Naming our babies is — for many — one of the most exciting, but also kind of stressful, parts of having a baby. Getting to affect the ultimate stamp of identity is an incredible responsibility that should be humbling and deeply sincere. This is the name — the sound even — that our beloved children are going to hear constantly for the rest of their lives.
With the impact we have on our children with the names we choose for them, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the opportunity. But what we should be doing is channeling that energy into excitement and celebration — for every bit about this decision that can be nerve-wracking, there are just as many exciting bits.
With that, what better way to celebrate our babies’ names once we’ve finally decided, than with tattoos? They’re the ultimate in permanent, confident, emotional expression, after all. It should come as no surprise how many we managed to find here, but also just how many are rather similar to others in the same list.
It’s interesting just how many baby name tattoos follow the same themes — probably more than any theme we’ve tackled so far. There must be something unifying these people, and we think we know what it might be: cuteness. Keep that in mind as you peruse the next 30 tattoos honoring baby names.
klarastacova/Instagram
The Tree of Life
We love this piece for its gorgeous watercolor technique and bright colors as well as its theme regarding the Tree of Life. The dot work surrounding the piece is also excellent, thanks to artist Klara Stacova of the Czech Republic.
tattoosbyceez/Instagram
Adorable Elephants
This tattoo is simply adorable in every way. From the cutesy elephants holding trunks together to the cursive used, this one of the cutest examples of expert line work we’ve seen. Thanks to the San Diego-based artist known as CeeZ for this one.
klarastacova/Instagram
A Sketch of Motherly Love
This piece is simple and subtle but ultimately inspiring, thanks again to artist Klara Stacova of the Czech Republic. We love how the entire tattoo looks as if wrought from a single line of ink, and it’s just too darn cute.
bagwatattoo/Instagram
A Floral Moniker
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” We all know the famous Shakespeare quote, and here it is personified with the name of a child. Thanks to Toby & Sarah on Instagram for this excellent tattoo.
thirteen3tattoo/Instagram
A Footprint Tribute
Here’s a clever way to get all of the details around that baby’s birth crammed into a single piece of ink shaped like a cute little baby’s foot — or, as many call them, “tootsies.” This tattoo by an artist known as Thirteen3 Tattoo on Instagram features everything about this baby one could imagine, from their full name to their birth date, weight, and length.
inkbytess/Instagram
An Artsy Elephant
We like this piece for both its sheer cuteness and the watercolor technique on display. Inked by an artist known as Toni Faris, the line and dot work here combine to make a truly adorable piece of ink, made only cuter by some lovely splashes of color.
hardyeverafter/Instagram
A Name on the Straight & Narrow
An artist known as Didz Noakes out of the UK inked this incredibly straightforward piece for a mother looking to pay tribute to her son. It’s a beautifully symmetrical piece that simply commemorates a name and birth date.
too_copacetic/Instagram
Classic Strawberry Baby Name
We’ve always been fans of classic American-style tattoos, and this artist found a way to make a baby name piece work with a strawberry in the traditional style. The result is that it looks super slick while paying homage to someone’s baby, thanks to Dan Golebiewski of Indiana.
foxytatts/Instagram
Straight Up With a Star
This piece is easy to appreciate for its attractive cursive topped off with a cute-looking star that almost looks … fluffy? Maybe we’re just overwhelmed by how quaint this piece is, thanks to Rachel Fox in Wales.
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A Name Is an Imprint
This tried and true piece is an excellent display of line work by Sahil Patel, simply presenting a pair of baby’s feet above a baby’s name. We also appreciate how long this piece must have taken and how painful it must have been, what with all of that fill-in ink needed.
mamabearbinkley2k19/Instagram
A Name in Bloom
Here’s another piece featuring a flower with a baby’s name as the stem, this time a sunflower with a more figurative or symbolic approach. We don’t know who is responsible for this one, but we do know that it’s nevertheless inspiring.
km7tattoos/Instagram
An Uplifting Baby Name
This may be yet another tattoo featuring an elephant, but people can’t knock a solid trope. We’re unsure of where this one came from, but the theme is a clever idea, featuring the name within the balloon — and it’s just plain cute.
menztattooiloilo/Instagram
A Gorgeously Rendered Rose
This is definitely another basic piece, but it’s expertly executed by an artist known as simply Menz Tattoo Iloilo on Instagram. We love the level of detail here, and the absolute richness of the colors. The cursive work is spot-on as well.
