Rihanna Tattoos

Rihanna Tattoo Count: 25! Here’s The List…

Check out our comprehensive collection of Rihanna’s tattoos, including descriptions of her ink, the meanings behind her tattoos, and lots of pictures! Rihanna got her first tattoo when she was just a teenager, but the impressive collection of ink the singer has racked up in the years since puts plenty of other self-professed tattoo addicts to shame. If you know anything about Rihanna, you know that she loves tattoos and hanging out in tattoo parlors and shops, where she can “study” people and learn more about them based on their tattoo choices.

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25. A Camoflaged Shark on Rihanna’s Left Ankle

On September 1, 2016, celebrity tattoo artist Bang Bang posted a photo of Rihanna’s 25th tattoo, a camouflage shark he inked on her left ankle, opposite the “1988” tattoo he did on her right ankle almost exactly one year prior. Read more about the meaning and story behind her shark ankle tattoo…read more

24. “1988” Written on Her Right Ankle

On August 12, 2015, Rihanna headed to one of her favorite places, tattoo artist Bang Bang’s shop in the East Village of New York City, and left with a brand-new “1988” ankle tattoo. Rihanna’s tattoo features the year she was born, 1988, inked in a black Gothic font encircling her right ankle. Read more about the meaning and story behind her 1988 ankle tattoo…read more

23. A Large Cross on the Inside of Rihanna’s Right Wrist

Rihanna visited Bang Bang’s NY tattoo studio just before midnight on January 11th, following a Nets-Heat game, and didn’t leave until 5am, sporting some fresh ink on the inside of her right wrist. Her new large cross tattoo is inked on the underside of her wrist with an elaborate henna-style tat extending from the singer’s right hand to her forearm. This is Rihanna’s second cross tat, in addition to a tiny cross she had inked in red on her collarbone last year, and much more elaborate than the first. Read more about the meaning and story behind her large cross wrist tattoo…read more

22. A Henna-Style Tattoo Covering Her Right Hand Maori Tat

After deciding that she wasn’t entirely pleased with the gigantic Maori tattoo she had inked on her hand in New Zealand, Rihanna flew the trusted Bang Bang out to the Dominican Republic on October 27, 2013, to cover it up with a new henna-inspired tattoo. Rihanna’s henna-style hand tattoo is feminine and sexy, and successfully covers up the old tribal tattoo with a bolder, more interesting design. Now Rihanna’s hand tattoo is even more visible and in-your-face, much like the pop star herself. Read more about the meaning and story behind her Henna style hand tattoo…read more

21. A Traditional Maori Tattoo on Her Right Hand

In October 2013, Rihanna added a second Maori tattoo to her collection during the New Zealand leg of her Diamonds world tour. The traditional Ta Moko tattoo features a series of small black lines and arrow symbols that extend from the fingers on RiRi’s right hand all the way to the middle of her forearm. Rihanna’s Maori tribal tattoo is one of her largest to date, and must be pretty important to her to put it in such a visible place! Read more about the meaning and story behind her tribal Maori hand tattoo…read more

20. Rihanna’s Queen Nefertiti Side Tattoo

Rihanna adds more ancient Egyptian ink with her side queen Nefertiti tattoo in February of 2012. The Egyptian goddess was an iconic vision of true beauty in the ancient world, much like Rihanna is today. Queen Nefertiti, however, was also well known for her bust size, not too sure if Rihanna is going to achieve historical status in that area, but a true beauty non the less. Read more about the meaning and story behind her goddess Isis tattoo…read more

19. The Goddess Isis Chest Tattoo

Rihanna’s nineteenth tattoo features an impressive spread of the Egyptian goddess Isis on her chest, with the figure’s large wingspan spreading out just below RiRi’s breasts. According to Rihanna, the new Goddess Isis tattoo was inked in memory of her beloved grandmother, Ciara “Dolly” Brathwaite, who passed away earlier this summer after battling with cancer. Rihanna’s chest tattoo is the perfect tribute to her grandmother, as the goddess Isis was worshiped by ancient Egyptians as the ideal mother and wife, and was also known as the goddess of children. Read more about the meaning and story behind her goddess Isis tattoo…read more

18. Gun Shaped Falcon Tattoo on Rihanna’s Ankle

Eighteen and counting! Rihanna got a new tattoo, which the pop superstar debuted for fans on June 16, 2012 via Twitter. Rihannas new tattoo is inked on the inside of her right ankle and features a pretty mean looking Egyptian falcon that appears to be in the shape of a handgun. Some people claim, at least, that the Rihanna falcon tattoo is supposed to be a gun. Other people think Rihannas tattoo was inspired by a 2,300-year-old artifact housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, which appears to be the case since the new Rihanna tattoo is nearly an exact replica. What do you think of Rihannas new tattoo? Read more about the meaning and story behind her falcon tattoo…read more

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17. Rihanna’s Tibetan “Lover” Tattoo on Her Butt

