Who doesn’t love rainbows? They fill us up with joy and hope whenever we see one and it just reminds us how truly wonderful and artistic our mother nature is. That’s one of the reasons why rainbow tattoos make are a great choice apart from the reasons of just how pretty they look. It can also be experimented with and the colors can be quite playful to create new designs or find something that represents you. This gives you the option of incorporating the rainbow itself into your tattoo design, as well as using the colors in other designs.
However, with so many options available out there, it is often difficult to choose one. But don’t worry, we’ve got your back! Check out a handpicked list of these beautiful rainbow tattoo designs because you never know what might inspire you.
Meaning of Rainbow Tattoo Designs
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Rainbow tattoos have a very subjective meaning and about 100 interpretations of them. The most common ones however are the ones that inspire a lot of people. Often in movies, rainbows are used to represent something or someplace magical. They are considered a symbol of good luck, hope, new beginnings, and diversity.
They also represent an idea of heaven which is why a lot of people include them in their tattoos as a memory of a loved one and always keep them close. People also get a rainbow tattoo to remind them to be optimistic and joyous and just like there are no rainbows without rain, likewise, there is something beautiful at the end of every hardship they go through.
The Rainbow also became a popular symbol for the representation of the LGBTQIA community after the rainbow flag was popularised as a means to represent the gender and sexual spectrum in 1978. The original flag had 8 colors but there have been a lot of variations ever since.
So, a lot of people get them as a way to support equal rights and to represent the queer community. While others recognize rainbows as symbols of hope and positivity, they use them to remind themselves to remain optimistic through the hard times in their lives.
Ideas For Rainbow Tattoo Designs
There are a lot of options when it comes to rainbow tattoos. They come in all sizes and shapes so you can get them anywhere on the body. You could combine them along with other elements like clouds, hearts, abstracts, or even flowers. You could also go for line tattoos and even get your favorite quote tattooed in rainbow colors to make it really stand out. Let’s look at some more ideas further down in the article to see if we wind our pot of gold by the end of it!
Where Should You Get Rainbow Tattoo Designs
For Women
- Ankle
- Wrist
- Finger Spaces
- Hands
- Shoulder Blades
- Behind the Ears
For Men
- Chest
- Biceps
- Legs
- Neck
- Back
- Forearms
List of Rainbow Tattoo Designs & Meanings
- Rainbow Tattoo Design on the Wrist
Starting with this simple and minimal rainbow design on the wrist. The wearer has chosen a really small size for the tattoo which is actually perfect if you are just starting out on your tattoo journey. The tattoo could mean hope, a fresh start, or diversity. So if you are someone who does not want to go grand on the tattoos right away, this is the tattoo for you.
- Rainbow Tattoo Design on the Shoulder
This is another one of the minimal designs where the wearer has positioned it on their shoulder. Rainbow tattoos like these could also mean an optimistic approach to life. The tattoos on the shoulder area like this one, age very well. This is because of the fact that shoulders are usually covered and protected from the sun in addition to the shoulder skin that does not become too loose while aging.
- Asymmetric Rainbow Tattoo Design on Elbow
This one here is drawn more freestyle. The wearer has placed it on the elbow and is different from the conventional arched rainbows. This tattoo could mean rebellion or the fact that things/ people can still be beautiful even with imperfections. So let’s embrace them and move forward to be the best version of ourselves!
- Rainbow Tattoo Design on the Ear
Isn’t this so unique and beautiful? The rainbow is placed in a way that makes it look like an ear cuff. Although a tattoo here can be a little painful, it’s very subjective though. The best thing about ear tattoos is again how well they age and do not fade that easily or distort for that matter.
- Rainbow Tattoo Design on the Fingers
The wearer here has placed the dots on the finger. This has to be one of the most discreet designs especially when it is placed on the side of the finger or somewhere less visible. The dots tattoo symbolizes living your life on your terms and conditions. People who get this tattoo could be the ones who do not like to be told about what to do and how to live their life.
