Simple Tattoos for Men
Tattoos don't always have to be huge elaborate designs that take up an entire arm or chest. Subtle tattoo designs are becoming increasingly popular. Some benefits of subtle tattoos are that they are easy to hide with clothing and they are less likely to overwhelm your personality. Take a look at this guide to a few simple tattoo ideas for men and their meanings.
Celtic Knot-work
This is a popular style of tattoo for men because they are aesthetically interesting and hold a lot of meaning. There are several specific Celtic knot designs, and each design has a unique meaning. For example, the Triquetra knot, or Trinity knot, is a symbol of protection. It also represents the elements of earth, water and air in Irish cultures.
In pagan cultures, the Trinity knot represents the maiden, mother and crone. New age followers have also interpreted this knot as a symbol of mind, body and spirit. This style of tattoo is prefect for men who are descended from Celtic origins or who resonate with the rich meaning of a particular design. While many men get large and intricate Celtic designs tattooed on them, this style can also be simplified and sophisticated with clean lines and thoughtful placement.
Statement Text
This is one of the most simple tattoos for men. A statement tattoo consists of a word or phrase without excess embellishment. Uplifting words or words that provoke deep thoughts are common choices for this type of tattoo. Some men also get an entire quote tattooed on them. These tattoos remind their wearers and observers of the important things in life.
Another popular idea for a statement tattoo is meaningful lyrics from a song. Many men relate to music and have a favorite artist or band. Getting a tattoo of powerful song lyrics is a great way to express your personality and individual tastes.
Astrology Signs
While astrology tattoos are commonly associated with women, they have their place in a man's world, too. The glyph figures used to represent each sign in astrology are very simple. For example, the symbol for Taurus is a circle with the bottom half of another circle sitting right on top. It's meant to look like the head of a bull with curved horns. This style of tattoo is easy to keep small and discreet, but it can also say a lot about you to people who see it.
The Om Symbol and Other Spiritual Signs
With the explosion of yoga and meditation practices in the Western world, more and more men are opening up to their spiritual side. As far simple tattoos for men go, this is simultaneously the most simple and the most complex. While the symbol itself is extremely simple with only a few lines, it has a rich meaning.
This symbol represents the sound of "Om" which was the sound that initiated the creation of existence, according to Hindu and Buddhist teachings. It also represents the four states of the divine figure Brahman from these religions. These four states are kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. Hinduism and Buddhism are two of the world's major religions, and if you practice these teachings, getting an Om tattoo is a perfect way to represent your spiritual path.
Check out the best simple tattoos for men
Tattoo around right forearm in black; this simple tattoo is two bands of solid black, each about a quarter inch thick, with a half an inch between them. The top of the upper band starts approximately two inches from the crook of the elbow.
Tattoo on inner left forearm in black; tattoo shows the outline of three identical equilateral triangles, each about a half an inch long with the whole design a little over an inch long. The triangles are in a line in the middle of the forearm, pointing towards the wrist, with the point of each triangle overlapping the back side of the one in front of it.
Tattoo on the inner left forearm in black; tattoo shows simple runes or rune-like script in solid black lines close to the crook of the elbow. This tattoo is meant to be read correctly when the arm is down, with a character that looks like the letter “G,” followed by a left-pointing angle, followed by an upward-pointing angle, finished with a downward-pointing angle.
Tattoo on inner right wrist in black and gray; this is a circular swirl of soft gray accented by bolder black lines, about two inches across. The design mimics Japanese or Chinese ink paintings, with the different intensities of black ink in the tattoo showing the movement of the brush strokes.
Matching tattoos on the inner right forearm of one person and the inner left of the other in black ink; this couples’ tattoo is one of the simple tattoo ideas that can elegantly replace tattoos of each other’s names. Both triangles ore the same size, about an inch tall, and both are in the same place, the inner forearm, about two inches below the elbow with the triangles pointing up towards the crook of the arm. His is solid black, hers is an open outline.
Tattoo on right inner arm in dots of black ink; simple tattoos for men don’t always have to be small or outlines of geometric shapes, as this unusual design shows. Four diamonds made entirely of tiny dots of ink overlap on the upper forearm, creating shaded triangle and diamond shapes where the larger shapes overlay one another.
Tattoo on inner forearm in black; this simple tree tattoo is a stylized outline of the foliage of an evergreen tree with branches spreading near the elbow and the trunk a slash of ink reaching down to a few inches of the wrist. Not all simple tattoos have to be geometric shapes.
