The lion is almost universally known as a beautiful animal, so it’s not surprising that it is one of the most popular animal tattoos around. On top of looking fantastic in tattoo form, there are also plenty of great lion tattoo meanings that work for many people. On this page, we will take a look at some of those lion tattoo meanings so you can be sure if the lion tattoo is right for you or not.
The lion is a well-recognized animal and is often referred to as the “king of the jungle”. These large, majestic felines command attention with their ferocious roars and extravagant mane. Even though we recommend finding a lion tattoo meaning that you can be proud of, we wouldn’t blame you for getting the lion tattoo simply because you love the look of the animal. In fact, it seems like a good amount of people who have lion tattoos got them for that exact reason. When done correctly, a lion’s head tattoo or a full-bodied lion can look excellent on the skin.
Lions are viewed as tokens of courage. This is a quality that many people want to have, so they might get the lion tattoo to remind themselves to be courageous even when their instincts tell them not to. Of course, someone who prides their ability to be courageous could also be a perfect candidates for a lion tattoo. The lion tattoo is a very common military tattoo for these reasons.
Similarly, the lion can also represent a person’s strength. This “strength” could have something to do with your ability to get past tough times in your life. It can also mean that you pride yourself on being physically strong. In either case, most people will recognize “strength” when they see a lion drawn on your skin.
Unsurprisingly, the lion can also symbolize royalty. It is known as the “king of the jungle,’ after all. While it’s true that most people are not royalty nor do they descend from royalty, this lion tattoo meaning can actually work for many folks. If you feel that you deserve to be treated like royalty because you recognize your importance in the world, then this lion tattoo meaning could actually be the right one for you to use.
Another very popular lion tattoo that people like to use is pride. Whether you are proud of your accomplishments in life or you are simply a proud person, you can show that off with a lion tattoo.
You can also use this meaning to inspire yourself to do things that you can be proud of. To really make these meanings clear, you could even get a “pride” of lions for the double meaning!
In various parts of the globe, these noble cats are depicted on statues and in artwork in and near sacred places as a symbol of guardianship or protection. This is one of the reasons why people decide to get artsy lions rather than just getting the classic lion portrait. There are hundreds of design choices that you’ll have to go through, but the fact remains that lions look great as portrait tattoos or even drawn as paintings or statues.
In Chinese culture, the lion is used to represent the duality of life and nature. A way to show this in your lion tattoo is by getting the outline of the animal and filling it in with some type of natural design. You can actually be really creative when you are trying to show the duality of lion tattoo meaning. It might not be a clear meaning no matter how good the design is, though, so expect to explain it to the people who look long and hard at it.
There are also some religions that use the lion symbolically. In Buddhism, both Buddha and Krishna are likened to the lion due to their golden auras and heightened wisdom on a spiritual level. Lions are also depicted in Christianity as a symbol of God. This is best shown by the character Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia. If you do want to use the lion as a symbol like this, it is more about the design that you choose so you will not have to think too hard about making a lion tattoo meaning work with it; some people prefer this since it opens up more design options.
Lion tattoos are a great choice for those looking to get a tattoo that symbolizes power. Similar to strength, this lion tattoo’s meaning does not have to be explained to most people because most recognize that the lion is one of the most powerful animal species on earth. If you want to make sure people recognize that your lion represents power, then you might want to get a larger lion tattoo.
If loyalty is one of your proudest traits or you want to be a more loyal person, then you could not do much better than the lion tattoo to show that. Those who have been able to keep their friends around them their entire lives or want to show that they will always be there for the ones they love might find this lion tattoo meaning to be a great choice. This isn’t one of the most obvious lion tattoo meanings, though, so you could get other images that represent loyalty to make the meaning clearer. In fact, you could even get the actual word “loyalty” above or below the lion image.
There aren’t too many better tattoos for men than the male lion since it actually symbolizes masculinity. What’s great about this lion tattoo meaning is that you will never have to explain it to anyone. The male lion has always been known for being a very “masculine” symbol. This lion tattoo meaning also allows you to be a bit more creative with your design since the meaning isn’t too attached to the overall look of the lion in the design.
Some other popular lion tattoo meanings include virility, purity, and nobility. You can use just one of these meanings or combine one or two with other meanings we’ve mentioned on this page. If you’re mixing lion tattoo meanings to make it as unique to you as possible, you’ll have a choice to make: keep it as a personal tattoo and don’t worry as much about filling in extra details, or add in some extra design elements to make the meaning clearer.
Lions can also depict the zodiac symbol for Leo. The sign of Leo is the 5th in the zodiac and can be characterized as energetic, adventuresome, intelligent and natural leaders- much like the animal used to represent it. When people decide to use these lion tattoo meanings, they will often just get the zodiac symbol or get a lion’s image along with the symbol.
Lions are also considered to be solar or ‘fire sign’ animals. This means that they invoke the ability to light up one’s life and can provide the ignition to set plans into motion. This symbolism can also be used in a tattoo design for someone who needs a path illuminated, wants to “blaze the trail” or wants to exude shining confidence.
Further lending to this solar symbolism is the lion’s place in alchemy. They are held in the highest regard and are said to symbolize gold and the highest levels of enlightenment. In this same vein, lions are viewed as the keepers of the underworld.
No matter the path you choose to take with your tattoo, the lion is a strong and highly appealing choice. There are quite a few great lion tattoo meanings to choose from, and after that, it will be up to you to decide how you want to show those meanings through your lion tattoo.
This is one of those great animal tattoos that people very rarely regret getting. The lion is cool, has always been cool, and will probably forever be one of the coolest animals in the world. The lion tattoo is something that you should be proud to have for the rest of your life regardless of the design.