Harry Styles is the king of cool.
The “Golden” singer rules the red carpet with his high-fashion outfits and dedication to gender-bending looks that include pearl accessories, tons of rings and newsboy hats.
While the former One Directioner’s style has evolved over the years, the star has also added tons of tattoos to his body, including more than 50 designs dedicated to everything from sports (his favorite team is the Green Bay Packers, and he has the ink to prove it) to family, travel and his beginnings on “X Factor.”
He’s so proud of the ink, in fact, that he sported a pair of custom pants by Bode featuring designs inspired by his various tattoos inside the pages of Vogue’s December 2020 issue.
Below, see all of the singer’s tattoos and the meaning behind each one — including those he got with ex-girlfriends on a whim or inked himself.
Friends and Family
“Olivia”
Eight months after his breakup with Olivia Wilde, fans were shocked when the singer accidentally revealed an ink tribute to his ex.
While on a yacht during a vacation in Italy after multiple legs of his Love on Tour in 2023, Styles soaked up the sun in small green swim trunks that revealed the name “Olivia” inked in large script on his upper thigh in an apparent tribute to the “Booksmart” director.
The couple dated for two years while filming “Don’t Worry, Darling” together, but she wasn’t necessarily the first Olivia in Styles’ life; One Direction’s 2015 album “Made in the A.M.” included a song titled with the woman’s name, written by Harry.
“Mary”
The all-caps name is believed to be a tribute to the pop star’s grandmother.
“A”
A small “A” represents Harry’s mom, Anne Twist.
Iced gem cookie
In a play on words and a nod to his past as a baker, Styles inked an iced gem cookie inside his arm as a tribute to his older sister, Gemma.
Hebrew letters
The singer also has his sister’s name tattooed in Hebrew letters on his upper arm.
“jackson”
Above the rose on his forearm is the name of Harry’s godson. Jackson is the son of Calvin Aurand, the official photographer and archivist for One Direction.
Palm tree
At the 2019 Met Gala, fans noticed a new tattoo of a palm tree on the back of Harry’s arm, which is believed to be another tribute to Gemma, who has the same design in the same spot.
“R”
Like his “A” for his mother Anne, Harry has an “R” for his stepfather Robin Twist, who married the star’s mother in 2013. Unfortunately, Robin died of cancer in 2017, just a few months after Harry got this tattoo.
“G” and “A’
Harry has his second “A” — again, for his mom — on one of his shoulders, along with a “G” for Gemma on the opposite side.
“1957” and “1967”
On opposite shoulders, Harry has his biological parents’ birth years. Though Des Styles and Anne Twist divorced when he was 7 years old, the singer is clearly still very connected to them both.
Travel
“Colazione”
While the thigh-high “Olivia” tattoo rocked fans’ world, Styles’ skimpy swimmers also revealed another previously unseen leg tattoo in July 2023: the word “colazione” — which is Italian for breakfast.
It’s unclear if the two words are related, but they appear to have been inked in the same font.
Swallows
When he was 18 years old, Harry got two swallows facing each other on his chest, a classic sailor tattoo. One swallow is meant to be tattooed before setting out to sail, and the second swallow tattooed at the end of one’s tour of duty, upon safe return home. It is also said that if the sailor drowns, the swallows will carry his soul to heaven. Harry told Us Weekly, “I like that kind of style of tattoos, like the old sailor kind of tattoos. They symbolize traveling, and we travel a lot!”
“NY,” “LA,” and “LDN”
Harry is an international star who can’t decide where to call home; he’s got tributes to New York, Los Angeles and London on his shoulder.
Pirate ship
One of Harry’s largest tattoos is a traditional pirate ship. His ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift accompanied him to get this ink in December 2012, prompting some fans to speculate the design could have a deeper meaning, but Harry squashed those rumors and revealed it’s a reminder of his travels and returning home while he’s on tour.
California
In 2019, Harry inked a tribute to the state on his thigh.
“Brasil!”
During a concert in Rio de Janeiro in 2014, the singer drove fans wild when he pulled down his pants to reveal the word “Brasil!” tattooed on his butt.
Nature
Naked mermaid
When asked what this design represents in 2014, Harry said simply: “I am a mermaid.”
Rose
The large flower covers a good deal of his left forearm.
Eagle
Covering up an old tattoo that read “Things I can” is a classic eagle. While some fans have speculated that the majestic bird represents the star taking flight on his solo career, others believe it could be a tribute to ex-girlfriend Kendall Jenner, since it was done after the two were spotted attending an Eagles concert together.
Anchor
On his left wrist, Harry continues his nautical theme with a large anchor tattoo. It was a cover-up of the words “I can’t change.”
Butterfly
One of Harry’s most recognizable tattoos is a huge butterfly in the middle of his chest, though fans can’t seem to agree on whether the insect is actually a moth.
Birdcage
On his left side is a large, empty cage.
Theater masks and “SNCL”
Next to his birdcage is a theater mask with the letters “SNCL,” which means “smile now, cry later.” There’s also the letter “X” next to it.
“Pingu”
Near his armpit, Harry added “Pingu” — the name of the penguin in a British children’s animated TV series — in August of 2013. His friend and fellow British singer Ed Sheeran has a matching illustration of the character on his arm.
