So we decided recently to ask our readers about their tattoo ideas, and more precisely, about tattoos with a secret meaning behind them. Because anyone can rock up at the tattoo parlor and get their name done in Mandarin script or stamp a tribal tattoo design on their arm in a lame attempt to draw attention to their scrawny biceps, but not many choose to go with truly meaningful tattoos.
These unique tattoos are different; they are meaningful in deeply touching ways, from loving memories of departed family members to reminders of past struggles and the recovery from things like addiction and depression. This list compiled by Bored Panda will inspire and move you and perhaps make you reconsider that that rainbow-pooping unicorn you were thinking to get on your ankle and get a tattoo with meaning, not just a pretty picture.
Scroll down to check out the list below, and don’t forget to upvote your favorite tattoos with deep meaning!
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After 7 Months, I Finally Got The Tattoo For My Parents, Dog, And Family Home
The tattoo is stunning ! Love the artwork... You're really strong !
So heart-breaking but I understand the need to move forward. As a parent that has fought cancer, that's the one thing I would want my kids to do! I'm so sorry for your loss
Thank you so much for sharing, one of the most moving things I've ever read and seen.
I got goosebumps -- I knew right away on the tattoo that the dog was a German Shepherd. It's haunting, the whole story,and the tattoo. What a great memorial piece, it's absolutely...hauntingly beautiful. I won't soon forget this story.
You are such a dear, dear, soul. Your story brings tear to my eyes. I know you will grieve as long as you need to. May I send you a prayer that brings other souls to you to support you in this hour of sorrow. Thank you for sharing. I will keep you kindly in my thoughts. Are you ready to get another another german shepherd? Maybe not, but someday, as you know, it could help. Blessings and kind thoughts.
Oops my young kids went to a couple therapy sessions. It was a very difficult time loosing everything and our beloved dogs
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Love, it would be impossible not to sympathize with you. What an heart wrenching tragedy to have to endure. I so commend you on your excellent attitude, and on the beautiful memorial you'll always carry with you. You have the love and support of the whole Bored Panda family.
One foot in front of the other, one day at a time. You are doing great, congratz!
My luvvie, my wishes are with you, stay safe sending love....xxx
Beautiful home, sympathy for you? My heart is breaking, now it must mend, how?
I was heartbroken but after I contacted robinsonbucler@ gmail. com my ex came back.. •°*”˜.•°*”˜« ?* ¯).«.*¯))
So sorry for your loss and yours was just so overwhelming!!! I am very proud of you for your strength to be able to move past such a tragedy! Keep your life a great one for the ones that lost theirs! Stay strong!! Melissa xo
OMFG hun your so strong and you know what they say terrible things happen to good people i had the same effect ya no i never knew my dad but he burned the house down with my mum inside :( but as you said you just gotta move forward and get on with life and theres only one person who can do it and its YOU!!!!! so i respect you G xxx
I am sorry for your loss and really understand that tattoo what you have. Now your loved ones are always with you. God bless you.
what a horrible thing that happened to your parents... I can't imagine going through that I'm sorry. I love the tattoo
My Dad Died On December 15, 2016. Today, I Got A Tattoo
Tattoo To Support My Wife's Fight With Depression
No Title Needed
My Mum Passed Away A Few Months Ago, Yesterday I Got My First Tattoo. She Used To Leave Us Little Post It Notes, I Got It Copied Out
Dad Got Cochlear Implant Tattoo To Match His Daughter’s Real One
Dad Tattoos His Son’s Cancer Scar On His Own Head To Boost Son’s Self-Confidence
That's great ! The son must feel better that he's not the only one with a scar...
His Son Died Of Sids Last Year, And Got A Waveform Tattoo Of His Sons Laugh
brought tears to my heart just reading the header but then seeing where you have the tat...the dam burst
Dad Passed Away In 2009, Got A Note He Wrote In My 2nd Grade Yearbook As A Reminder
Simple Chart My Grandpa Drew For Me To Show Where My Home Is On The Surface Of The Earth With Longitude And Latitude
Tattoo Of The Book My Dad Was Reading When He Passed Away
Story behind the tattoo: My father passed away before I was born, so I never met him. But everyone who knew him has always told me that I am exactly like him. Then in my senior year of high school, out of a list of literally thousands of books, I randomly chose to read All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. When my mom saw that I was reading it, she got very excited and ran into her room. She brought out a copy of All the Pretty Horses from 1993, bookmarked to page 128. It was the book my father was reading before he passed away. So I got a tattoo to memorialize my father and the connection I have with him despite the fact that I never met him
Just Got A New Tattoo! It's A Poem My Dad Wrote To Me The Day I Was Born, He Died This Summer
Shot Heroin For 12 Years. Today Is 4 Years Clean. I Get A Tally Every 23rd Of July
Got My First Tattoo Today. The Big Brick Is To Represent My Big Brother Who Died One Day Shy Of His 40th Birthday This Year, In His Favorite Color, And The Little One (Hugging The Larger One) Represents Me, In My Favorite Color. We Always Built Lego Together
Got My Dads Last Handprint Tattooed On My Back. My Dad Passed Away Last November And I Had The Funeral Home Take His Handprint For Me And I Got It Tattooed On My Back
My Mom And Dad Had Cancer At The Same Time In The Same Hospital. He Wrote Her This Note When They Were Too Sick To Visit Each Other. This Is My First Ever Tattoo, In His Memory!
