A Brief History of Tattoos

There are many excellent resources out there on the history of tattoos (check out our Reference list for ideas!), but we want to share just a few highlights with you.

British biologist and naturalist Charles Darwin made the following observation about tattoos – “There is no nation on earth that does not know this phenomenon.” Tattoos have been with humankind to the far reaches of history and the far corners of the earth.

History of tattoos around the world: Tattooed mummies, preserved for thousands of years, have been found in Egypt, Libya, South America, China, and Russia. Even the Neolithic “Iceman,” the 5000-year-old cadaver found frozen in the Italian Alps in 1991, had tattoos! Thought to have been originally used as camouflage for hunting, tattoos have become a cultural norm for tribes in Polynesia, Borneo, the Pacific Islands, and Somoa. Most famous of these are the moko markings (engraved facial tattoos) of the Maoris in New Zealand. China, Russia, India, and Japan also have rich histories of tattooing.

The word “tattoo” itself first showed up in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in 1777. Though the origin is somewhat unclear, most historians trace it back to Captain James Cook, who returned to Europe from a South Pacific expedition in 1769. He described the markings of certain Tahitian tribes. They called the markings “tatau” meaning “to mark” (though Cook originally spelled it “tattaw”). That’s most likely where our current word comes from, though the practice existed for thousands of years – and has no doubt been called by dozens of names in dozens of countries – throughout history. Another word that has carried through today comes from Ancient Greece. In those days, branding marks were made on slaves, and the word for these tattoos was “stigma.” Today, the word “stigma” means a negative association quite often linked to a physical attribute, e.g. disability, disease, disfigurement. And – to some – tattoos! (See our link on “What Others Have to Say.” )

More Recent History of Tattoos

Before the recent explosion of tattoo popularity in Western society, many people assumed that tattoos were reserved for the lower-class and societal outcasts like prostitutes, bikers, and ex-cons. They probably don’t realize that, at the turn of the century, tattoos were actually favored by royalty and the elite. During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, tattoos could be found on the likes of Queen Victoria’s grandsons (Prince George and Prince Albert), on Winston Churchill (AND his mother!), on President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and on the members of the wealthy Vanderbilt family.

Around the mid-1900’s, tattoos fell out of favor among the elite, but the practice was kept alive in the west by sailors, who used tattoos to mark significant accomplishments in their voyages (e.g. after traveling 5000 nautical miles, a sailor could get a bluebird or sparrow tattoo). Of course, after spending much time at sea with no alcohol or women, a tradition emerged of a sailor entering port looking to get “stewed, screwed, and tattooed” (see a discussion of this in Madame Chinchilla’s book of the same name). No doubt this saucy motto helped contribute to the negative stigmatization of tattoos that existed from the late 1940’s onward.

Slowly, the public perception of tattoos turned around in the 50 years that followed. Early rock stars like Janis Joplin demonstrated that a tattooed person could be both “rebellious” and “popular” at the same time. Nowadays, tattoos are commonplace among rock stars and the Hollywood elite.

In fact, a survey conducted in 2002 by Vince Hemingson concluded that approximately half of the Top 100 Sexiest women had tattoos. That list included Britney Spears, Halle Berry, Alyssa Milano, Jessica Alba, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Carmen Electra, Charlize Theron, Christina Aguillera, Lucy Liu, Beyonce Knowles, Rebecca Romijn, Janet Jackson, Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, Mandy Moore, Drew Barrymoore, Penelope Cruz, Meg Ryan, Pink, Kate Hudson, Kelly Ripa…and perhaps the world’s most popular tattooed woman Angelina Jolie.

What used to be rebellion is now becoming mainstream. As Durfee concludes about tattoos, “Today, they are more of a statement of people’s interest in their bodies and in all forms of body decoration, in the aesthetics of skilled design, and in the spiritual, symbolic aspects of this amazing art form” (p. 8).

For more information on the History of Tattoos - Please see our Reference Page.

Return to Top of History of Tattoos Page.

Return to Tattoo Meanings Home Page.