Elephant Tattoo Ideas and Elephant Tattoo Meaning

Elephant tattoos are gorgeous works of art that are deeply meaningful to most people with them. What gives the elephant tattoo meaning? The glorious giants have long been symbols of good luck, loyalty, strength, and even spirituality. This makes elephant tattoos some of the most requested designs at tattoo shops around the world.

We wanted to get a better understanding of the possibilities and limitations of these designs so we turned to social media to discover the latest and greatest that the world has to offer. While there are some trends, black ink is the most popular and elephant family scenes are as well, we found a diverse array of tattoo ideas worth exploring. If you’re thinking of getting an elephant tattoo look through the fabulous options below to find a design that you can make your own!

Discover Excellent Elephant Tattoo Designs Below:

Mama Elephant Tattoo

An extremely popular subset of these tattoos involves family, usually with a mama elephant and her calves. This particular example is a great, modest size and the placement is also a great choice.

Gentle Giant

We find some very fine lines in this elephant tattoo that’s also a modest size. There’s just enough detail here to bring it to life without it looking overdone.

A Tribute

The person who shared this handsome tattoo did not specify what the “tribute” portion is about but we hope it’s simply a tribute to our elephant friends. If you’re considering an elephant plus a word, try something like this.

Single Line Elephant Tattoo

Single line tattoos are a huge trend and we encountered a few among elephant tattoos. Here is a sophisticated example that looks so refined.

Beautiful Portrait

If you’re going to go with just the elephant’s head, consider placement. The chest, upper back, and back of the neck are all fine places to put it.

Mandala Meets Elephant

Mandala design meets elephant tattoo in this playful and engaging example. If you’re into the mandala consider marrying it with your design for something really inspired like this.

Simple and Cute

If your motto is generally less is more, a very simple elephant tattoo could be the right way to go. Simplicity really is bliss.

Photorealism

On the other hand, you could go full photorealism if you’ve got a tattoo artist versed in this sort of style. This is truly a breathtaking tattoo.

Framed

If you’d like something a bit more creative, consider framing your elephant tattoo in a fashionable way as this artist has done.

Keep On Swimming

Here’s a whimsical design that finds an elephant swimming with his trunk above water. There’s a child-like quality to the tattoo that’s very appealing.

Surprising Ornamentation

Here’s another elephant tattoo that seems to incorporate some mandala ornamentation and elements. We find a lotus flower and much more tucked into this design.

Stunning Sunset

The vivid color behind this elephant tattoo is a wonder. That lovely fade from yellow to gold to orange to red is beautiful. If you’d like something atmospheric, something similar would be the way to go.

Happy Family

We love the faces of these two elephants and we realize that this is a huge tattoo. But, if you want to go large, the back is the best place to really take up some real estate.

Watercolor Elephant Tattoo

Watercolor tattoos are a huge trend today and we expected to see them when researching these elephant tattoos. Here’s an example with the effect done in a lovely blue and purple.

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With Interesting Elements

There are some really cool design elements in addition to the elephant that makes this example remarkable. Consider adding more than just the animal for a meaningful design.

Just Precious

Here’s another one of the very simple elephant tattoos that still makes a big statement. Find yourself an artist with an eye for design and you could walk away with a tattoo that’s equally as fun.

Origami

We love the texture of this elephant tattoo that’s shaped like a piece of origami. It’s one way to go but we did see it a couple of times so know that you’ll be in good company if you choose this path.

Sketch Baby

Cute elephant baby tattoos with child-like features are also popular among parents. This girlie design with a balloon is a blast.

Elephant Baby Part II

Here’s another baby elephant tattoo. This time, we’re finding our little friend with a kite and some nice blue and pink tones for added fun. The cartoonish nature of it makes this design feel so nostalgic.

Cool Details

Here’s another one of the elephant tattoos with other designs paired with it. There’s a sort of geometric thing going on here with circles and lines. There are also some meaningful symbols hidden inside.

So Stylish

Again, here’s a unique elephant tattoo that relies on abstract design elements to tell its story. What an interesting piece.

Neo-Traditional

Neo-traditional tattoos marry old and new by using think lines, basic colors, and simple shapes but doing so in innovative ways. This example checks off all of those boxes.

Ganesh-Inspired

Ganesh is a popular Hindu deity famed for his elephant head. This handsome tattoo is inspired by the deity as it wears a crown and plenty of jewels.

A Cool Take

Here’s an elephant tattoo that’s done in a style that’s most singular. If a tattoo artist you know has a signature style, request an original design from them and you’ll have a one-of-a-kind tattoo like this.

Flanked by Flowers

Florals are always a smart idea when it comes to tattoos. This simple elephant tattoo is flanked by the prettiest white and pink flower that look so very delicate.

Best Buds

Here are a couple of elephant buddies. What a sweet choice of subject matter!

Gang’s All Here

Rainbow bright with this splashy watercolor tattoo. We get an entire elephant family stacked on top of each other. How exciting!

A Stunner with White Ink

Tattoo artists are experimenting with white ink more than ever before. This stunning elephant tattoo is made even more brilliant with white highlight that brings the design to life.

A Calf with Purple Flowers

Here’s a simple elephant tattoo that doesn’t have a tone of detail but still is instantly recognizable. We liked those little purple flowers at the bottom.

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Mother and Child

We leave you with another one of the mother and calf elephant tattoos because they are so very popular and readers might be looking for more of them. This one comes in a circular frame which helps gives the tattoo depth and definition.

Now you have some excellent elephant tattoo ideas to share with your tattoo artist. It’s important that you work with the artist to create an original design and don’t simply rip off someone else’s. After all, you want the design to be specific to you and to share your point of view. Happy tattooing!