Insect
It’s unclear if this tattoo is a large bug, fly or bee, but it was done in 2017 and takes up a ton of real estate on his forearm.
Tiger
On his thigh, the singer has a tiger tattoo. When he was asked about it’s meaning, he replied, “Tiger! Rawr!”
Fern
On either hip, the “Kiwi” singer has two fern leaves. In West Africa, the fern traditionally symbolizes resourcefulness and endurance, since the plant can grow under very difficult conditions.
Music
Star
Harry’s first tattoo was a star on the inside of his bicep, which began as an outline and was later filled in. While Styles hasn’t shared the meaning behind the design, some fans believe the five points could represent the five members of One Direction.
Guitar
On the back of his shoulder is a small outline of a guitar as a nod to his musical prowess.
“Won’t Stop ‘Til We Surrender”
The faded words are likely a mashup of lyrics from the Temper Trap song “Sweet Disposition” — and the ink has another Taylor Swift connection. The band revealed in 2015 that Swift asked them to write out the lyrics and sign a piece of paper as a gift for Harry’s birthday. Dougy Mandagi, one of the vocalists from the band, said he contemplated purposefully miswriting the words, but wrote the real lyrics: “We won’t stop ’til it’s over / Won’t stop to surrender.”
Pink Floyd triangle
Harry is such a big fan of Pink Floyd that he has their iconic triangle prism tattooed on the back of his arm — and so do fellow One Direction members Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson.
“Never Gonna” and “Dance Again”
Spanning both of his ankles, Harry has these lyrics from George Michael’s “Careless Whisper.”
Other
Skeleton in a suit
In 2013, Harry had this spooky skeleton inked around Halloween time.
Handshake
Underneath the skeleton is a pair of hands shaking
Three nails
On his bicep, next to the pirate ship, Harry has three nails.
Coat hanger
And next to the three nails is a coat hanger, though neither have clear meanings.
Green Bay Packers logo
Harry revealed that he has a Green Bay Packers logo tattooed on his inner bicep — though he’s not from Wisconsin. During a 2012 game, the singer made a bet with a friend that he would get the tattoo if the team won. Instead of waiting for the game to finish, he got the ink anyway. Incidentally, the Packers lost.
However, Harry isn’t upset about the tattoo; in fact, he supports the Packers. During an appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series, he revealed that he became a fan while staying with a friend from Wisconsin and would root for the green and gold. “They’re also the only NFL team owned by the fans, you know I like that,” he said. “Also a big fan of cheese.”
Cross
On the top of his hand, Harry has a cross.
“Late Late”
In 2015, One Direction appeared on an episode of “The Late Late Show with James Corden” and played tattoo roulette. Styles was the (un)lucky member randomly chosen to ink the show’s logo on his arm while live on the air.
Anatomical heart
This large design sits between his pirate ship and rose tattoos.
“You booze you lose”
In 2014, Harry debuted this alcohol-themed tattoo, with a bottle in the middle of the words, “you booze you lose.”
Bible
Perhaps fittingly, beneath Harry’s anti-alcohol tattoo is an intricate drawing of a Holy Bible. It covered up the words “Things I can’t” — the second half of his “things I can” design, which he covered with an eagle.
“Hi”
Inside his arm is the word “hi,” a cheeky message for anyone the pop star may wave to.
“Can I stay?”
Above the pirate ship is a mysterious message: “Can I stay?”
“Silver Spoon”
Underneath his handshake tattoo are the words “silver spoon,” which is believed to be a reminder for Harry to stay grounded despite his success and remember he was not born with privilege.
“Arlo”
This name is written in the same font as the “Jackson” tattoo under Harry’s elbow, though its meaning is unclear.
“17 Black”
Harry must be a huge James Bond fan, as he has 007’s go-to roulette bet inked on his chest.
Lock and key
In addition to getting matching tattoos with Ed Sheeran, Style actually let the “Shape of You” singer give him some ink. On his wrist, the crooner has a padlock and a key, designs done by Sheeran in 2012.
Shamrock
Harry’s three-leaf clover isn’t a tribute to his Irish heritage; it’s actually a nod to LA’s Shamrock Social Club tattoo parlor, where Harry has gotten many of his tattoos.
Aquarius sign
On his wrist, the singer — who was born on Feb. 1, 1994 — has his zodiac sign.
Broken heart
Above one of his swallows, Styles has half of a broken heart. However, the design doesn’t symbolize sadness or heartbreak, but rather his friendship with Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill, who’s got a matching tat. Hopefully Ed Sheeran isn’t too jealous.
Black heart
In addition to his anatomical heart, Harry has a large black heart on his arm, which was done in 2012.
Crown
On his toe, the singer allegedly has a crown tattoo.
“Big”
During the same appearance on the “Late Late” show where he played tattoo roulette, Harry revealed that he inked the word “Big” on his big toe, calling it one of his most stupid tattoos.
Screw
With the exception of Niall Horan, all of the One Direction members have tiny screws tattooed on their ankles as a reminder to stay grounded. Harry, Zayn, Louis and Liam had the matching designs done in 2012.
