want to extend the way you showcase your creative flair from your body, and into your home, then carefully curated artwork can be a great way to do so. Browse our range of photography and paintings for sale, which feature a range of styles, including abstract, figurative, and vintage paintings. Alternatively, for more creative inspiration, head on over to our blog.