Tattoo on top of right hand in black ink; this modern design on the top of the hand between the first knuckle of the index finger and the base of the thumb has ancient origins. The three interlocking triangle outlines form a “valknut,”a Norse symbol that dates back to at least the 7th century.
Tattoo on back between shoulder blades in black ink; this design shows a simple cross, about six inches from the base of the neck, made of two solid black lines, approximately three inches tall and two inches wide with no outlines or script.
Tattoo on right inner forearm in blue, black, and gray ink; this abstract triangular mountain landscape is about two inches tall and two inches across. The mountain shapes overlap into a compact composition, with a solid black mountain in the front, a taller, solid turquoise mountain behind and to the left, and a misty gray peak above and behind the other two.
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Tattoo on outer side of right forearm in black ink; a simple tattoos idea doesn’t have to be small. This tattoo of a line four thick, solid black chevrons pointing down at the wrist boldly takes up most of the space from the elbow to two inches above the wrist.
Tattoo in the center of the back of the neck in black ink; this design shows the very simple outline of the neck and body of a guitar in black lines with no shading. The tattoo is approximately three inches long, with the neck of the guitar pointing straight up at the hairline on the back of the neck.
Tattoo on inner forearm in black ink; the tattoo is an extremely stylized anchor shape made with thin black lines. The loop at the top of the anchor is a few inches from the crook of the elbow and the rest of the anchor drops down about four inches toward the wrist.
Tattoo on back of left shoulder in black ink; this tattoo shows that simple tattoos for guys can also be sweet, since it features very delicate black lines forming the profiles of a cat and a floppy-eared Labrador facing each other close to the edge of the shoulder and upper arm.
Matching tattoos on the inner right wrist of one person and the inner left of the other in black ink; another matching simple tattoos idea for couples that’s more timeless than being inked with names in hearts, this one has a bold, solid black cross with no words or embellishments starting approximately four inches from the writs with the longest arm of the cross pointing down to the hand. The two crosses do not match in size, but do match in proportion, with the man’s tattoo larger and thicker than the woman’s because his arm is larger.
Tattoo on bicep in black ink; even small traditional tattoo designs can have a big impact, as this two inch tall anchor shows. The solid black anchor is in in the center of the side of the upper arm, just like Popeye’s.
Matching tattoos on the side/underside of both forearms in black ink; actor Jared Leto is a fan of simple tattoo design, as this pair of tattoos shows. The matching equilateral triangles are made with thick black outlines and both have a bar running through them about one third of the way up from the base. The triangles are approximately four inches tall, the base starting a few inches from the elbow and the point towards the wrist. This abstract design may be the alchemical symbol for the element of air.
Tattoo on inner right wrist in black ink; this tattoo design proves simple can also be geeky. This tiny one inch design of an open circle with a straight line in the opening of the circle is the universal symbol for the on/off button on computers.
Tattoo on inner left bicep in black ink; the tattoo design for men who like cute and vintage, both. This two inch smiling Mickey Mouse head is a classic design, more similar to what Mickey looked like in the 1940s and 1950s than the way he's drawn now.
Matching partial sleeves around both forearms in black ink; these tattoos use simplicity to create a striking design. Thirteen lines of different uniform thicknesses between about 1/8 of an inch and 1/4 inch ring the upper forearms from the elbow to four inches from the wrists. Lines on either arm match the thickness and placement of the lines on the other arm.
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Tattoo around upper forearm and elbow in black ink; this ring of elegant diamond shapes filled in with smaller mosaic-like patterns of triangles points in alternating directions, up past the elbow and down towards the wrist.
Tattoo on left pectoral in black and white ink; this classic tattoo idea could have come from Sailor Jerry himself, showing a thick black anchor twined with a heavily-outlined white rope over a man's heart.
Tattoo on back of the left wrist in black ink; tattoo is the outline of a gear with many teeth, approximately one inch across, on the back of the wrist.
Tattoo on right inner arm in black ink; this tattoo showcases the artist's ability with very fine lines.Five delicate arrows, all tipped and plumed with different filigree-style details and about three inches long, point down toward the wrist.
Tattoo on inner left wrist in black ink; this tattoo of the Apple logo is approximately an inch tall and on the inner wrist with the logo right-side-up when the arm is raised. The perfect tattoo for an iPhone addict.
A double ringed simple tattoo on a guy’s left arm. The two rings are dark colored and may or may not have a secret meaning. This is probably one of the most inconspicuous tattoos concepts, a tattoo for someone who doesn’t seek much attention but wants a constant reminder.
A simple but funny tattoo on a man’s inner finger. This is the kind of tattoo for fun loving and sociable personalities, who may be the heart of the party or who likes to play around and entertain kids.
