Celebrity tattoos to inspire your first (or next) inking

A look of the very best bits of celebrity body art

Nothing sparks social media intrigue quite like new celebrity tattoos. We could literally spend hours trying to figure out the hidden meaning, tribute or inspiration behind them.

Case in point, following the birth announcement video, the internet was convinced that Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott had called their baby 'butterfly' after they got matching tiny tattoos; they later revealed their daughter's name as Stormi Webster.

Meanwhile celebs like David Beckham, Rita Ora and Ruby Rose have long showed off a vast collection – and they don't seem to be stopping going under the needle any time soon.

Read on as we chart the most inked celebrities and their best, most unique tattoos (you won't find any designs tattoo artists are sick of doing), as well as the A-listers who have recently joined the tattooed ranks.

Rihanna tattoos

Rihanna has well over 20 tats from head to toe, from a Pisces symbol behind her ear to the intricate patterns spanning her hands. The Work singer also has a scorpion, Roman numerals and an Egyptian goddess.

The world simultaneously lost their minds when Rihanna and Drake got matching shark tattoos last year, not long after the latter publicly declared his undying love for the singer before presenting her with a Vanguard award.

Of course, Ri-Ri has her favourite artist, behind said shark tattoo below. She reportedly once flew him all the way to the Dominican Republic to add to her hand artwork – that's commitment to the cause!

Tom Hardy tattoos

While the exact number of Tom Hardy's tattoos is unknown, he has in excess of 20 including tribal patterns, a London skyline and a wolf. He also has his agent, Lindy King's name tattooed on her body, after promising her he would do so if she managed to get him into Hollywood.

Hardy even had to get a tattoo reading 'Leo knows all' after losing a bet with his pal and The Revenant co-star, after betting he wouldn't win an Oscar for the film. As we all remember well, the 2016 best actor gong was (finally) awarded to Leonardo DiCaprio. About bloody time...

Cara Delevingne tattoos

After those incredible brows, Cara D's most famous feature is probably her collection of celebrity tattoos. Most recognisable is the tattoo of a lion she has on her index finger (actually the first tattoo she ever got), but the model has racked up more than 20 inkings – including a tattoo from Margot Robbie while filming superhero blockbuster, Suicide Squad.

Ms Delevingne also sports a snake tattoo on her other hand, which she told The Sun represents 'reinvention, [the] shedding of old skin, new beginnings, new life.'

David Beckham tattoos

Is David Beckham one of the most inked celebrities ever? Quite probably, as he boasts in excess of 40 tats. Each one has some sort of meaning to the ex-footballer, from tributes to his four children and his wife to significant dates.

'Pretty Lady' is a reference to his daughter, Harper, and 'Cruz' for his youngest son, while two cherubs represent eldest sons, Brooklyn and Romeo. Victoria has several tattoos dedicated to her, including an inked version of a Bardot-inspired photo shoot, a hummingbird and her name in Sanskrit.

We wonder how long we'll have to wait for Becks to hit 50 tats...

Liam Payne tattoos

Former One Direction member Liam is currently super loved-up with partner Cheryl Tweedy; the pair are about to welcome their son, Bear's first birthday (we can't believe it's been that long either).

Probably the star's most interesting tat is the eye on his wrist, which he confirmed is that of girlfriend Cheryl. Liam confessed it's because he 'feels like she's always watching' that way. Awww.

Ruby Rose tattoos

The Orange is the New Black star is well known for her array of body artwork, most notably her intricate sleeves and forearm tattoos.

You may have presumed that that David Beckham had more tattoos than anyone else in the celebrity world (and we wouldn't blame you for that one), but Ruby Rose has well over fifty inkings, all of which have some sort of hidden meaning.

Rita Ora tattoos

The 27-year-old is no stranger to doing under the needle with an impressive collection of celebrity tattoos on show, with notable designs on her arms, wrists and side.

Also a fan of Bang Bang NYC, the star recently got another two designs added to her frame in February; a tiny ear tattoo and a bird cage on her arm, the latter which can be seen below.

Hailey Baldwin tattoos

Modern day model squad members Hailey Baldwin, Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid each have some sort of teeny-tiny tattoos; Kendall actually designed Hailey's 'PRAY' tattoo.

Ms Baldwin and BFF Kylie Jenner also have tattoos in the exact same place, which they of course showed off on Instagram a couple of summers ago.

Still not got your fix of A-list tatspiration? Keep scrolling to see even more of Team MC's favourite celebrity inkings...

Bella Hadid

Bella just got her first tattoos — two mini wings on the back of her ankle, done by celeb favourite JonBoy. The internet is speculating what they could mean — something to do with finally walking in the Victoria's Secret show, maybe?

Hailey Baldwin

And also got a tiny cross on her neck to symbolise her strong faith and connection to her church,

Pretty Little Liars

Lucy Hale shared an instagram post after wrapping up Pretty Little Liars, with a caption reading: 'This happened. Thank you @shamrocksocialclub for taking care of us. We couldn't not get tattoos to commemorate the show! And obviously on our "shh" finger ? '

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga debuted a new forearm tattoo in honour of her late Aunt Joanne Germanotta, who died from lupus at age 19. The 30-year-old pop diva - who also named her fifth studio album Joanne - got inked with her moniker in her actual signature. 'My dad [Joe] got one too. With an angel on his shoulder,' the six-time Grammy winner wrote to her 144.6M social media followers.

Bella Thorne

Bella Thorne revealed her *huge* back tattoo on Instagram, wittily captioning the picture 'Cats & Tatts'.

Mariah Carey

Instagram went wild when Mariah Carey posted this Instagram of a new butterfly just above her Mimi tattoo. Whether it's real or fake, we're yet to see, but if it comes off, she should get one for real.

Zayn Malik

Zayn Malik's new Star Wars inspired tattoo created by artist, Jon Boy. Not only is it a lightsaber, it ACTUALLY lights up. 

Kylie Jenner and Hailey Baldwin

Kylie Jenner and Hailey Baldwin who got inking in the same spot.

Lily Collins

Lily Collins stunned guests at an Oscars after party, revealing a new tattoo, with 'fragile thing' written next to a fairy perched on a crescent moon. No word yet on what inspired the actress' latest addition, but we love the nod to her fairytale roots... She was Snow White after all.

Adam Levine

We have this intricate inking which was completed over the course of 6 months on Adam Levine's back. The singer unveiled the winged mermaid on Instagram today and said the piece was 'absolutely blowing my mind'. We reckon it must have hurt...