Bird Tattoo Designs

Bird tattoos are one of the oldest tattoo designs of the Western world. Thanks to the old school revival, they are in vogue again. Most popular are swallow tattoos, followed by phoenix tattoos.

swallow tattoo

swallow heart tattoo


Bird Tattoo


female hummingbird tattoo

Bird Tattoo Designs

Bird tattoos are one of the oldest tattoo designs of the Western world. Thanks to the old school revival, they are in vogue again. Most popular are swallow tattoos, followed by phoenix tattoos.

swallow tattoo

swallow heart tattoo


Bird Tattoo


female hummingbird tattoo

Bird Tattoo Designs

Bird tattoos are one of the oldest tattoo designs of the Western world. Thanks to the old school revival, they are in vogue again. Most popular are swallow tattoos, followed by phoenix tattoos.

swallow tattoo

swallow heart tattoo


Bird Tattoo


female hummingbird tattoo

Bird Tattoo Designs

Bird tattoos are one of the oldest tattoo designs of the Western world. Thanks to the old school revival, they are in vogue again. Most popular are swallow tattoos, followed by phoenix tattoos.

swallow tattoo

swallow heart tattoo


Bird Tattoo


female hummingbird tattoo

Bird Tattoo Designs

Bird tattoos are one of the oldest tattoo designs of the Western world. Thanks to the old school revival, they are in vogue again. Most popular are swallow tattoos, followed by phoenix tattoos.

swallow tattoo

swallow heart tattoo


Bird Tattoo


female hummingbird tattoo

Swallow tattoos

Swallow tattoos are a popular design that can have many different meanings all over the world. For a sailor the swallow tattoo was widely known as a status symbol. The swallow tattoos were meant to protect the sailor on their journey yet, others believed that if a sailor died at sea and had a swallow tattoo on their chest that it would fly their spirit to heaven. For this reason, swallow tattoos were a great comfort to sailors.

The first swallow tattoo meant the sailor had traveled 5,000 miles and the second tattoo meant they had traveled 10,000 miles. Swallow tattoos are also a symbol of working-class pride, mostly in the UK. Swallow tattoos are also at times used in prison as a sign for "white power", a gang tattoo at times.

Then again some freed prisoners get the swallow tattoo as a sign of freedom. Interestingly, both good luck and bad are attributed to the swallow. Some legends warn of a swallow flying through the house, since it brings tidings of displeasure from the gods, and likely foreshadows bad luck. In China it symbolizes daring, danger and a change for good in the future. But, when you come down to it only you can determine the meaning of your swallow tattoo.