12 Tattoo Ideas for Parents Inspired by Celebs

The earliest known example of tattooing was found on the famous "Iceman" mummy, who died around 5,200 B.C. Iceman likely wasn't the first human to decorate their body with ink. For thousands of years, people in cultures worldwide have used tattoos to express their personalities, display their position in their community, create memorials for loved ones, and celebrate their religious beliefs. It's no wonder tattooing names—even your child's name—is among the most popular trends in body art.

When choosing body art that speaks to you, chances are you're looking at different sources for inspiration. Social media, where celebs love to show off their extraordinary lives, is probably chief among them. With so many styles abound, it's fun to see what celebrities have done to commemorate their children's births through tattoo art. Think Angelina Jolie with her stunning list of coordinates—representing the birthplace of each of her children.

If you're thinking of getting some ink but need some beautiful inspiration, here are 12 tattoo ideas for parents inspired by celebrities.

1. Zodiac Constellations, Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba has the constellations associated with three zodiac signs tattooed on her forearm—one for each of her three children. As she noted on her Instagram post: "Honor Gemini Haven Leo Hayes Capricorn." Create a skyline of constellations and include your and your kids' zodiac signs. If you're looking for subtle, a constellation is a lovely way to add some art with just a few small lines.

2. Name on Hand, Adele

Adele has several tattoos—including this one of her son Angelo's name on her hand. With so many fun and beautiful font styles to choose from, you can personalize a name tattoo in a myriad of ways that is both meaningful and poignant.

3. Names on Wrist, Drew Barrymore

If you're not keen on getting your baby's name on your hand, take a tip from Drew Barrymore, who has her daughters' names—Olive and Frankie—on her wrist. One great aspect of a wrist/inner forearm placement is that you can always see it. And on those days when you need to cover up, a simple long sleeve shirt will do the trick.

4. Morse Code, Orlando Bloom

Orlando Bloom stumped his Instagram followers when he posted a beautiful image of his ink that featured his child's name—Flynn—in morse code on his arm. The simple lines are a thoughtful and poetic take on a personal tattoo, which may be perfect for someone looking for a poignant yet understated design.

5. Portrait, Jenni "JWoww" Farley

Jenni "JWoww" Farley rocks a full hand tattoo portrait of her son. She shared photos on Instagram writing, "When your dream artist gives you your dream tattoo @nikkohurtado…my son forever on my hand." One thing to keep in mind about hand tattoos is that they fade faster than any other part of the body so talk to your tattoo artist about how to extend the life of your hand ink.

6. Names on Inner Arm, Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy Teigen rocks her husband John and two children's names—Luna and Miles—in super-pretty script on her inner arm. John has Chrissy's name, as well as Luna and Miles. Chrissy also has a delicate heart on her finger.

7. Handwriting, Taye Diggs

Taye Diggs has an "I Love Daddy" tattoo that his son wrote. You could get a similar design modeled after your child's handwriting. Talk about a sweet way to permanently celebrate your little one and capture their sweet handwriting.

8. A Meaningful Word, Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff might be the queen of hidden tattoos. She rocks at least 20 tiny tattoos, including her kids' names, each revealing a meaningful story. One, in particular, caught our eye—she has the word "mother" inked in a lovely curly font on the side of her neck. If you didn't know any better, you might easily think it is a wisp of hair.

9. A Meaningful Symbol, Jaime King

You could take inspiration from Jaime King and get a meaningful symbol tattooed with your child's name. She got a dagger on her wrist in honor of her firstborn son James Knight Newman.

10. Doodles, David Beckham

David Beckham has a number of tattoos in honor of his children, but this stick figure (drawn originally by his then 4-year-old daughter Harper) is definitely our favorite. The soccer star and his wife, Victoria, both took to Instagram to share a picture of the new ink based on their kiddo's scribble, and fans absolutely loved it.

11. Forever Ring, Lenny Kravitz

If you want something truly unique and endearing, take a page out of Lenny Kravitz's style book by getting your child's initial tattooed as a ring around your finger. In a dazzling Instagram photo that went viral, Kravitz's personal tattoo artist revealed a sweet image of a stylized letter "Z" inked on his finger in honor of his daughter, actress Zoe Kravitz.

12. Name on Shoulders, Dwayne Wade

NBA All-Star Dwyane Wade isn't just a beloved athlete; he's also a proud father with some sweet ink to prove it. Wade took to Instagram to share a picture of that time in China when he got his daughter's name, Kaavia James, tattooed across both of his shoulders.