Anchor Tattoos

1. Standard Anchor Tattoo

Your standard Anchor Tattoo carries with it all the symbolism an Anchor Tattoo normally would, with no other bells and whistles attached.

This includes all the symbolism mentioned above but can also be a tribute to a loved one who was affiliated with the sea.

2. Traditional Anchor Tattoo

Traditional Tattoos, also referred to as Old School Tattoos, are known for their solid, black outlines that are typically quite bold and prominent.

This Traditional Anchor Tattoo, in particular, is a recreation of the iconic Sailor Jerry anchor design, one of the forefathers of the Traditional Tattoo style who is widely regarded as popularising the tattoo scene in America. 

3. Turtle Anchor Tattoo

You don’t have to settle for an Anchor Tattoo by itself. Instead, why not pair it with something like an Animal Tattoo?

This cute Tattoo Design features a little turtle. Turtle Tattoos can be symbols of longevity and endurance due to a turtle's long lifespan, but can also represent themes of protection, stability, and peace due to the turtle's protective shell and perceived laid-back nature. 

4. Heart Anchor Tattoo

First of all, you don’t necessarily have to get an anatomically accurate heart for your Heart Anchor Tattoo.

Instead, you can go for the more traditional love heart aesthetic.

With that said, a Heart Tattoo can symbolize themes of love and passion, possibly meaning this tattoo signifies the wearer's love of sailing, the sea, or their love of someone who is a sailor. 

5. Oarfish Anchor Tattoo

The Oarfish is a giant bony fish that has been recorded to grow up to 36 feet in length.

These fish inhabit the deep ocean waters of temperate and tropical climates, typically living at depths between 650 and 3,000 feet.

Due to their rarity and unusual appearance, oarfish have been the subject of various maritime myths and legends.

In some cultures, they are seen as harbingers of earthquakes and tsunamis, perhaps due to washing ashore after disturbances in the deep sea.

6. Realistic Anchor Tattoo

You don’t always have to go for a stylized version for your Anchor Tattoo. Instead, why not go with a realistic-looking one?

Realistic Tattoos are done in a Tattoo Style known as black and grey.

Black and grey tattoos utilize shades of black and grey to create depth and dimension by diluting black ink with different amounts of water to create various shades of grey.

7. Boat Anchor Tattoo

Naturally, the most appropriate thing to pair your Anchor Tattoo with is a boat or ship.

However, unlike most Tattoo Designs that have the anchor paired with the ship, this amazing Tattoo seamlessly fuses the anchor with not only the ship but with the landscape around it.

It is a testament to the incredible creativity that often gets overlooked when speaking about tattoo artists. 

8. Sea Anchor Tattoo

An Anchor Tattoo wouldn’t be amiss with a depiction of the sea in its design.

This cool Tattoo depicts the sea within the confines of the anchor itself, displaying a rough-looking sea with crashing waves and a dark sky filled with clouds, suggesting an upcoming storm. 

9. Helm Anchor Tattoo

Another predominant ship iconography you can pair your Anchor Tattoo with is with a ship’s helm.

The helm is the steering apparatus for any ship, traditionally consisting of a large wheel often made of wood and brass, connected to a system of gears or ropes that control the ship's rudder.

10. Under The Skin Anchor Tattoo

Here is a cool little idea for your Anchor Tattoo.

Instead of having it look like it is just placed on top of your skin, why not have it look like it is being pierced through your skin? 

This Tattoo design gives an excellent, realistic, albeit a bit of a morbid appearance. 

11. Compass Anchor Tattoo

Another stereotypical sailor image is the compass.

The ancient Chinese originally used the compass for divination and geomancy, around the 4th century BCE.

Knowledge of magnetic compasses spread from China to Europe, possibly through the Silk Road in the 12th century, with the first clear reference to a compass in Europe dating back to around 1190 in Alexander Neckam's writings.

12. Skull Anchor Tattoo

Despite their appearance, Skull Tattoos come with a lot of positive symbolism.