This is a beautiful idea, and also a nice tattoo. (I'm not crying, you are crying!)
My Second Tattoo Nearly Two Weeks After My First. A Semicolon For Suicide Awareness. It May Be Small, But It Has A Powerful Meaning.
"When I was seven my father committed suicide. Then I didn't even know what it was. All I knew is I stopped seeing "daddy" all of the time. As I grew older, I heard more and more news topics, read more news articles, and heard more of my friends say "someone else just took their life." I've become more concerned that people my age were taking their life because they were unhappy. Last year, someone whom I didn't even know personally, but "knew of" through mutual friends took their own life for a temporary problem. After this incident, I came upon the semicolon project. The semicolon project was created for people going through struggles with self-harm, depression, and suicide who could have stopped moving forward, but didn't. The semicolon is used as the symbol because in a sentence, it separates two ideas. A period can replace a semicolon, but do not choose to do so because they don't want to end that idea. The semicolon project strives for "not stopping when you can keep moving on. The author is you, and the sentence is your life."
Something Silly For The "Extra Life" Heart Surgery Gave Me
Hope you are doing well since surgery...it's nice to be able to do something 'silly'.
Heartbreaking Story Behind This Tattoo
"Today was one of those moments I will never forget. A new father came barreling into the shop, a huge ball of energy, basically shouting from excitement "I JUST HAD A BABY GIRL AND I NEED HER NAME TATTOOED ON MY WRIST!!!!" With me hearing this I said congratulations and asked when he had her and he sai "3:30am this morning!!!" He was exhausted yet full of energy. So I set up, and we small talked about all of his kids. He has 5 now. 4 daughters and one son, who accompanied him. We were talking about the baby and he said "she is very important to me" and I said yeah I'm sure she is and he came back with "I have lung cancer, it spread everywhere and there's not much else they can do. I stopped chemo a month ago and I have 4 months to live. Rainy will carry on my life." I got sort of choked up. The fact that I was tattooing someone who's clock was literally ticking faster than anyone's was just such a hard concept to wrap my head around. He was so positive and explained to me how he was living his life the best that he could. Every single day. He didn't look sick. He had such an energetic smile and such a vibe like he had the world in his hands. Today was already humbling because I added onto a sleeve that is on my late best friend's father. But this... this was the icing on the cake. A moment I truly will never forget. When he was leaving he gave me a really tight hug and genuinely thanked me, shook my hand, winked and said "see you soon". Thank you rainy and your amazing father for reminding me to live everyday as if it was your last."
My Mother Passed Away Unexpectedly Two Nights Ago. She Told Me Once That If Were Ever To Get Another Tattoo It Would Have Been A Fairy. I Also Found A Document While Going Through Some Stuff Where She Wrote, "I Love You Very Much. -Mom." I Miss Her And I Know She Would Have Loved It
My Brother Was Murdered On February 6th, 2015. He Had "Honor Your Truth" Tattooed Across His Chest. We Cremated Him And We Are Putting His Ashes In A Bio Urn, So He Will Grow Into A Strong, Beautiful Oak Tree. This Is My Memorial Tattoo For Him
Best Friend Committed Suicide Last Year. Got Her Last Note As My First Tattoo. She Was Only 15-Years-Old, And I Was 17 When She Died. Tomorrow Is My 19th Birthday And I Miss Her More Than Any Words Could Express
Always Wanted A Tattoo Of A Dragon, And Skyrim Got Me Through Quitting Heroin In 2011 And Helped Me Stay Clean. I'm Super Happy I Finally Did It
One And Only Tattoo
My father passed on Valentines day 2 days before I turned 18, I thought this quote from a prayer said during his funeral was perfect. He had written a birthday card about 30 minutes before his heart attack and it was signed "love ya, dad" so I had his handwriting put below the quote
For My 18th Birthday I Got A Tattoo Of My Dads Laugh On My Arm, He Passed 3 Years Ago. I Have His Smile And Joy Wherever I Go Now
Nice, it's a memory. You know what it's about without everyone else unless you tell them. And it's original.