The mystery of Rihanna’s script tattoo just above her butt has FINALLY been solved. Upon several risque photo shoots she did in 2001 – 2012, Riri’s butt tat started to get noticed, and is said to mean “lover” in Tibetan script. Check out pics of the Rihanna butt tattoo in our news section from earlier speculation pieces before we could really get a good look at the tat. Find out when the tattoo was ACTUALLY inked! We think you will be surprised! Read more about the meaning and story behind her Tibetan tattoo…read more

16. Small Cross on Rihanna’s Collarbone

If you’re worried that Rihanna might get tired of tattoos, have no fear! Rihanna got a new tattoo, this time celebrating her religious beliefs…but probably not in the way you would expect. Rihanna’s new tattoo features a cross, which seems innocent enough, but critics have faulted the superstar for getting the cross inked in red and deliberately putting the design on a slant. According to some, the new Rihanna cross tattoo features a symbol commonly used by the Freemasons and represents her godlessness. Read more about the meaning and story behind her cross tattoo…read more

15. Rihanna’s “Thug Life” Tattoos on Her Knuckles

The latest tat on your favorite superstar is Rihannas Thug Life tattoo written on the knuckles of each of her fingers (not thumbs of course) in white ink. Rihanna’s “Thug Life” tattoo is a tribute to the late infamous rapper TuPac who started the hip hop group Thug Life in 1993 and had a Thug Life tattoo across his stomach. Rihanna is really letting out her gansta side with this gang-style knuckle tat, definitely the most ghetto of all Rihanna tattoos. Read more about the meaning and story behind her Thug Life tattoo…read more

14. “Rebelle Fleur” Tattoo on Rihanna’s Neck

The “rebelle fleur” tattoo, which is french for “rebellious flower” was done in August of 2010 on the back of Rihanna’s neck towards her left ear. The tat was done in New York City at Eastside Ink. Some say that the words should be reversed to translate correctly and be grammatically correct, as the phrase would be used in a sentence. The rebelle fleur tattoo does in fact correctly translate if one is just trying to say rebellious flower. That’s all this Rihanna tattoo is trying to say, so shut up! Read more about the meaning and story behind her “Rebelle Fleur” tattoo…read more

13. “Never a Failure, Always a Lesson” Shoulder Tattoo

Rihanna’s self-motivating “Never a Failure, Always a Lesson” tattoo is mirrored on her right shoulder blade, just above her breast. This tat was done in December of 2009 and is written in backwards cursive writing to remind her every time she looks in the mirror. Rihanna explains that this has always been a motto in life for her, not to treat events as mistakes but as lessons to be learned. Read more about the meaning and story behind her chest quote tattoo…read more

12. Rihanna’s Little Gun Tattoo on Her Side

A little gun tattoo is carefully inked across Rihanna’s right ribcage by tattoo artist Bang Bang (kind of ironic). This tat was a bit controversial since it was done in the midst of her abuse rumors while with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. Rihanna has also been seen sporting a little gun necklace as well. Are these guns a sign of a self-empowered, new “gangsta” Rihnna? Sure hope so. Read more about the meaning and story behind her gun tattoo…read more

11. A Tribal Dragon Claw on Her Hand

Rihanna got her right hand geometric design tribal tattoo while in New Zealand during one of her tours. It runs from her wrist, past her thumb, and towards her right index finger. This exotic Maori-inspired hand tat represents strength and love and was done in the traditional New Zealand style on tattooing, using uhi, or chisels to add inked grooves into the skin rather than piercing it with needles and ink. This makes the skin a bit raised and rough rather than a smooth surface. This intricate tribal Rihanna tattoo probably hurt really, really bad. Read more about the meaning and story behind her hand tattoo…read more

10. The Roman Numeral on Rihanna’s Chest

The date 4.11.1986 was also printed in a roman numeral tattoo on Rihanna in June 2008. This date is her best friend and manager Melissa Forde’s birthday and is printed in Roman numerals. The XI•IV•LXXXVI tatttoo is tastefully placed on her left shoulder. Many people have thought that this tattoo could be Rihanna’s birthday or maybe Chris Brown’s. Nope, her BFF Melissa. Talk about a close friendship. Now that’s dedication. Read more about the meaning and story behind her Roman numeral tattoo…read more

9. Riri’s “Shhh…” Finger Tattoo

The Shhh… tattoo is another finger tat that Rihanna has, on her right hand index finger, along with the “love” tattoo on the index finger of her left hand. It was done in June of 2008, shortly after the other finger tattoo was inked. Of course it is printed on the outside of Rihanna’s finger, in order for her to “Shhh!” someone without having to say a word, only make the gesture. How awesome is that?! Pretty Rad. Read more about the meaning and story behind her Shhh… tattoo…read more

8. “Love” Tattooed on Her Finger

Rihanna had the word “Love” tattooed on the inside of the middle finger of her left hand. Its not too fancy, but with a simple yet sophisticated italic font. The Love finger tattoo was done in 2008 by one of her regular tat artists. The meaning of this finger tattoo is kind of a mystery, but I have my ideas. First, it would be way cool to flip somebody the bird and turn your finger to show some love. Second, giving the peace sign while showing the love could be the inspiration behind this Rihanna tattoo. Why not give peace AND love? Read more about the meaning and story behind her stars tattoo…read more

