110+ Lotus Tattoos Ideas With Rich Symbolic Meaning

A Lotus tattoo has a certain elegance and grace to it, partly due to the gentle tones and colors. The other reason is that a lotus tattoo meaning never strays far from religious beliefs. Due to that reason, lotus flowers are often linked with peace, composure and calmness.

One of the most popular flowers for tattoo is lotus. This hardy flower is gorgeous and unique. It has some kind of dual nature, combining great power and at the same time tenderness. It is important that a lotus flower tattoo meaning is always up to its wearer. The person with the lotus tattoo knows its significance the best.

1. Lotus Tattoo with Simple Geometric Designs

This lotus tattoo is paired with light shades of colors, a moon and some geometric patterns in the back. The simple lines add on to the elegance of the tattoo.

2. Shoulder Lotus Tattoo Design

While the more popular lotus tattoo design is based on the real flower, tattoo artists can also add their own twist to these tattoos, using a mandala design as an example.

3. A Simple Lotus Tattoo at the Chest

A simple lotus tattoo can show just a few petals with shadings beneath them. You can further decorate the tattoo with simple dotted designs too!

4. Skulls & Lotus Flowers

A lotus flower tattoo meaning may no longer be as straightforward when there are dark motifs such as skulls mixed into the tattooed piece.

5. Simple Brush Strokes

A lotus flower can be represented in an elegant way with a brush stroke pattern just like in this tattoo. This lotus tattoo meaning may be closer to a lotus flower’s Chinese origins.

6. A Blue Lotus Tattoo

Who said that lotus flower tattoos have to be pink all the time? This one is blue and it’s looking great!

7. A Phoenix and A Lotus Flower

Having a phoenix tattoo is definitely a power move. The fierceness of a phoenix seems to be lowered with the presence of a lotus flower.

8. In Full Bloom

The middle of the lotus seems to be glowing brightly. That seems quite appropriate for a lotus tattoo design!

9. White Lotus Tattoo with Koi Fish

A lotus flower tattoo meaning seems to be much clearer when paired with still water and a koi fish in it. There’s a sense of peace in this tattoo and we love it!

10. Partial Colored Lotus Tattoo

The lotus tattoo here is only colored in the part where it is contained amidst the triangle design. That’s one way you can color your tattoo!

Who Makes Lotus Tattoos?

Lotus tattoos are very meaningful, as the flower is associated with East culture and its incredible devotion to the depth and eternity of the sacramental inner world. Obviously, the sketches of lotus tattoos differ in styles and places of attachment, but usually, a variety of colors and tints emphasize the identity of it.

Considering the duality of the image of lotus, it makes sense to say that this flower is suitable both for men and women. Two-faced nature is also in the peculiarities of growing of the plant: the roots of it are deep in the water, but its petals loft directly to the sun. Therefore, this can also say a lot about the person, who bears such a tattoo. If you feel the unity of light and darkness or other opposing principles in yourself, this tattoo is for you.

11. Lotus Tattoos Down the Spine

You can have more than a single lotus flower in your tattoo design. In this one, as an example, a big lotus is inked atop 5 other lotus-themed designs placed in spine.

12. A Colourful Lotus Tattoo

The lotus tattoo meaning in this tattoo is a little clearer than the others. It sits atop the semi-colon tattoo, which is a symbol for post-depression survivors.

13. A Different Lotus Tattoo Meaning

You can think of lotus tattoos as just the flower designs, or you can think of it in the lotus sitting position definition. This one is clearly the latter, although we can’t say for sure what it means.

14. A Gentle Color

The lotus tattoo here has a soft color tone in stark contrast with the black and white line art design in the background. We can almost see the texture of the flower!

15. Chest Mandala Lotus Design

This might not be your classic lotus tattoo design, but it sure is a graceful and elegant one! Its simplicity paired with the decorative beads makes it extra feminine.