My Twin Sister Passed Recently, Got These Done In Memory Of The Loss Of My Other Half
This Woman In New Orleans Lost Everything In Katrina. She Set A Goal Of Rebuilding The Home She Lost And Tattooed The Plans On Her Hands As A Daily Reminder While She Works Three Jobs To Achieve Her Dream
Though I Have A Bunch Of Tattoos This Is By Far My Most Meaningful
"This is a dedication to my sister who lost a battle with cancer. My sister was special needs and couldn't write many things but she did always sign her own cards. This tattoo is a scan from the last card she signed for me. I couldn't think of a better way to ink her name than in her own handwriting."
About A Month Ago, I Lost A Friend In A Climbing Accident. I Watched Him Fall 50 Meters To His Death. This Is My Reminder Of Him As Well As A Reminder To Myself To Climb Safe
My God... So sorry for your loss... Love for the family and for you too.
I Got This 3 Days After My 18th Birthday, It's My Grandfather Who Died When I Was 7 Holding Up The World In His WWII Uniform
This Whole Sleeve Wraps Around My Dad
"He passed away from ALS and Multiple Systems Atrophy after suffering for 4 years on 9/14/16. The time on the clock is 9:14, which symbolizes the day he stopped suffering and was at peace once again. Frank Sinatra was his favorite artist, so while he was in the hospital in a medically induced coma, we started playing some of Frank’s music. My dad peacefully passed on his own in the middle of the first song we played, “Fly Me To The Moon” which is written in the banner beneath the clock. The dove on my inner forearm symbolizes my dad going off on his new path to heaven. His memory lives on my arm with me forever."
My Dad Passed Away A Week Ago, My Sister And I Got Tattoos In Our Hometown To Honor Him
The day my dad died, my step mom asked if he could send her a cardinal. Since then, they've showed up in many different places. Cards, clothes, a figurine my mother sent her. I'm sure it's because we're looking for them but it has brought us a lot of comfort. So the red bird is for him.
The blue birds are for his parents, my gram and poppa. My poppa could mimic so many bird calls. My gram would give my sister and I blue bird figurines for major life events. They helped raise us and I miss them terribly
Tribute Tattoo For My Best Friend Who Passed Away
Family Tattoo
"The train is for my Papa Jim, who was a train engineer. The horse is for my Papa Don, since he adored animals. Then the two cows (theyre not finished yet) represent my mom and my stepdad, since they both worked in the cattle business.
The dates below them are the dates they passed away, which is why one cow doesnt have a date. I'm going to add more detail and colour after it heals and I'll continue to add more so that it will wrap around my leg."
My First Tattoo Had To Be A Sentimental One, My Moms Favorite Saying To Me In Her Hand Writing!
Girl I Know Had A Best Friend Who Was Murdered. After The Trial She Got A Beautiful Tattoo Of A Note Her Friend Had Written Her Years Before
Got This Note My Father Left Me As A Tattoo. My Father Passed Away And I Decided To Get This Tatted On My Calf Since He Had One On His
Tribute To A Friend Who Died In A Car Crash And Was On His Way To A Brilliant Racing Career
Tattoo For Grandma. Grandma Passed Away Last Year, So I Got The Actual Script Of A Letter She Sent My Grandpa When He Was Deployed In The 50s, And It’s An Audio Clip Of Her P.S. It is "You've Got Me Counting Days"
For Nana Who Passed, And Whose Birthday Was In St. Patricks Day
I Got This After A Really Really, Really Bad Breakup. I Needed To Cover Up A Silly Tattoo We Had Gotten Together (Yup, Learned My Lesson) And Decided To Do So With A Diamond Because They Are Unbreakable
aww.. even I have a tattoo, I had it after passing through from a bad relationship,depression , and when I learnt what is actual freedom. That I can live with what I want not just what he want's.....N later on got trolled and cyber bulley by some kids cz they find it so simple,, but for me it has some meaning .. nd I love it 16388645_1...08269a.jpg 
I love how these human truly care about their loved ones by doing all they can so that they are permanently remembered forever
Sancha - Tattoos being "permanently remembered forever" is a pretty strong statement in the face of reality and all.
