Spine tattoos are among the most painful to get, but many women think they’re worth it. And it’s difficult to blame them! The spine gives you more vertical space, allowing you to showcase a long narrow design in its full glory.
Many designs look beautiful on the spine, from trailing floral vines to favorite quotes. Let’s take a look at some of the best spine tattoos for women.
1. Celestial Ornamental Spine Tattoo
This celestial spine tattoo has very delicate linework and features some celestial elements like a crescent moon, sun, and stars.
All the different elements give it a varied, interesting look that is perfect for anyone who loves the night sky or just wants to add a little bit of fantasy to their life.
2. Skull Sword and Snake Tattoo
This gorgeous tattoo features a sword with a skull on the hilt and a celestial-themed snake around it.
Along with the beautiful design, it can be symbolically interpreted in different ways, like a cosmic battle between good and evil.
Snakes around swords can also be a symbol of healing due to their similarity to the Caduceus staff, which is used in the medical world.
3. “Serendipity” Cursive Tattoo With Balloons
Serendipity means finding happy things without looking for them. This woman got this tattoo along with the balloons to represent three places she lived in that were influential on her life, which is a beautiful way to remember good past memories.
4. “Don’t Talk About It, Be About It” Tattoo With Rose
This tattoo means that, rather than talking about things we should live, we should live out the changes we want to see in the world. It speaks against an “all talk and no action” attitude and is an inspiring reminder.
5. “I’ll Lose Battles But Not My Faith” Tattoo With Lotus
Life can get tough, but faith can help people get through the worst of circumstances, a concept this tattoo embodies.
6. Ornamental Diamond Tattoo
From far away this might look like a consistent diamond pattern, but each shape in this tattoo has a different ornamental design, giving it a unique and varied look overall.
7. Vibrant Rose Tattoo
I can’t help but love this tattoo due to the gorgeous vibrant red color used. It’s so bright that it almost looks like it’s popping off the skin!
8. “People Too Must Wilt, Fall, Root, Rise in Order to Bloom” Tattoo
This lovely and delicate cursive tattoo has an equally beautiful meaning. It compares us to plants and says that the darkest times in our lives — wilting and falling — give way to regrowth and thriving.
9. Pine Tree Tattoo
Trees are fitting for the spine, especially pine trees, given their tall and narrow frame. They have many symbolic meanings. Many people associate them with faith since true faith means being “well-rooted” and strong in your beliefs.
Some also associate them with protection, like how they shade us from the sun. Evergreen trees, like pines, can symbolize endurance since they keep their color even through the harshest of winters.
10. Flowers and Leaves Tattoo
Flowers and leaves look good pretty much anywhere, but on the spine, you can make an impressive trailing vine that looks eye-catching and feminine.
11. Rose and Butterfly Tattoo
This tattoo almost has a watercolor-like effect, giving it an artsy look. I also like the butterfly emerging from the rose, almost like it’s one of the petals breaking free.
12. Rose and Snake Tattoo With Stars and Moon
Roses and snakes are both symbols with a lot of duality to them. Roses represent beauty and love, which contrasts with their thorns that represent pain and deception.
Snakes can represent death or evil, but they’re also symbols of life since they shed their skin and start anew.
13. Red Rose and Snake Tattoo
Bright red tattoos are beautiful ways to make a bold statement, especially with intricate designs like this one.
14. Black Butterflies Tattoo
Since all butterflies start out as caterpillars and go through metamorphosis to become beautiful, they are often seen as symbols of transformation, change, and hope.
15. “One Day at a Time” Ornamental Lotus Tattoo
Sometimes we can get stressed out by thinking too far ahead, especially during difficult situations that bring up a lot of “what-ifs.” This tattoo is a good reminder to take life one day at a time and only focus on what’s in front of you.
16. “Be Patient, Everything Comes to You in the Right Moment” Tattoo
Usually, when people talk about chasing their dreams, they don’t always mention all the waiting involved in fulfilling them. From college rejection letters to one too many bad dates, life can get frustrating on the path to better things.
This tattoo is a great reminder to stay patient in the present and positive for the future.
17. “Amor Vincit Omnia” Tattoo With Flower
“Amor vincit omnia” is a famous saying from one of Virgil’s poems, specifically a collection of 10 poems called “Bucolica.” It means “Love conquers all” and it’s a great tattoo for showing the importance of love in your life.
18. “Be Patient, Everything Comes to You in the Right Moment” Tattoo With Butterfly
I love the addition of the butterfly in this tattoo. Butterflies are connected with change and transformation, which is the hope expressed in the quote.
19. “Daydreaming” Tattoo With Flower
Taking action is important, of course, but so is dreaming.
