Harry Styles' Tattoos and Their Meanings — Photos of His Ink

Jun 19, 2023

The star, which is on the inside of his left bicep, was later filled in.

Styles has yet to explain the meaning behind the ink, but some fans have speculated that it may be a reference to the five-piece band named One Direction — comprised of Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik — that propelled him to fame.

This includes a clover with the letters SSC inside — a nod to the Shamrock Social Club, a tattoo parlor in West Hollywood where Styles has gotten inked before.

Styles also has a small padlock, which was inked by Ed Sheeran, a key, the phrase "99 p," and the Aquarius symbol.

Styles told NPR in 2020 that he got into American football when he first began traveling to the US and staying with a friend who was from Wisconsin.

He got a tattoo in honor of the team hours prior to a Packers game.

"It was a couple of hours before the game and we said, 'If they win the game, then I'll get a Packers tattoo. And if they don't, I won't,'" he recalled. "I think this was maybe 2012, maybe 2013, and I only had time the day before to go and get the tattoo. So I thought, 'Oh, I'll just get it because they're going to win.' So I got the tattoo, and then they lost.'"

The design was reportedly done by Kat Von D and seemingly inspired by the lyrics of the Temper Trap song "Sweet Disposition."

The tattoo is still on Styles' arm, but it's faded.

They were two of his earliest tattoos but were later covered up.

It's likely a tribute to his mom, Anne Twist.

This design is speculated to be in honor of his sister, Gemma Styles, who had the childhood nickname Gem.

Gemma's name is written in Hebrew on his arm.

The "A," possibly for his mom, is on his left shoulder. The "G" tattoo, most likely for his sister, is on his right shoulder.

The ink appears to be done in a person's handwriting.

Styles has the word "Pingu" on his left bicep while Sheeran has the penguin tattooed on his body.

"He and Ed had been out the night before, got pissed and started talking about their favourite childhood shows, and 'Pingu' was both of their favourites, which is why they both decided to get them," tattoo artist Kevin Paul told GQ in 2020.

The design is on his left hand.

The musician told Cambio in 2013 that he likes the tattoo because it's friendly and symbolizes peace.

Tattoo artist Kevin Paul told GQ that Styles got the ink because he "lost money gambling."

"I think it was in Australia – and he lost it on 17 black," Paul said. "This was in the early days, the first few years of One Direction."

He got the birds inked in November 2012.

"I like that kind of style of tattoos, like the old sailor kind of tattoos," Styles explained to Us Weekly. "They symbolize traveling, and we travel a lot!"

The singer shared similar comments about the meaning during an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" with 1D around that time, saying: "Birds fly, we fly a lot."

He revealed the ink in a grainy photo shared on Instagram in March 2013.

It's on his upper left arm.

Freddy Negrete, who inked Styles, said that the tattoo was an homage to his home.

"We showed him a book of paintings of English ships, done by a famous painter," Negrete told The Daily Star, according to PopSugar. "He wanted a realistic looking English ship, because he misses home and needs to remind himself that he's homeward bound. What he said was, 'We're always on the road but my heart is at home and I want a ship.'"

Styles hasn't revealed the meaning behind the nails.

Styles hasn't commented on the tattoo's meaning, but it might be a reference to Ray LaMontagne's song of the same name.

The skeleton is in a frame and the design features some red ink.

The iconic prism with rays of light passing through it is from the band's album, "The Dark Side of the Moon."

It's unclear why Styles got the tattoo.

When someone is described as being born with a silver spoon in their mouth, it means that they were born wealthy or privileged.

It's prominently seen in the artwork for his 2017 self-titled debut solo album.

The flower is situated near his elbow.

When asked about the reasoning behind the tattoo in a 2014 interview with Hollywood Life, Styles said, "I am a mermaid."

Styles is from England, while LA and NY are two cities that he often visits.

Styles hasn't commented on the meaning of this tattoo.

Jackson is the son of Calvin Aurand, who served as One Direction's official photographer and documentarian until 2015.

Styles' tattoo is visible on the insides of both of his ankles.

Tomlinson tweeted about the band getting the ink in 2012. He briefly explained the ink while answering questions for Ask Anything Chat in 2018.

"We decided, well most of us actually except for Niall, as a band to get these little ones on our ankle," he said.

One ankle says "never gonna" and the other reads "dance again." You can see both tattoos in one of the images from his June 2022 cover story for Better Homes and Gardens.

It appears to be a crown, but Styles previously admitted on "The Late Late Show With James Corden" in 2015 that he has a few "stupid" tattoos, including the word "big" on his big toe.

He revealed the ink while performing in Rio de Janeiro in May 2014.

The design is located below the "Brazil!" tattoo.

He got the talk show's "Late Late" logo tattooed on his arm.

The tattoo is near the group of small designs around his wrist.

The design near his black-heart tattoo.

The tattoos are on his left arm, near the holy bible.

The religious tattoo is on his left forearm.

It's unclear what the bird represents.

It's likely a nod to his maternal grandmother.

Fans noticed the ferns on his body in 2014.

The "SMCL" ink might be an acronym for the phrase "smile more, cry later."

It's located near the "SMCL" ink.

1967 is written on his left shoulder in honor of his mom, Anne. The singer pays tribute to his dad, Desmond Styles, with 1957 on his right shoulder.

Robin married Styles' mom in 2013. He died from cancer four years later, at age 57.

On the left side of his chest are the initials "M" and "K." On the right side of his chest is the initial "B."

It's on the left side of his chest, near one of his sparrow tattoos.

The tattoo is near his underarm.

It looks like a bee, but Styles hasn't confirmed the design's inspiration.

Tattoos that read "non" and "no" are above and below his left kneecap, while the words "oui" and "si" can be found in the same places on his right leg.

Fans spotted it when Styles wore a sheer black blouse to the 2019 Met Gala.

The ink is on his right thigh and was spotted by fans back in 2019.

The tattoo, captured by paparazzi photos while Styles was vacationing, quickly went viral. The ink font is also similar to Styles' "colazione" tattoo.

Although One Direction has a song titled "Olivia" on their 2015 album "Made in the A.M.," the tattoo was most likely the result of his high-profile relationship with Wilde.

Styles and Wilde were romantically linked in January 2021. They costarred in the movie "Don't Worry Darling," which Wilde also directed.

Their breakup was revealed in November 2022, after almost two years together.