While the most common interpretation of skull tattoos is as a symbol of death and mortality, they can be used to represent a celebration of life.

This is by expressing an understanding and acceptance of mortality, thereby encouraging living life to the fullest. 

13. Octopus Anchor Tattoo

The octopus is an animal commonly associated with sailors and the mystique and danger of sailing across the world's vast oceans.

This stems from the myth of the Kraken, a monstrous octopus or squid creature that could reach enormous sizes, capable of sinking large ships and consuming entire crews, which likely stems from the actual giant squid that can grow up to 40-50 feet long.

14. Octopus Helm Anchor Tattoo

An octopus or squid wrapping their arms around ship parts or even whole ships symbolizes a struggle against the sea’s dangers.

These tattoos can represent a sailor's battle with the vast, uncontrollable natural world, as well as their respect for the creatures that inhabit it.

15. Swallow Anchor Tattoo

Swallow Tattoos are one of the classic sailor tattoo designs used to mark nautical achievements.

For example, a sailor would receive a Swallow Tattoo for every 5,000 nautical miles traveled.

The swallow is known for its migratory patterns, traveling vast distances but also returning home, representing a sailor’s desire and determination to return home safely.

16. Minimalist Anchor Tattoo

Minimalist Tattoos are defined by their simple, understated designs, typically avoiding excessive shading, gradients, and color, relying instead on black ink and, occasionally, small touches of color.

While not always small, minimalist tattoos often lean towards smaller designs, being as tiny as a few centimeters, making them suitable for placement on any part of the body.

17. Watercolor Anchor Tattoo

Watercolor Tattoos are a tattoo style that mimics the aesthetics of watercolor paintings.

This tattoo style is characterized by its vibrant colors, soft gradients, and the absence of black outlines that are common in traditional tattoo styles.

Many watercolor tattoos include splash-like effects or ink drips, adding to the illusion that the ink was just brushed onto the skin.

18. Sun Anchor Tattoo

Sun Tattoos are a symbol often representing life, strength, power, and rebirth, among other things.

Like the sun rises every day, it can symbolize renewal and rebirth.

This makes sun tattoos perfect for those who have gone through significant personal transformations or new beginnings.

In regards to sailors, a sun can represent the desire for good weather making for a safe journey. 

19. Rose Anchor Tattoo

Rose Tattoos are most commonly associated with love, particularly romantic love, with the color of the rose altering its specific meaning.

For example, red roses typically symbolize love and passion, while white roses symbolize innocence and purity. 

A Rose Anchor Tattoo can signify your groundedness and commitment to a special person. 

20. Floral Anchor Tattoo

Flower Tattoos vary greatly in symbolic meanings depending on which flower you choose to adorn yourself in.

With about 400,000 species of flower discovered and more being found regularly, you are in no short supply of potential symbolic meanings to pair with your Anchor Tattoo. 

21. Wooden Anchor Tattoo

You don’t have to settle for just your standard metal anchor when it comes to your tattoo.

Instead, why not try something like this cool wooden anchor? 

While almost certainly never looking like this, early anchors were almost certainly made from materials such as rock, stones, and potentially even bone. 

22. Fox Anchor Tattoo

What is the symbolic meaning of a Fox and Anchor, you might ask?

Well, I have no idea either, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. 

Fox Tattoos can symbolize the wearer's intelligence, strategic thinking, or ability to navigate complex situations, potentially meaning that this tattoo signifies the wearer's strategic nature while at sea. 

23. Albatross Achor Tattoo

The albatross is a bird revered across various cultures for its impressive size, long-distance flying capabilities, and its role in maritime folklore.

In maritime lore, seeing an albatross was often considered a sign of good luck, indicating that land or favorable winds were near.

However, the bird also carries a burden of superstition, with the most famous depiction coming in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," where killing an albatross is deemed an ill omen, bringing bad luck and hardship to the crew.