16. A String of Flowers

You can also opt to mix your lotus tattoo design into something that hides the motif a little. A lotus flower can be inked in a similar fashion.

17. Tiger Amidst the Lotus Flowers

The feminine feel of a lotus tattoo can be balanced to be more gender neutral with a fiercer animal – a tiger, as an example. The addition of a peacock feather adds on to how colorful the entire tattoo is!

18. Blue Lotus Tattoo with Pocketwatch

What do you think lotus tattoo meaning for this piece is? We aren’t sure, but it could have been linked to a sense of calm relating to that time and date.

19. Japanese Lotus Tattoo Design

A Japanese lotus tattoo design is not too different from a normal lotus tattoo. The difference mostly lies in the background patterns – just like in this one!

20. Spiraling Lotus Tattoo

This lotus flower tattoo meaning could be leaning more towards Japanese culture influence. The background and the wave patterns are definitely Japanese!

Moreover, it is a symbol of the rich spirituality, chastity and purity. The meaning of the lotus is also a desire to understand the beauty and immortality of nature; it symbolizes the harmony, combining two opposites complementing each other. In general, this flower keeps positive energy and vitality. This is a powerful symbol with a rich historical past.

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Meaning Of Lotus Tattoo

Lotus is a symbol of:

  1. Spiritual growth. In Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, the flower carries the meaning of enlightenment or spiritual awakening. People, who admire this plant, strive to rise above the gray everyday life like this wonderful flower strives to grow in a bog. They try to grow mentally and see the divine light. 
  2. Wisdom. It also personifies the intelligence light, clear mind and deep thoughts. All this comes to a man with ages, if he or she worked hard on self-improvement and developing knowledge.
  3. Female principle. In India, this unique flower is also a symbol of fertility. In this case, its delicate petals are depicted in the form of a bowl. This meaning incorporates the feminine softness, purity and origin of new life. 
  4. Harmony. Everyone knows the yoga posture of lotus. It is this posture that symbolizes the inner forces, energy and hard balance. As a symbol of Yin-Yang, it also means the unity of bright and dark beginnings, good and evil, male and female energies.

Meaning Of Lotus Tattoo In Different Cultures

Lotus flower is represented in the beliefs of different civilizations and cultures – from ancient times to the present day. 

According to a legend, Buddha was born from the lotus. This flower can serve as a throne for meditation in images of Buddhist monks and White Tara. Therefore, it is closely connected with divinity in Buddhism and Hinduism. 

In today’s society, a growing interest to the flower can be demonstrated by the numerous photos of lotus as the art object: in paintings, decorative items, figurines, as well as tattoos.

Lotus in different cultures:

Body Parts For Lotus Tattoo

As it has been mentioned, lotus tattoo is suitable for boys and girls. However, the places for their attachment differ depending on the sex of its bearer. Men choose shoulder, back or neck to depict the flower. 

Women prefer to place lotus tattoos on their waists, hips, ribs and between shoulder-blades. 

Styles Of Lotus Tattoo

Male and female lotus tattoos also differ in their design. In the case of male variant, lotus is portrayed as more brutal, with masculine features, clear lines and colors, strict form of petals and leaves.

Sketches of lotus tattoos are often made in color with lot of tints to embody the specialty of the flower, but monochrome versions are also possible.

Girls prefer to tattoo lotuses small in size, or if they are big they look very tender, beautiful and sensitive. Sometimes girls combine them with different ornaments or letterings

Lotuses are depicted in realism, watercolor, neo-traditional or graphic style. Both men and women combine the flower with the image of Buddha. 

Celebrities’ Lotus Tattoos

Malin Akerman, raised Buddhist, has a large lotus flower and a Tibetan Sanskrit message which reads “to play” inked on the upper part of her back.

Katy Perry has a small lotus flower on her wrist.

Ellie Goulding has a tattoo of lotus flower on her ribcage.

Debra Wilson has a lotus flower tattoo on her abdomen.