106 Meaningful Anchor Tattoos | Types, Origin, Average Cost, Ideas

Anchor tattoos have been one of the oldest tattoo ideas in this world, which still has a new value. If you are looking at something that expresses your love towards the sea, your search is complete. It would help if you had an anchor tattoo. Are you thinking of getting one lately? If anchor tattoos are something you are looking for, you have ended up on the right page. You will not just get the ideas or options to choose among the 95 anchor tattoos, but also will get to know its meaning, origin, types, average cost, maintenance procedure, and a lot along with that! So, find out everything here!


An anchor is a symbol that somehow resembles an upside-down cross symbol. It is a symbol of hope. From more than a hundred years ago to today, lifting an anchor means letting go of the calm setting and then being ready for a new voyage. People wear anchor tattoos for looking bold or beautiful, but to say that you will receive a lot of luck from it and will be able to let go of the anxieties and fears to move in a positive direction for a better today and tomorrow!

As anchor tattoos have been here for a long time already, millions of people have already made a lot of perception. Do you remember? Even Popeye, the sailor man, had an anchor tattoo in his arm. It is something still fresh about my childhood. If you are from the 90s, then you should also remember it. Well, that is one of the most straightforward ideas among large anchor tattoos. You will surely get a better option than Popeye had if you look into this page.

As we all know, getting a tattoo is a sign of expression one-self with the help of the art. Some people might object to this and might be against bodily modifications, but trust me; you can always avoid them. Most of the people appreciate tattoos and believe it gives one of the amazing experiences in life. Especially, when you get something touchy or meaningful like anchor tattoos, your life becomes whole.


Anchor tattoos have been one of the most famous symbols worldwide. It has crossed the boundary, and it is no more just a sailor’s business. Moreover, it is not a thing about strong men or only men; even women are getting anchor tattoos worldwide. One of the reasons this tattoo is gaining its popularity is its more straightforward design compared to other tattoos.

It was called a man’s thing in the past. But these days, women are also covering their entire back or waistline with the anchor tattoos as they believe it gives a classy or chic look. Anchor tattoo is also considered a very versatile one. Mostly, it came from the sailors who wanted a connection with the sea, and anchors were the getaway for that. Moreover, it symbolizes stability and creates a feeling of assurance and calmness.


The anchor tattoos’ popularity was among the sailors and those who made their living through working on the sea, either by a fisherman or even some divers. Therefore, the anchor tattoos came out as something that expresses your passion for the sea. Moreover, it somehow also is popular mainly among Christians. As it might not be obvious, but there are specific stories or myths behind which are primarily targeting the Christians. The symbol of an anchor resembles a cross. The cross holds a meaning of salvation as well as the hope.

The popularity also increased after the US Navy followed it strictly. The officers who crossed the Atlantic Ocean began to get the anchor tattoo as a symbol of victory, making it more accessible and a symbol of success and courage. There are many personal ways to look at it, making it more popular among the commoners and tattoo lovers.




Wearing a tattoo for fashion or style, or only because it makes you relaxed, is pointless if you have no idea what you are wearing and the meaning behind it. But if you wear something which you can explain the reason behind or know the purpose of getting it, you feel happier. So, what can anchor tattoos mean? It is something both men and women wish to ink. Is there just a positive meaning? Fascinate yourself with both the positive as well as the negative meaning of anchor tattoos.


There are plenty of variations available, depending on how you would like its interpretation. The symbol of an anchor might be a duty for some, while others view it as a religious symbol. But, most of the people believe it is a symbol of stability and nothing more.

Let’s think about a ship. Why is an anchor used in a boat? Sailors use it to hold the boat firmly in a position no matter how massive the waves might be, or how strong currents are there. Therefore, a clear vision from this can be stability created by an anchor to the ship. Now, if we consider anchor in our lives, question yourself, don’t you need balance in your life? Life is somehow full of ups and downs too. So, an anchor is essential even in life. If there was an anchor for real in our lives, how easy it would be to remain stable emotionally! But as you cannot have an anchor for real, you can always get a virtual anchor through tattoos. There is this constant feeling of being into positive vibes and gaining stability throughout any ups and downs.

Getting anchor tattoos also means you like to travel a lot, explore places, love ocean, love colors of seas, and are very enthusiastic.


Let us look an anchor differently now. Don’t you think an anchor also blocks the ship from moving? If we keep this stability symbol aside, we can find a negative implication here. An anchored boat is also an immovable boat. That means, having an anchor in life can make you stuck in a situation forever instead of getting over it. You can take it in this sense; getting an anchor means being unable to grow or being held in the same thing forever.

It can also mean to excessively dwell over the past, which is a sad thing, right? Who would like to stay in a place where there is no choice for development or growth? Nobody. An anchor can mean something that drags you back and does not let you be out of certain things in life. Some people take it in this way and are not much really into getting anchor tattoos.

Sometimes people get an anchor tattoo and use the initial or the name of the person, either parent or grandparent, to remind who made them grounded their entire life. This tattoo is used by the people who could not do something they wished in life because of a specific obstacle or another person. Even the negative meaning can go well in the form of a tattoo.

Also See: 99 Blessings With Baby Tattoos | Meaningful With Plenty Of Ideas!


The anchor is not a symbol that is a recent discovery or something from this generation. It has been a symbol of victory, success, stability, courage, a symbol of the sea from more than a century ago! It is a symbol that came from the seamen and sailors back when pirates ruled the world.