24. Pirate Anchor Tattoo

You can’t have an Anchor Tattoo without having a pirate tattoo.

Pirates were outlaws who engaged in the raiding and plundering of ships at sea, whose legacy is somewhat romanticized through pop culture and folklore.

Often portrayed as swashbuckling adventurers, pirates were, in fact, ruthless outlaws who would board ships using force and weapons, loot valuable cargo, steal money, and sometimes seize control of ships.

They would take over their operation and commandeer the crew, sometimes forcing them to join their ranks under threat of violence.

25. Pirate Ship Anchor Tattoo

Media portrayals of pirate ships are also highly romanticized. 

In movies and television shows, pirate ships often appear more grandiose and elaborately decorated than they likely were in reality.  

Real pirate ships were often converted merchant vessels chosen for their speed and maneuverability rather than appearance.

Pirates needed functional ships that could quickly approach victims and make a fast getaway if needed. 

26. Water Anchor Tattoo

You also can’t have an Anchor Tattoo list without at least having the element of water in its design.

The earliest anchors were probably just rocks and, later, stone and wooden devices, but by the time of the Greeks and Romans, they had developed more advanced forms of anchors, typically made of stone and later iron.

These anchors usually featured wooden stocks and flukes, the arms that dig into the sea bed.

The most commonly depicted Anchor Tattoo is of the Admiralty Anchor, whose usage became prominent in the 1800s.

27. Shark Anchor Tattoo

Due to their dominance in the marine ecosystem, Shark Tattoos symbolize strength, power, and authority, representing an individual's personal power or overcoming challenging circumstances.

In some cultures, sharks are also seen as protectors and guides for seafarers, like in Hawaiian culture, where sharks are viewed as ‘aumakua or ancestral guardian spirits who protect and guide their descendants.

28. Octopus Pirate Anchor Tattoo

Another fun idea for your Anchor Tattoo is to imbue it with not just a Skull Tattoo but an Octopus Man Skull Tattoo.

This cool design makes me think of Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Davy Jones is depicted as the cursed captain of the ghostly ship, The Flying Dutchman.

Once a human sea captain, he fell in love with Calypso, the sea goddess who betrayed him, turning him into a bitter and twisted character, cutting out his own heart and locking it in a chest.

29. One Piece Anchor Tattoo

Lastly, check out this super cool One Piece Tattoo.

One Piece follows the adventures of the Strawhat Pirates, a group of rag-tag pirates led by their rubber-bodied captain, Monkey D. Luffy as they sail the Grand Line in search of the ultimate treasure, the legendary One Piece. 

1. Anchor Tattoo On Chest

The chest is one of the best places to get your Anchor Tattoo if you want to show it off with pride.

Placed squarely on the chest, it gives the impression that you are proudly wearing your banner into war.

This fantastic design includes a few nautical elements, including a ship, swallows, and, of course, the anchor. 

2. Wrist Anchor Tattoo

Wrist Tattoos are a delicate and feminine place to get your anchor tattoo.

This location acts like a little canvas where you can say something personal as if you’re wearing your heart on your sleeve. 

3. Anchor Tattoo On Hand

Hand Tattoos are the perfect place to get your Anchor Tattoo if you want to show it off as often as possible.

However, keep in mind that the hand is one of the most painful places to get inked during this area having very thin skin and being close to bones and tendons. 

4. Anchor Tattoo On Thigh

Thigh Tattoos are great for first time tattooers.

This location has a lot of fat and muscle which will help dampen the tattooing needle leading to a more comfortable session. 

However, while the thigh is a comfortable place to get inked, it isn’t a place easily shown off for those who live in colder climates and is better for those who can head to the beach quite often. 

5. Back With Anchor Tattoo

Lastly, the back is the quintessential location for expansive and highly detailed tattoos.

The back has a large amount of space on a relatively flat plane allowing your artist to comfortably ink in fine detailing.

You of course dont need to ink your entire back and, instead, have a smaller design such as this that runs down the spine.