Dreaming gives us hope for a better future and something to aspire after rather than just going through the motions of life. If you love daydreaming, embrace who you are with this beautiful tattoo.
20. Red and White Rose Tattoo With Butterflies
Every color of roses has a different symbolic meaning associated with it. Red roses are associated with romantic love and passion, while white roses symbolize loyalty, youthfulness, and purity.
Put together, they can symbolize a loving and pure relationship, or they can just be for aesthetics. White and red look beautiful together since red is such a strong, bold color, and white is a soft neutral, creating a sense of contrast.
21. “She Is Art” Tattoo
This is a beautiful tattoo between the abstract faces and the self-love vibes of this one. This tattoo says you’re not just any person. You’re a work of art.
22. Mandala Lotus Tattoo
Lotus flowers are often connected to peace and meditation. They can also mean overcoming dark circumstances since lotus flowers grow in murky swamps but emerge with beautiful and clean petals.
23. Skull Tattoo With Flowers, Moon, and Jewelry Chain
With all the abstract elements in this design, it has a varied and almost fantastical feel to it.
Symbolically, the skull and the beautiful flowers, chains, and jewels could imply beauty emerging from death or turning terrible circumstances into art.
24. “A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand” Tattoo
This famous quote is attributed to Abraham Lincoln’s speeches during the Civil War and is a paraphrase of the Bible verse Matthew 12:25.
He was urging unity in a time when the country was more divided than ever over the issue of slavery — in his view, the country could not continue in its divided condition for much longer.
You could get this tattoo for its religious significance, historical significance, or your love for unity in general.
25. Butterfly and Flower Mandala Tattoo
Not all mandalas need to be circular. Typically, the main point of them is being balanced and symmetrical, so you can get creative and make them in any shape you’d like.
You can even stray away from geometrical shapes and go for a more botanical theme like in this tattoo.
26. “Gone From Earth, But Never From the Heart” Tattoo
I love the loose-flowing lettering style of this tattoo, and the meaning is even better. It’s a beautiful memorial tattoo reminding us that our loved ones might be gone physically, but they will always live on in our hearts.
27. “The Ones That Love Us Never Really Leave Us” Tattoo
Everyone moves away and goes through different points in their life where they might seem closer or farther away. Still, our true friends and loved ones have a way of sticking around and being there for us when no one else will.
28. Mandala Tattoo
Mandala tattoos represent perfection and balance. Besides that, they have an intricate look to them. They’re especially great for larger parts of the body, like the back, since you can capture them in full detail.
29. Rose Arrow Tattoo
Just like how this rose is upside-down, the meaning is also flipped around with the arrow tip on the end.
Roses typically represent innocence, love, and beauty, but the arrow gives it a meaning of strength — a weapon, not just a delicate flower.
30. Ornamental Tattoo With Lotus
Ornamental tattoos often don’t have a focal point and are just meant to be beautiful throughout, but this tattoo takes a different approach. Instead, the ornamental elements center around the lotus flower, calling attention to it.
31. Flowers With Monarch Butterfly
I’m always down for a flower and butterfly tattoo, especially this one. I love how the entire design is monochrome except for the butterfly.
Despite its smaller size, your eyes are immediately drawn to it. It also adds some visual contrast to keep things interesting.
32. Lotus Tattoo With Botanical Ornamental Design
This is another ornamental lotus tattoo, but rather than being in the center, the lotus is on top of the design. The ornamental elements trail off it and down the spine.
They have a botanical look to them that blends seamlessly with the lotus flower.
33. “Remember Who You Are, Fall In Love With Who You Want to Be” Tattoo
This tattoo offers a good balance between appreciating yourself in the present and also looking forward to who you could be in the future.
Looking only at our present selves can blind us into thinking we have nowhere left to go, but looking only at the future can make change feel far off and distant.
The monarch butterflies around the quote add to the meaning since butterflies undergo transformation to get to where they are.
34. Roses Tattoo
Roses are always beautiful, but I especially love them in this tattoo. The dark shading on them gives the whole tattoo a bold and dramatic look.
35. “Persistence” Flower Tattoo
Persistence is always a great attribute to have since it allows you to pick yourself up and keep going no matter what life throws at you.
36. Celestial and Lotus Ornamental Tattoos
This is a beautiful and delicate ornamental tattoo design. I think my favorite part is the moon and sun in the center. Since the moon and sun are often symbolic opposites, it creates a sense of harmony in duality.
37. Blooming Rose Tattoo
Many rose tattoos show roses that are already in full bloom, but blooming roses also have a beautiful look to them. They can be symbolic too, like being a work in progress or having hope for a brighter future.
