Harry Styles’ Tattoos & Their Meanings: A Guide To All Of His Ink
The pop superstar loves getting inked! At last count, Harry has over 50 tattoos on his body. Find out what they all mean to the ‘Watermelon Sugar’ singer here!
Harry Styles made his legion of teeny bopper fans swoon as a boy band singer in One Direction — but the 28-year-old musician has since grown into a superstar solo act, becoming a fashion icon along the way! The “Watermelon Sugar” pop star takes over red carpets, concert stages and photo shoots rocking his unique blend of high-end labels and gender-fluid dressings. Harry’s headline-making style gets even more attention, however, when you consider all the tattoos he’s added to his body over the years!
The English performer got his first ink on his eighteenth birthday in 2012, choosing to have a star stamped on his left bicep. Afterwards, there was no turning back for Harry, as he apparently loves getting inked whenever possible! During a visit to the Late Late Show with James Corden with One Direction in 2015, Harry lost a game of “tattoo roulette” and had to get “Late Late” tattooed on his body. He chose his left arm. “I’ve got a couple stupid ones,” Harry said of his tattoos during the appearance. “I don’t know if I regret them so much. I mean, I wrote ‘big’ on my big toe,” he added with a laugh.
Harry’s passion for tattoos — he had over 50 at last count! — may have even rubbed off on his current girlfriend, as Olivia Wilde got the names of her two kids — son Otis, 7, and daughter, Daisy, 5 — inked on the inside of her forearms recently. Whatever the case, let’s commence identifying Harry’s tattoos and their meanings, below!
Harry’s Chest Tattoos
The two most obvious tattoos on Harry’s chest are the large swallows facing each other on his pectoral muscles. “I like that kind of style of tattoos, like the old sailor kind of tattoos,” Harry told US Weekly in 2012. “They symbolize traveling, and we [One Direction] travel a lot!” Above the swallow on his left pec are the words “17 BLACK,” which symbolizes Harry losing a gambling bet in Australia, according to tattoo artist Kevin Paul, per GQ. Below the bird are two crosses with a letter “M” and letter “K” over them, reportedly representing his grandmother Mary Smith and grandfather Keith Styles.
One can’t help but notice the large butterfly on his stomach, which was inked in 2013 and reportedly symbolizes a “transformation”. Going back towards the top of Harry’s chest, we see the number “1967”and “1957” tattooed on opposite shoulders, which are the birth years for his father, Des Styles, and mother, Anne Twist, respectively. His mum is also given a shout out with an “A” on his shoulder, while his sister Gemma is paid tribute with a “G” on the opposite shoulder.
A fern leaf is also near the right and left side of his abdomen, which both reportedly cover old tattoos. And just under Harry’s left armpit is a large, empty bird cage next to two theater masks. He also has the abbreviation “SNCL” which stands for “smile now, cry later,”
Harry’s Left Arm Tattoos
The “Sign of the Times” hitmaker keeps his tattoos’ meanings personal, as he has tributes to the cities he spends most of his time in on his left shoulder. New York, Los Angeles and London are represented with “NY,” “LA” and “LDN.”
The Hebrew language comes into play in a big way with Harry’s sister’s name tattooed in huge Hebrew letters on his upper left arm. Underneath is the phrase “Can I Stay” and the outlines of two guitars.
Moving down from the shoulder, a pirate ship appears to be the center of attention. He reportedly got the tattoo while dating Taylor Swift and has said it is a reminder of his travels. Below the ship is a rather large tattoo of an anatomical heart and the “Late Late” ink previously mentioned. Nearby, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon is heralded by the tattoo of the iconic triangle prism. There is also a skeleton wearing a tuxedo.
Several tattoos are inked on his left bicep, including a star, a coat hanger, a black heart, and three large nails. Harry also has the logo for the Green Bay Packers, the football team he is a fan of ever since staying with a friend from Wisconsin. “They’re also the only NFL team owned by the fans, you know I like that,” Harry said during his appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series. “Also a big fan of cheese.”
His sister Gemma must mean a lot to Harry, as he has a third tattoo in her honor with the image of an iced gem cookie. In the vicinity of the English dessert treat, he inked a bottle ofliquor surrounded by the text “YOU BOOZE YOU LOSE,” the phrase “SILVER SPOON,” and an image of a bible.
Above a giant rose tattoo on his forearm is “Jackson,” the name of Harry’s godson. And the name of the penguin in a British children’s cartoon, “Pingu,” was added near his armpit in August of 2013.
The name “Arlo” is inked just under his elbow, while a naked mermaid resides beneath. He EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife he got the mythical creature back in 2014 because he “is a mermaid.” Too cute!
To top off his left arm, let’s take a gander at his wrist, where he appears to have bedazzled it with a plethora of artwork, almost as if it were a charm bracelet! A shamrock, a key, a padlock, the Aquarius sign, an anchor and “99p” all adorn his skin. He also has a tiny cross on his thumb.
Harry’s Right Arm Tattoos
Fortunately for all the tattoo counters out there, Harry seems to be a bit restrained on covering up his right arm. He has one large eagle tattoo that takes up most of the real estate, while his grandmother gets another tribute with the word “Mary” written in huge font above the eagle.
Harry’s Leg Tattoos
Near his “stupid” tattoo on his big toe, Harry has two screws inked. With the exception of Niall Horan, all of the One Direction members have these screws tattooed by their feet as a reminder to “stay grounded.” Spanning both of his ankles, he has the lyrics “NEVER GONNA DANCE AGAIN” from George Michael’s “Careless Whisper.” Above and below each knee written in French and Spanish are the words “yes” and “no.”
Harry’s Miscellaneous Tattoos
While we have covered the major body parts, Harry still has a few tattoos floating around. And yes, we are sure we have missed some! Near his buttocks, Harry has “Brasil!” inked, which he reportedly drove the crowd wild when he showed it off at a concert in Rio de Janeiro in 2014. He also reportedly has the name of a One Direction song called “Little Things” tattooed in cursive somewhere!