Fish Tattoo Meaning & Ideas

Fish Tattoo Meanings and Ideas

Another meaning of fish tattoos is luck and fortune. In many Eastern cultures, fish represent good fortune so the fish tattoo meaning goes beyond symbolism—some believe that wearing the fish as a permanent tattoo will bring a life full of good luck and positive coincidences.

Other fish tattoo meanings come from Eastern lore in which a certain type of fish, in this case, a Koi tattoo is a sign of bravery and strength. In these Asian cultures, koi tattoo meanings go beyond just beauty—the belief is that wearing a permanent koi in the form of a tattoo indicates a life of good health and strength, thus this tattoo meaning is deployed when someone needs to be brave or appear courageous.

Koi Fish Tattoo Ideas

Interestingly, some fish tattoos mean affiliation with certain groups—or in some cases, certain criminal gangs. Those who are from the West should be careful about their tattoo meanings; some koi tattoos are symbols worn by members of the mafia—a fact that is well known in Asia but that is not known by many Westerners who do not understand this particular fish tattoo meaning.

Shark Tattoo Ideas

While it is often an individual’s taste about the reason for the fish tattoo and its meaning, fish tattoos have been around for a long time—and so have depictions of fish as other works of art. Since fish have meaning in so many cultures, many cultures have very stylized, recognizable representations of fish in their artwork and style. Sometimes people like these styles and the meaning of their fish tattoos isn’t about the fish itself, it’s about the art style that often depicted fish—like Chinese, Japanese and other cultures’ fish-inspired art.

Dolphin Tattoo Ideas

Fish have been an important part of life since the dawn of civilization as they served as the primary source of food for countless ancient people. Accordingly, over the centuries, images of fish have appeared in artwork, sculptures and figures for thousands of years. In these recent decades, fish tattoos offer new meanings and a new form of art for Western people. Fish symbolize a life of good fortune and plenty and those who choose a fish tattoo should know that the meaning of a fish tattoo is important; while many love the beauty of the fish tattoo artwork, knowing the symbols and history of the fish as a symbolic art object makes the tattoo even more special and sacred.

Various Cool Fish tattoos