38. “To the Moon and Back” Rose Tattoo
“To the moon and back” is an abbreviated version of the quote “Love you to the moon and back,” which shows the depth of love one person has for another.
This can be used as a memorial tattoo and as an expression of love for your family and friends.
39. “Love Without Limits” Red Rose Tattoo
I mentioned earlier that red roses are associated with passion and love, so this rose design with the quote on the stem couldn’t be a more perfect pairing.
40. Botanical and Celestial Ornamental Tattoo
Normally when I think of a botanical-themed tattoo, I wouldn’t necessarily think of incorporating celestial elements unless it’s in the sky above.
But this tattoo pulls off the look seamlessly, with the constellations woven into the trailing vine and with stars, the moon, the sun, and some planets around it.
41. Floral Tattoo
I love this floral tattoo. All the flowers blooming in different stages and facing different angles give this design a lifelike feel.
42. Delicate Ornamental Tattoo
This ornamental tattoo also features a lotus flower, but it has a narrower frame than some of the other lotuses on this list.
In this case, the narrow look works well since this woman has some other tattoos on her back — this tattoo has its own space to shine, and so do the others.
43. “Never Give Up” Floral Tattoo
Sometimes the simplest messages are the most effective. This is a beautiful way to remind yourself to keep on going no matter what.
44. “Everyone You Meet Has Something to Teach You”
Teaching isn’t just reserved for respected teachers and wise people. In reality every person we meet can teach us something if we’re listening.
Everyone has different perspectives and experiences that contrast with our own, leading us to have a different worldview than what we’d have alone.
45. “Inhale the Future, Exhale the Past” Lotus Tattoo
This tattoo has a meditative feel with the mention of inhaling and exhaling along with the lotus flower. I also love the meaning of it — letting go of the past so you can embrace the future.
46. Spiral Tattoo
Keep things simple with a lovely spiral tattoo design.
47. “Perfectly Imperfect” Tattoo With Mandala
Typically ornamental designs are just decorative, but I love how this design incorporates lettering into it seamlessly. Thanks to the different sizes of the design elements, it also has a unique and asymmetrical feel to it.
48. “Don’t Dream Your Life, But Life Your Dream” Tattoo With Popp
I love the bright red poppy flower in this design — the vibrant color stands out and has a bold feel to it. The meaning behind the tattoo is beautiful, too, showing that you can live your dreams instead of just thinking about what could be.
49. “Walk on the Wild Side” Tattoo
Embrace your wild side with this minimalist tattoo.
50. “Family” Tattoo With Abstract Flower
Tattoos are great for showing things that are important and meaningful in your life, just like this family tattoo. I love the aesthetics of this one, too. The lettering fits in perfectly with the minimal abstract style of the flower.
51. Cherry Blossom Tattoo
Cherry blossoms are beautiful, but something you might not know about them is that they only last around two weeks. For that reason, they can symbolize the fleeting nature of life and are an encouragement to enjoy it while you still can.
52. “You Are the Sun” Flower Tattoo
The sun symbolizes life, goodness, and happiness. This can be used to honor a loved one who’s like the sun in your life, or it could inspire you to be a light in the world for others.
53. Abstract Rose Tattoo
I don’t usually see geometric elements and roses paired together in tattoos, but it works really well in this design.
The roses look stunning and instantly stand out, and the geometric elements work well as accents without making the design feel too busy.
54. Blooming Daisy Tattoo
Mix up a standard floral tattoo by showing a flower in different stages of growth. Symbolically it can represent the passage of time and how all beautiful things in life take time.
55. Flower Vine Tattoo
Floral tattoos are always in style, and this one is no exception.
I love how all the flowers are distinct with various angles and petal arrangements, which makes the design feel full of life. I also love the soft shading around the flowers since it makes them pop.
56. “One in a Million” Tattoo
Show off how unique you are with this cute “one in a million” tattoo.
57. Blooming Lotus Tattoo
Lotuses are elegant flowers that symbolize purity due to their ability to rise out of the mud with clean, beautiful petals. They come in many colors, but pink lotus flowers particularly represent spiritual enlightenment.
58. Blue and Black Ornamental Flower Tattoo
Trying to decide whether to do a tattoo in colored ink or black ink? Why not do both?
Having a mostly black tattoo with some pops of color mixed in just makes each color stand out all the more, just like the blue flowers in this ornamental tattoo.
59. “At Morning Light” Tattoo
Morning light is typically a symbol of hope since it’s the first light you see after the night has ended.
60. Herringbone Pattern
I love this tattoo — it keeps things simple with a herringbone pattern that works well with the spine’s shape.