- Rainbow Tattoo Design on the Back
Back is a really good place if you want to get a big tattoo because of the space available there. The wearer here has chosen a part of the rainbow arch along with a beautiful quote. They have also added some starts to match the quote. You could choose your own quote or even a simple word that defines you as well.
- Rainbow Tattoo Design on Hand
The next one is what looks like a sun in rainbow colors. Sun and rainbow, both symbolize growth and rebirth. The wearer could have overcome a major obstacle or undergone a major change in their life to be represented by this tattoo.
- Rainbow Tattoo Design with Rose
This is one of the new ones where the rainbow gives a prism-like effect. The wearer has chosen a rose here along with it but you can go for anything that you prefer. This tattoo can be ideal for legs and arms or even on the back. The rose is symbolic of love and passion. A light rainbow over it can be a very subtle way of expressing your queerness if you’re not out yet but still proud.
- Rainbow Line Tattoo Design
Line tattoos are usually associated with harmony and balance. Adding rainbow has made this line tattoo even more interesting than plain ones. Not only does each color in a rainbow has its own significance but lines, in general, are also representative of uniformity in nature. The wearer could mean a harmonious, equal, and oneness with nature and the people around.
- Rainbow Tattoo Design with Prism
Now this one is quite creative. This is the kind of tattoo that you see and think, ‘This definitely tells a story. We know that the white light splits into a rainbow on passing through a prism. The wearer here has used that and depicted the white side of the light as grey and barren and the colorful rainbow after it passed through the prism. This could symbolize a huge positive change in life or strong faith and hope.
- Self-love Rainbow Tattoo Design
They say, “Beauty begins with acceptance”, and what better way to express it than a tattoo? This wearer here has chosen the words in the rainbow color to express that. To keep it concise, they have replaced the word ‘love’ with a heart. It represents that instead of waiting for approval and love from others, we should love and accept ourselves first.
- Rainbow Tattoo Design for the Traveller
This little tattoo here is for the ones who find peace through traveling. The wearer has not only shown a rainbow in the clouds but also used the rainbow colors to show the trailing trajectory of the plane. The upward direction of the plane symbolizes progress in any field. The rainbows also mean that the progress or change is a happy one.
- Group Rainbow Tattoo Design
Are all of your friend/ family into tattoos? If yes, this super cute group tattoo signifies united power and happiness. The wearer has chosen to get the tattoo on the arm. All of them holding hands and a rainbow smoke coming out represents a very magical version of ‘being happy together. It could also represent people who understand you and think alike.
- Rainbow Tattoo Design with Text
This tattoo here features a word/ name written on the wrist that must be very close to the wearer. Although, what tells us that it is a happy word is the rainbow background underneath the word. It symbolizes hope, beauty, and peace which is why it’s very smart to use a rainbow background to express something happy.
- The Unusual Rainbow Tattoo Design
The wearer has used the colors and the arch form of the rainbow but the size and order of the arches of different colors are not in the usual order. This could represent being different in a good way and being rebellious. The wearer could be a free-spirited person who likes to do things their own way.
- Bleeding Rainbow Tattoo Design
This is a very artsy tattoo where the wearer has used a lot of creativity to depict different versions of themselves. The tattoo seems to be of a wound in the skin and the rainbow seems to be dripping out of it. It could mean that although perceived as contrary to who they are, the wearer is actually a fun-loving, hopeful, and optimistic person with rainbows instead of blood. (Figuratively of course lol!)
- Half-Rainbow Tattoo Design
The wearer here has positioned this simple rainbow tattoo on the wrist. Half rainbows represent a path toward a desire that you work on consistently. The wearer has not filled the rainbow completely but just drawn it into lines with different colors, making it very light and detailed.