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*Bawling. Balling is ... something very different *ahem*
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2016 i was stuck in a bad relationship. Him threatening to kill himself if i left him. Ended up starving myself to the edge of death. The only thing that got me out of bed and that finally saved my life was my world of Warcraft guild so i tattooed the horde logo in their honor.
Is there a way i can add my tattoo to this post? I'm an attempted suicide survivor . My tat reminds me there is hope no matter what and that I can cope with whatever is thrown at me. 28500067_1...e4700d.jpg 
Dec 13th, 2017 - 12:23 am. The time my son with a future so incredibly bright ended his life. He always wondered if I was proud of him even though I made sure to reassure him, he opted for suicide. I wear him proudly on my arm for the rest of my life. 26815053_1...40d16d.jpg 
My father had a PH.d in Chemistry. When I was young, he told me about a chemical that had the longest spelling: cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene. I was so fascinated by that word that I practiced and practiced until I could say it correctly. It became a private word joke between my father and I. After he passed away, I got a tattoo of the chemical element on my arm in his honor. I sure miss that ole' guy! 19095441_1...65e4b6.jpg 
True, just ruined mine after I finished all the submissions
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I never was into tattoos. Then last year both Ambra, my cat companion died in July followed by Jerry, my dog companion 4 months later. The three of us had been together for close to 16 years and their absence still hits me like a ton of bricks. To help me with this I decided to get a tattoo of them to keep with me till we can be together again. 20180201_1...b9efb5.jpg 
My partner, Nev. I used to call him 'Neville the Tassie Devil' My one and only tattoo a year after he was killed in a horror work accident in Alice Springs. We lived on the road around Australia in a motorhome, working and sight seeing. As I wrote home about our adventures, he would look over my left shoulder and read what I was writing, so when he died, I put him back on my left so he could keep reading. cid_1083D5...14210a.jpg 
The death of a child is a terrible event, it's always lovely to remember them however we can xx
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I WASNT PREPARED FOR THIS EMOTIONAL TRIP
I love the way tattoos can be used to overcome something, to remember something or someone, and so much more. I have a small "stick n poke" I did myself (obviously because it's not good quality) of stitches "closing" an old self harm scar, and it serves as a reminder of what I have been able to get through in the past Screen-Sho...8f-png.jpg 
This post has inspired me to get a message from my grandma. She passed 4 years ago and I’m still shook. I realized that I completely forgot about about her death day this year which made me cry (January 12).
After I finish my teaching degree, I want to get a tattoo of the word brave, but fingerspelled. (The actual sign involves bumping your chest, which is hard to tattoo) I've dealt with mental illness, specifically depression, anxiety, and ocd since I was 8, and I also used the negative experiences I had in high school to teach myself sign language. I plan to work with the deaf after I graduate and it's just something very personal to me and I can't wait to get it.
It’s make me sad and somewhere blink the ray of hope.sallute you to all .
All these sentimental father and grandfather tattoos, makes me wish I had good ones.
I didn’t sign up for this feels trip... in all seriousness, R.I.P. all who died and lost their loved ones. I couldn’t finish reading this post, too emotional even for me, a young teen.
These were all amazing stories, but I'm glad it's done. I went through an entire box of kleenex reading this.
Tattooing was around centuries before Hitler, or the Reich, or even Germany. It has been used as a form of personal expression for millennia. If you hate the thought of tattoos, that's your choice. However, using Nazis as your reason for disliking tattoos is about as logical as hating the color grey blue because that's what Mussolini favored in his uniforms. The Reich did far, far worse in the dehumanizing arena than tattooing numbers. In the grand scale of the atrocities they committed, numbers on ones arm are at the very bottom of the list. Also, most of the upper echelon of the Reich had the exact same attitude that you do about tattoos, and would kill people with them as being dissidents, creatives, gypsies, etc. So in your furious desire to condemn tattooing you have echoed the precise words of the people you insist are the reason for your words. Also, once your children turn 18 they can do as they please, and your attitude is a sure fire way to make sure they have tattoos before they turn 19. Secondly, if you hate them so much why did you even open a post *about* tattoos in the first place. Its like the rigid spinster insisting she has to go into the bar in order to tell everyone how alcohol is Satan's Brew.
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aww.. even I have a tattoo, I had it after passing through from a bad relationship,depression , and when I learnt what is actual freedom. That I can live with what I want not just what he want's.....N later on got trolled and cyber bulley by some kids cz they find it so simple,, but for me it has some meaning .. nd I love it 16388645_1...08269a.jpg
I love how these human truly care about their loved ones by doing all they can so that they are permanently remembered forever
Sancha - Tattoos being "permanently remembered forever" is a pretty strong statement in the face of reality and all.