7. Rihanna’s Cute Skull Tattoo on Her Ankle

The cute and kinda girly skull tattoo on Rihanna’s left ankle is one of the few Rihanna tattoos has containing color. It was done during her Miami stay in 2008. The red or pink bow on top of the cartoonish and rudimentary skull and cross bones really makes this adorable tat stand out, even though it is fairly small in size. Is it a feminine skull, girly skull, or cute skull? You choose. Whatever you want to call her ankle tattoo, you can’t deny that its pretty sweet. Read more about the meaning and story behind her skull tattoo…read more

6. Stars Down The Back of Rihanna’s Neck

Stars going down the back of Rihanna’s neck and onto the back of her right shoulder blade are super sexy! These stars were started in Los Angeles. This first part of the stars tattoo was limited to the back of Rihanna’s neck and consisted of small black stars and larger outlined stars, not going past her shoulders. Later, tattoo artist Bang Bang added a trail of more stars, adding larger black stars and more of a variety of sizes. Read more about the meaning and story behind her stars tattoo…read more

5. The Arabic Tattoo on Her Side

The Arabic tattoo on Rihanna’s ribcage read’s “Al Hurria fi Al Maseeh” which translates into “Freedom in God.” It is placed on her left ribacge, just below her breast. Being one of her more concealed tats, the Arabic phrase must hold deep meaning to Rihanna, as it is not easily viewed by the public. The only way you are seeing this tat is if you are hanging out with Rihanna poolside or hooking up with her. Pretty much anyone reading this would be glad to do both. Read more about the meaning and story behind her Arabic tattoo…read more

4. Star Tattoo in Rihanna’s Ear

A star tattoo in Rihanna’s left ear is said to be “prison style.” That’s BS. It is a unique, simple, tasteful, outline of star that is nestled in the top part of her ear. Rihanna got this tat in the Village of NYC, apparently she just stopped in the parlor and wanted a tat. This star tattoo in Rihanna’s ear was obvious difficult to get, a pain in the ass to ink, and it had to hurt like a mother! Probably the most painful of all Rihanna Tattoos. But it sure looks pretty sweet all tucked up in there! Read more about the meaning and story behind her stars tattoo…read more

3. Rihanna’s Sanskrit Prayer Hip Tattoo

Next, and arguably the sexiest Rihanna tattoo, is a sanskrit prayer that stretches from just above her waist to the top of her butt on the right side of her body. This sanskrit prayer tattoo is from the Sanatana Dharma (Hindu scripture) Bhagavad Gita 10.4-5 and is supposed to say something like “forgiveness, honesty, suppression, and control” but was apparently misspelled. The translation of her tattoo actually reads: “long suffering, truthfulness, self-restraint, inward calm, fear and fearlessness” and is missing the rest of the prayer which includes “pleasure, pain, birth, death.” Apparently, a couple slight differences in the dots and shapes of the Hindu prayer make it translate wrong. Oh well, I’m sure she is very happy with it and is not concerned over a few slight differences in pen strokes. However, take a look at the photo of the artist who gave Rihanna this ancient sanskrit tat and say if you would trust him to get the text correct in such a tattoo. Read more about the meaning and story behind her Sanskrit tattoo…read more

2. Pisces Sign Tattoo Behind Her Ear

Rihanna’s second tattoo is a Pisces sign just behind her right ear. The meaning behind this tat is Rihanna’s astrological sign. Her birthday is on February 20, 1988 putting her in the sign of Pisces. This tattoo was actually done by a famous Brazilian artist who was in Tokyo at the same time as Rihanna in or around 2006. Lucky for her, because the tattoo artist who made this usually books three years in advance! I guess he really like Rihanna’s style and inked her without any wait at all. But hey, who wouldn’t. Read more about the meaning and story behind her Pisces sign tattoo…read more

1. Rihanna’s Music Note Tattoo on Her Ankle

All Rihanna tattoos are fairly small and have meaning for the hip-hop and R&B superstar. First, there is the music note tattoo on the front of Rihanna’s foot. This tat was done around 2006 and appears to be her first. Of course, her love and dedication to music was the influence for this first tat. The treble clef staff is the first image tattoos on her ankle, and it is followed by a sixteenth note that is not filled in. These sheet music symbols are tattooed on Rihanna’s right ankle / front of her foot. Read more about the meaning and story behind her music note tattoo…read more

Rihanna’s assortment of tattoos started out with a few small pieces here and there, like the music note tattoo on her ankle, the Pisces sign behind her ear, and the tiny star inside her ear. Over the years though, Rihanna has become more comfortable getting larger statement tattoos, like the bold henna-style ink she sports on her hand, and the ornate cross tattoo she has inked on the inside of her wrist and arm. And we have to stay, we kind of love it! Rihanna’s tattoo collection has always been a source of interest for us, and now you can read all about her ink right here!