- Freeing Rainbow Tattoo Design
This one is one of my personal favorites. The person has chosen to represent a free-hand stroke of a brush in rainbow colors. The placement of colors and shades of white used to highlight and make the tattoo look embossed are just awesome.
- Rainbow Tattoo Design with Hearts
Here, the wearer has got six rainbow-colored hearts near the elbow. This is a very minimalistic design for queer people or their allies to show support. This tattoo could mean hope and new beginnings for everyone.
- Rainbow Tattoo Design with Clouds
Cloud tattoos symbolize mystery and secrets. However, the wearer here has added a beautiful rainbow from one cloud to another representing the rainbow after the rain. Because of its small size, you can get this tattoo on your neck, arm, leg, ankle, and even back.
- Rainbow Tattoo Design with Triangles
The wearer here has got eight rainbow-colored triangles placed in a line. The arrangement of the triangles and the direction they point in, play a significant role in their meaning. Here, it could mean a balance of masculine and feminine energy. Triangles in general are also symbolic of harmony and growth.
- Rainbow Elephant Tattoo Design
The wearer here has got an abstract elephant that is splashing water from its trunk. The water however is rainbow colored expressing how happy the animal is. Elephants are a symbol of joy, prosperity, and divinity and a happy and playful one like this just adds to your joy every time you will look at it.
- Rainbow Heart Tattoo Design
The wearer here has combined a rainbow heart with the infinity sign. It could represent infinite love for someone really close to you in general. This type of rainbow with six colors and a heart could also be representative of the queer community. Each color of the rainbow represents diversity among the people and the wide spectrum of gender and sexuality.
- Symbolic Rainbow Tattoo Design
The wearer has chosen very small tattoos of rainy cloud, sun, and rainbow. This could serve as a reminder that beautiful rainbows do not come without a little rain. To be precise, the hardships are an essential part of what makes us and often lead to something beautiful.
- Rainbow Tattoo Design with UFO
You have just been abducted by this ‘Happy UFO’. The wearer has got a UFO projecting rainbow light onto a cute being who is very happy by the looks of it. It could symbolize being stuck by a revelation or realization. It could also be a reminder to be happy, hopeful, and proud of who you are.
- Simple Rainbow Tattoo Design with UFO
If you do not want to go extra with the cute tattoo above, you could go for a simpler version of a UFO emitting rainbow lights. UFO-related tattoos are often associated with not feeling a sense of belonging or a sense of being different. We all know how being different is synonymous with being irreplaceable and we’re proud of that. This tattoo can be placed anywhere on the body, even the small areas like the neck, wrist, or ankle.
- Rainbow Tree Tattoo Design
The wearer here has got a black tree with the rainbow leaves tattoo. The randomness of the color of the leaves is what makes it prettier. The trees are usually linked to growth, freedom, and knowledge. They also symbolize abundance and making it rainbow-colored could mean an abundance of love and hope.
- Fearless Rainbow Tattoo Design
This tattoo is self-explanatory where the wearer has got the word ‘Fearless’ broken into fear and less placed on the waist. The rainbow color of the text and the bold font makes it really enduring to the eye. The letters ‘AR’ in fear are white and dim, which could mean diminishing fear and becoming stronger each day.
- Rainbow Tattoo Design for the Pet Lovers
There is a story of a rainbow bridge, across which lies the so-called heaven or its equivalent. This tattoo shows a dog sitting on a rainbow depicting that the dog is in a happy place. It could be as a memory of the dog for the wearer of this tattoo or simply just a way to show love for their four-legged buddy.
- 3D Rainbow Tattoo Design
The last one here is a 3D tattoo with a very beautiful meaning. The wearer has got this tattoo on the ankle but you can also get it on the arm or waist. They have got two platforms that are connected by the ladder. The lower one leads up the ladder to the rainbow-hued platform which reflects self-improvement or progress. It could also mean climbing up and overcoming a hard time to finally be in a better place than before.
So, which one is it for the colorful you?