A very simple tattoo depicting an anchor on a man’s left wrist. This tattoo definitely has a deep emotional meaning for the wearer, something to do with sailing or a sailor. Most people who dream of sailing may get such tattoos too.
A cloud with rain drops tattoo on a man’s wrist is definitely there as remembrance of a very special event. This is most probably a shared event and the other partner involved is definitely romantically involved with the wearer of this tattoo.
A very simple tattoos idea depicting an arrow on a man’s third finger. If and whatever this tattoo means is difficult to say, but it does have a certain significance for the wearer, something that he probably wants to keep secret.
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A Taijitu symbol on a man’s left forearm. This symbol is both used to represent the TAO, which is an ancient and still relevant Chinese philosophy and also used to represent yin and yang, which according to eastern philosophies are two equal but opposing forces.
A simple tattoo design of a cross on a man’s left wrist including two rings. The two rings are definitely for design purposes but the cross seems to be there because the man is a Christian. This tattoo is therefore a sort of an affirmation of faith tattoo.
A simple dragonfly tattoo on a man’s arm. It is quite unclear why any man would have a tattoo of a dragonfly on his arm. He may have a love for insects or the tattoo might be a reminder of an event in his past, nobody can say.
This is a three rings tattoo with varying widths on a man’s left forearm. It is definitely one of the most abstract tattoo ideas for men as it does not seem to have any other significance except to depict geometric excellence.
A simple but weird tattoo of five bones on a man’s arm. Whether the bones have any special meaning for the wearer of this tattoo is difficult to say but it is definitely one of the coolest tattoos ideas for a man.
When it comes to simple tattoos for men, it is difficult to beat ideas such as this depiction of mount everest on a man’s foot. And whether the wearer really is a mountain climber type or not, it still clearly depicts his love of mountains.
This is a simple tattoo of three rings around a man’s left hand. The middle ring is broken along the way and seems to be the same width with the upper ring while the lower ring is the thinnest of the the three rings.
This tattoo is a unique design that starts with two thick rings with a space between them. But the second ring does not have a fixed edge on its side towards the fingers, rather it slowly fades off down the rest of the forearm.
This is a simple, inconspicuous yet quite abstract tattoo on a man’s left arm. Obviously only the wearer of this tattoo can really explain what it means. It starts out looking like a star constellation but then contains four lines at the wrist.
A superman’s tattoo on a man’s upper arm. The man is definitely a bodybuilder given the contour of his upper arm and biceps, so this tattoo is an affirmation of his dreams as a body builder. One of the best simple tattoo ideas for any body builder.
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A simple geometric tattoo on a man’s right forearm. It consists of two rings near the wrist and a triangle pointing towards the two rings. It is difficult to determine the meaning of this tattoo, but it does have one.
A very simple tattoo for men that at the same time depicts a very abstract concept. This tattoo which consists of three horizontal and three vertical lines plus another line looks a bit like symbols from a very ancient language.
This is a very simple but beautiful tattoo on a man’s right arm. It features four rings of which two of them are joined together like a web. In a way this tattoo starts to look like a tribal tattoo, but then its basic figures remain very geometric.
This is a cool sword tattoo on a man’s foreman. It is definitely a good tattoo idea for fans of medieval movies and books. The sword is straight and not too long, probably the type that would have been used in European warfare of the middle ages.
When it comes to simple tattoos for guys, this is one of the simplest. An anchor tattoo on the back side of a man’s upper arm. Although normally used to depict a seaman or any man with a love for the seas, this tattoo design will fit any man.
This tattoo design is both simple, artistic and romantic at the same time. With a depiction of heartbeat and pulse graphs as seen in hospital monitors, this tattoo indirectly suggests a man who thinks with his heart, making it a very romantic tattoo.
This is a very natural and beautifully thought out tattoo simply stating the word “Adventure” on a man’s arm. Also given his armbands, it is very likely that the wearer of this tattoo lives according to his mantra of adventure.
A simple geometric tattoo on a man’s upper arm which is made up of incomprehensive symbols. The tattoo most definitely may mean something to the wearer or it could just represent an abstract work of art for him which has no meaning of its own.
This is a cool tattoo concept featuring roman numerals on both a man’s and probably his wife’s forearms. The roman numerals spell the figures 8 4 12 which sounds either like the eight day of April or the fourth day of August 2012. A special day for both.
This is a seemingly simple tattoo with geometric figures but it could well have very secret meanings depending on whether the wearer of this tattoo is into occult practices and philosophy or not. It is therefore a very ambiguous symbolical depiction.