vinomamagram/Instagram
Another Flower Name Tattoo — With a Bonus Baby
Yes, we know: It’s another baby name tattoo with a flower on it, but hear us out. This one has a literal baby in it, and it’s an adorable one at that. It’s unknown who is responsible for this piece, but it’s an excellent example of black-and-white line work.
maxtattoosurat/Instagram
A Name in Print
Get it? As in … footprints? We’ll keep our day job. At any rate, this is another fantastic example of both lettering and line work, showing expertise in both. Note the realistic marks in the footprints where the arches would rise. This is a fine basic piece Manthan Shah.
shrunkenheadtattoosuk/Instagram
Giving a Name to a Mother’s Embrace
This here is an excellent piece of truly sketch-style ink that we just can’t get over. From the amount of detail to the emotion captured in the tattoo, we’re in love with this one. This is an incredibly inspiring piece by UK-based artist Stephen Ramage, the likes of which we haven’t seen yet on this list.
uzutattoo/Instagram
Two Handsful of Color
This is one of the most original tattoos we’ve seen on this list, taking the outlines of a child’s hands and filling them with her favorite colors. Done by an artist based in a studio called Inkedwall in Seoul, this is another inspiring piece of expert line work — note the baby’s name being written with the same line as the hand that’s been drawn.
allwolvesnosheep/Instagram
This Baby Must ‘Bee’ All the Buzz
Little Zuri named in this tattoo must be one lucky kid, for a parent to get a tattoo commemorating the little one’s name — and a beautiful one at that. We love the adorable, little line work in this one, and the cursive is gorgeous. Good job, All Wolves No Sheep in Brooklyn.
aakashchandani_/Instagram
Combining the Techniques
This tattoo includes just about every theme and technique we’ve seen, featuring line work, color, cursive, and even little footprints. Done by Naina Jain Chandani in India, this is also a clever piece for using the “M” in the second child’s name as a heart or life line symbol.
radamante13/Instagram
Delicate & Colorful
This baby name tattoo is a great option for folks looking for a design that’s both pretty and sophisticated at the same time. It’s another twist on the flower stem theme, but with a delicate touch and beautiful colors.
smiles_tattoo/instagram
Heartbeat Tattoo
Heartbeats are some of the first times that parents hear their baby when they’re still in the womb. Take their heartbeat and transform into sound waves that make a meaningful and unique tattoo idea alongside the baby’s name like this one does.
_nathanhill_
Small Script
Sometimes simpler is better and lots of minimalist-style tattoos are super popular right now. These fine-point tats as they’re also called can be any kind of design but look really chic as a name like this one from @_nathanhill_. They’re a great option for longer names being tats without taking up too much space.
meagzalbanyink/Instagram
Handprint Homage
Handprints from our children are engrained everywhere in our culture, namely in preschool or kindergarten projects that get sent to mom. The ones that are in paint. Take that to the next level with a forever handprint tattoo of the little one when they’re born along with their name.
moonwitch_ink/Instagram
Morse Code Baby Name
Talk about a unique and special tattoo. For people who want a tattoo that isn’t like the rest, like script or with any large drawings this morse code tattoo is a great option. It also pays homage to the olden days of morse code for history buffs.
alicia_annn/Instagram
Flower Stem Name
Flowers are a big symbol to get tattooed and for good reason. They’re beautiful and can represent special people and moments to different people. Combine a flower with the stem in cursive of a child’s name and it’s a forever keepsake.
tattoorbali/Instagram
Roman Numerals
Roman numerals are also popular for tattoo designs, so why not use that as part of the baby name tattoo? This one from @tattooorbali tattooer has both the roman numeral text as well as the baby’s name written out. It’s a mix of old and modern that’s simple and clean.
alex_tattoo_artista/Instagram
Mother Baby Name Tattoo
There’s nothing like the bond between a mother and her baby. Show that in a literal sense with a mom and baby tattoo with their name and/or birth date written underneath the larger tattooed image. This one is a generic mother photo but a good artist can make it a portrait of mom herself.
guttabanksink/Instagram
Baby Foot Tattoo
Handprints are popular, but they also take footprints of newborns after their birth in the hospital. Baby feet are just so small and special and make for a super sweet tattoo (the lines in baby’s foot are unlike anyone else). Have baby’s name and date of birth added to personalize it.
carlito_serpientenegra/Instagram
Mom & Baby Initial Watercolor Tattoo
This is another take on the mom and baby tattoo but has a pop of color from the watercolor style for those who want a little something special to commemorate the new family addition. This one also features the child’s initials and birthdate in Roman numerals for a personalized touch.