61. Moon Phases Tattoo
Moon phases can represent the ebb and flow of life, full of beginnings and endings, waxing and waning, increases and decreases. Since moon phases happen in cycles, they can also represent the cyclical nature of reality.
62. “We Gain Strength From the Madness We Survive” Tattoo
This is a popular quote for tattoos, especially for women who have been through difficult or traumatic circumstances. Rising and overcoming the past shows true strength.
63. Peony Tattoo
Peonies have many positive meanings associated with them like good luck, happiness, and prosperity. Along with that, they have a gorgeous feminine style that makes them popular as tattoo designs.
64. Lily Tattoo
Lilies represent resurrection and purity. They’re also associated with remembrance since they’re a common flower at funerals, representing how loved ones regain their innocence after they’ve passed on.
65. “Life Doesn’t Allow You to Be Weak” Lotus Tattoo
This is a popular tattoo design showing that circumstances of life often force you to be strong rather than remain in weakness.
66. Sunflower Tattoo
Sunflowers are considered one of the happiest flowers with their cheery yellow color and how they always reach up towards the sun.
67. Waves Tattoo
Sometimes simplicity is best, a concept this tattoo captures well with the gorgeous, abstract, criss-crossing lines.
68. Dragon Tattoo
Dragons can be a symbol of evil, but they can also symbolize wisdom, strength, and good luck.
69. “Gentle Flower” Tattoo
The phrase in this tattoo fits in the design, given that it mentions flowers and it’s part of a flower. If you consider yourself a gentle and loving person, this is a great tattoo to capture your personality.
70. “Resilience” Flower Tattoo
Resilience is the ability to bounce back after difficult life experiences and keep going. Such a simple word is an inspiring reminder to pick yourself up when life gets you down.
71. “We Do Ourselves the Most Good Doing Things for Others” Tattoo
Despite how selflessness means doing good things for others, it often has a way of making our own lives better, like how giving someone a present they love puts a smile on our faces.
72. Crescent Moon Ornamental Tattoo
The moon is often connected with femininity, nature, and constant change. It looks beautiful by itself, but it also works well in ornamental designs like this one as a focal point.
73. “Finis Vitae Sed Non Amoris” Tattoo
“Finis vitae sed non amoris” is Latin for “the end of life, but not the end of love, showing love’s eternal nature.
74. Butterflies and Flowers Tattoo
A butterflies and flowers tattoo is a classic design that looks super elegant and feminine.
75. “Everything Happens for a Reason” Tattoo
Sometimes life can get confusing, but this popular quote is a reminder to have peace in every circumstance, knowing that it happened for a reason.
76. “She Overcame Everything That Was Meant to Destroy Her” Tattoo
This tattoo might be simple, but it is a beautiful depiction of true strength and overcoming terrible circumstances meant to destroy.
77. “Happiness” Flower Tattoo
Flower tattoos with lettering in the stem are popular tattoos that come with plenty of possibilities. I’ve already mentioned a few in this list, but I love the minimal look of this one.
78. “Till the End of Time” Tattoo
“Till the End of Time” is a popular love song from 1945 that’s a promise to love someone for eternity. Even without the song reference, though, this tattoo is a beautiful way to show undying love.
79. “Made from Suffering, Forged With Pain, Tempered With Wisdom” Tattoo
Suffering is often seen as a bad thing, but it often has a way of shaping us into the people we are, especially if we’re able to overcome it.
80. “You Never Realize How Strong You Are, Until Being Strong Is the Only Choice You Have” Tattoo
This is a popular tattoo quote that shows the meaning of true strength. When you feel like you have no strength left, that’s when you discover how strong you really are since you have the power to get through that circumstance.
Summary and Top Picks
So, did you enjoy looking at these spine tattoos for women? I certainly did! Spine tattoos may be painful, but they’re worth it for many women because of all the design possibilities. They’re great places for putting quotes and ornamental designs alike.
If I had to choose three favorites from this list, I’d have to pick:
- #27 “The Ones That Love Us Never Really Leave Us” Tattoo: This tattoo perfectly captures what it means to truly love someone since our true friends and family are here with us for the long haul.
- #48 “Don’t Dream Your Life, But Life Your Dream” Tattoo With Poppy: The vibrant red color of the poppy flower really drew me in with this one, and I also love the quote that goes with it, too.
- #50 “Family” Tattoo With Abstract Flower: I love how this tattoo shows the importance of family, and it’s aesthetically pleasing since the lettering style matches perfectly with the abstract flower.
I’d love to hear from you — which of these tattoos would you get and why? Let me know in the comments!
