10 Best Name Tattoo Designs for Men and Women

Everyone has that special someone, or maybe even special someones! Now while we don’t always advocate getting ink of your trainwreck girlfriend’s name one your arm, if you are quite sure that your relationship will last (like how much you love your Mom for example!) then named ink can be quite beautiful.

When it comes to getting a tattoo that uses names and lettering, every little detail can make or break your ink work. In fact name tattoo designs are probably one of the most sought after designs that take the longest to figure out which is right for the ink lover. This is mainly due to the fact that the type of lettering you use can make the name less or more legible to read, some font types may be better suited for specific names, while others may make the name look completely different and hard to understand.

While women are more likely to get tattoo name designs that utilize a script lettering font, it truly depends on the name being used in the design idea. Shorter names and names with more curvy lettering always look much better in script than any other type of font design. However, many individuals like to be a bit creative when it comes to their design ideas – some using Old English lettering or even gypsy font.

The area in which you get your name tattoo design also plays a vital role in which font lettering you should use. If you are looking to get the name in larger lettering, using bolder fonts may be better suited. Arms and legs are the most common surface locations for name tattoo designs. However, depending on the name you are representing or the additional design elements that you choose to incorporate into your tattoo, you may also want to consider areas such as the back, thighs or chest as well. Many men utilize the chest area to place their name tattoos so that they are easily seen when shirtless. Women are more prone to areas such as lower back and upper thighs instead.

Think long and hard about the meaning behind the name you are looking to tattoo on your body. This will play a direct role on the type of lettering, size and design elements that you should incorporate into the final piece. For example, when getting your own name, you may want to keep it separate from other design elements and place it on an area of the body that is frequently exposed such as your arms or legs. However, memorial tattoos are usually accompanied by other design elements and created with various elegant lettering to symbolize the softness of the situation behind the name.

When using your child’s name as a tattoo design element, you will often see much more creative name tattoo designs that symbolize the age of the child or the infancy of the same. Block lettering is very common when showcasing children’s names, as well as design elements surrounding each letter such as alphabet blocks or balloons – sometimes even footprints.

Should you add color or should you keep the name tattoo design in traditional black and grey shading? Certain name tattoos are easily highlighted with color ink, many even utilize various colors to make certain letters or spacings stand out. You will often see this type of artwork when using names that are hyphenated or initialed.

Name tattoo designs do not always have to be created in a straight pattern as well. Many people showcase their individuality and creativity by forming a pattern with the lettering such as hearts, diamonds and even zig zag lines around another larger design. This can create amazing complete tattoo designs and add a bit of value to the name since it usually highlights each design element that is incorporated into the tattoo.

Often times, you will come across a name tattoo that is not the center of attention, as large as the name may be present. This is usually done by using basic, solid black font lettering and shading to create the name in the center of a larger, usually colored piece. In a sense, this makes both the name tattoo designs and the additional picture elements stand out in their own way. The contrast between the colors is especially important with these styles as you will not want the pictures to take the attention away from the name and vice versa.

Often times, you will find that many men that take advantage of name tattoo designs, do so to honor the birth of their child or the name of their wife. In these cases, dates are usually present with the name as well. The chest area is a common place for these types of tattoos for men if they are looking for a smaller name design or have multiple names that they want to showcase.

However, many times these types of tattoos, depending on the name being represented, are covered up at some point in their life. This does not usually happen when  child’s name is used, unless the design is being drawn bigger adding a new name such as another child or a better quality tattoo is being done. However, in the case of girlfriends, wives and lovers – name tattoo designs are one of the most popular tattoos that request coverups at some point.

Here are some more amazing ways that you can present your name tattoo designs to the world in a unique and honorable fashion!