Load More Replies... *Bawling. Balling is ... something very different *ahem*
Load More Replies... 2016 i was stuck in a bad relationship. Him threatening to kill himself if i left him. Ended up starving myself to the edge of death. The only thing that got me out of bed and that finally saved my life was my world of Warcraft guild so i tattooed the horde logo in their honor.
Is there a way i can add my tattoo to this post? I'm an attempted suicide survivor . My tat reminds me there is hope no matter what and that I can cope with whatever is thrown at me. 28500067_1...e4700d.jpg
Dec 13th, 2017 - 12:23 am. The time my son with a future so incredibly bright ended his life. He always wondered if I was proud of him even though I made sure to reassure him, he opted for suicide. I wear him proudly on my arm for the rest of my life. 26815053_1...40d16d.jpg
My father had a PH.d in Chemistry. When I was young, he told me about a chemical that had the longest spelling: cyclopentanoperhydrophenanthrene. I was so fascinated by that word that I practiced and practiced until I could say it correctly. It became a private word joke between my father and I. After he passed away, I got a tattoo of the chemical element on my arm in his honor. I sure miss that ole' guy! 19095441_1...65e4b6.jpg
True, just ruined mine after I finished all the submissions
Load More Replies... I never was into tattoos. Then last year both Ambra, my cat companion died in July followed by Jerry, my dog companion 4 months later. The three of us had been together for close to 16 years and their absence still hits me like a ton of bricks. To help me with this I decided to get a tattoo of them to keep with me till we can be together again. 20180201_1...b9efb5.jpg
My partner, Nev. I used to call him 'Neville the Tassie Devil' My one and only tattoo a year after he was killed in a horror work accident in Alice Springs. We lived on the road around Australia in a motorhome, working and sight seeing. As I wrote home about our adventures, he would look over my left shoulder and read what I was writing, so when he died, I put him back on my left so he could keep reading. cid_1083D5...14210a.jpg
The death of a child is a terrible event, it's always lovely to remember them however we can xx
Load More Replies... I WASNT PREPARED FOR THIS EMOTIONAL TRIP
I love the way tattoos can be used to overcome something, to remember something or someone, and so much more. I have a small "stick n poke" I did myself (obviously because it's not good quality) of stitches "closing" an old self harm scar, and it serves as a reminder of what I have been able to get through in the past Screen-Sho...8f-png.jpg
This post has inspired me to get a message from my grandma. She passed 4 years ago and I’m still shook. I realized that I completely forgot about about her death day this year which made me cry (January 12).
After I finish my teaching degree, I want to get a tattoo of the word brave, but fingerspelled. (The actual sign involves bumping your chest, which is hard to tattoo) I've dealt with mental illness, specifically depression, anxiety, and ocd since I was 8, and I also used the negative experiences I had in high school to teach myself sign language. I plan to work with the deaf after I graduate and it's just something very personal to me and I can't wait to get it.
It’s make me sad and somewhere blink the ray of hope.sallute you to all .
All these sentimental father and grandfather tattoos, makes me wish I had good ones.
I didn’t sign up for this feels trip... in all seriousness, R.I.P. all who died and lost their loved ones. I couldn’t finish reading this post, too emotional even for me, a young teen.
These were all amazing stories, but I'm glad it's done. I went through an entire box of kleenex reading this.
Tattooing was around centuries before Hitler, or the Reich, or even Germany. It has been used as a form of personal expression for millennia. If you hate the thought of tattoos, that's your choice. However, using Nazis as your reason for disliking tattoos is about as logical as hating the color grey blue because that's what Mussolini favored in his uniforms. The Reich did far, far worse in the dehumanizing arena than tattooing numbers. In the grand scale of the atrocities they committed, numbers on ones arm are at the very bottom of the list. Also, most of the upper echelon of the Reich had the exact same attitude that you do about tattoos, and would kill people with them as being dissidents, creatives, gypsies, etc. So in your furious desire to condemn tattooing you have echoed the precise words of the people you insist are the reason for your words. Also, once your children turn 18 they can do as they please, and your attitude is a sure fire way to make sure they have tattoos before they turn 19. Secondly, if you hate them so much why did you even open a post *about* tattoos in the first place. Its like the rigid spinster insisting she has to go into the bar in order to tell everyone how alcohol is Satan's Brew.
Load More Replies... 