For a common sailor, the anchor was the most secure object in life. Growing ins sea or ocean would not be so reliable if there were no anchors. They were the only protection against the dreadful storms and scary seas. The only thing that made the sailors feel confident of getting out in the rough seas was the anchor.

Anchors are heavy and made up of metal. They have this unique shape and are never disappointing. Even the US Navy officers, divers, guards, fishers, and everyone who had a passion for the sea started getting this tattoo.

People who were into Christianity believed it was rooted in their religion and wore it as a symbol of the cross. Not just tattoos, even anchor jewelry were trendy at that time. It was one of the brands and was common among the people hundred of years back.


Anchor tattoos have been in existence from 2000 BC, and it was trendy till 3000 BC. It was the time of the sailors and ocean lovers. So, any anchor expressed love, passion, and occupation. , sailors got it inked and made it so familiar for them. But it is beyond just a sailor’s thing. There are plenty of types when we talk about anchor tattoos. Let’s talk about a few popular brands in this article.

  1. Navy Anchor Tattoos

Anchor tattoos are common among the US Navy officers. Those serving in the US Navy know how great it feels to get an anchor tattoo inked. The anchor represents their love and loyalty towards the Navy. It was mainly worn by the officers who could cross the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. It started as a symbol of victory and courage. Later on, it became an integral part of the US Navy. You can also find the American flag incorporated ins some of the anchor tats. People also get the word Navy along the anchor to show where they come from or to express their patriotism.

  1. Tribal Anchor Tattoo

Sometimes anchors are mixed in tribal art. It is a prevalent symbol in tribal tattoos. Depending upon the sizes and even designs, there are plenty of tribal tattoos that have occupied anchors within. It is an indigenous form of merging two ways for higher meanings and designs. The purpose of the anchor also varies with cultures and who is wearing it. There can be a lot of inspiration behind adding anchors in the tribal tattoos.

Anchor Heart Tattoo

Adding an anchor with a heart makes it stable in love. It is all about romance and sacrifices when it comes to loving another person. It also represents compassion towards another being. Sometimes an anchor is piercing the heart in the tattoo, meaning how a person’s love has made you stay there and not go away from there. It holds excellent meaning all about love, compassion, romance, and sacrifice.

Anchor and Rope Tattoos

It is also one of the standard combinations with an anchor tattoo. The rope is along with an anchor to stop the ship. It symbolizes the extreme forces that are supporting you to stay stable and not rush into anything. This combination is famous as an emblem in the family seal. Even the US Navy has this symbol used very often & is more popular among the sailors and officers.

Eagle + Globe + Anchor Tattoo

One of the highest combinations in anchor tattoos is adding the globe & eagle along with it. It is an official emblem of the United States Marin Corps. Though these three are independent symbols with significant meaning, adding them together becomes more meaningful. The globe represents North America & South America. Eagle represents the national bird of the US. Thus, this is a perfect combination for a patriotic person to show love towards the county.


Anchor tattoos are so eye-catching, and putting it in the right place will make it more attractive and visible too. The preference for getting it in certain regions can vary from men to women. Getting the right tattoo is not as complicated as finding the right place to ink it. It is a great deal to select the best spot from a lot of choices.

But it can also vary according to the design, and mainly the size you wish to ink. If you want to get a massive tattoo of anchor, you need to find a big spot. In this case, the entire back can work. You can make the stem of the anchor along the spinal cord and make the end fall at the waistline. You can also get the considerable anchor inked on your belly or chest and even thigh. If you have medium size anchor, you can ink in the arm, neck, and even shoulders or ankles. But if the size is rather small or petite, it can also fit in the fingers, ears, wrists, and even forehead.

Ideal Placement

If you want to incorporate it with other symbols or designs, you need ample space again. Or, if you’re going to add it along with the existing tattoo, you need not think much about finding the right spot.

Women love it on their neck or back below the collar. Men like to get the large prints on their chests, especially on their hearts. The best thing about anchors is that you can squeeze it to any size, make it as tiny as possible and flaunt it anywhere.

Some also do not like to show the tattoo. People want to have it but just for themselves, hidden. In such a case, you can get it under your shirt or dress. Moreover, adding it between fingers or below the ear is the perfect place for hiding. Additionally, getting it in the waistline is excellent as well.


As anchors have a simple design, they need less time, and less ink, if we keep the size constant. If you are not looking for a multi-color and merely average size, the price can range between $50 to $100. With this price, you can have 3.5″ long, 2.5″ wide tat.

But this completely depends on the place you want to get the inking done, the experience of the tattoo artist, the design you choose (3D costs more), the type of the needle, popularity of the studio, etc. So, one cannot give you the average cost of an anchor or any other tattoo ideas.


The preparation that you need to get anchor tattoo is with the selection of the right design. You need to do a lot of research and go through articles like these to find out which one suits your personality best or matches your personality. Then, you need to find the best spot in your body to get it inked. You need to know the right size and other designs you want along with it.

Then it would help if you found the right tattoo studio and an experienced artist who has already tattooed anchors before. The guy can help you furnish the design and also provide you some tips. Then, you need to see if the guy uses the right needle for the task.

You need not drink alcohol a night before getting the inking. Moreover, drink plenty of water and make yourself mentally aware that you will not feel a lot of pain with needles. You need to adapt to the environment and be able to bear the pain. If it is your first tattoo, you need to be more cautious.

Getting a tattoo does not end all the responsibilities; you need to care about it like an infant. It would help if you were attentive, and it is better to have a band-aid over it for some while after getting it. Make sure you avoid any contamination from public pools or your own hands.


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