Barbed Wire Tattoo Meaning with 100+ Designs For Inspiration

Barbed wire tattoos have a wide array of meanings and representations, from a symbol of Christian faith to a symbol of imprisonment.

Christian faithful usually request the barbed wire encircling band tattoo which is synonymous with the crown of thorns worn by Jesus when he was crucified. Others request designs with the heart barbed wire tattoos being the most popular.

You'll be surprised at how versatile the barbed wire tattoos can be made to look with lots of people getting creative with their designs. Curious to know? Then hang around till the end for unique and amazing barbed wire tattoo designs you can recreate.

Barbed Wire Tattoo Meaning

Prison and Incarceration

The barbed wire tattoo is a popular tattoo among prisoners. It is usually done as a symbol of time spent in incarceration. The use of barbed wire tattoos as a symbol of captivity stems from the use of razor ribbon fences used to trap people in confinement. Most prisoners get it as a symbol of the term being served. Other people who have served a term for one reason or another get it to serve as a reminder of the time spent behind bars. Sometimes, the number of thorns on the barbed wire represents time spent in jail.

Christian Faith

In the Christian faith, it is believed that Jesus Christ was crucified with a crown of thorns on his head. This is why most Christian faithfuls get the barbed wire tattoo as a symbol of the thorns Jesus was forced to wear, and how Jesus suffered. Christians get the barbed wire tattoo to signify hope, faith hardship and light at the end of dark days since the soul of Jesus ascended to heaven after the crucifixion.

Strength and Bravery

The barbed wire tattoo is also popular among those serving in the military. The barbed wire tattoo design is seen as a symbol of strength and bravery. Barbed wires despite being simple tools have the ability to keep danger away using their thorns. This implies that the person wearing the barbed wire tattoo is more than meets the eyes when it comes to combat on the battlefield.

Relationship

Two out of ten people have been in toxic relationships at some point in their lives. People who have experienced unhealthy relationships sometimes get the barbed wire tattoo as a reminder of the shackles and lack of freedom they faced in that relationship. Most people that get the tattoo to signify a traumatic relationship experience getting the heart barbed wire tattoo. The heart barbed tattoo is also a way of showing that despite their negative experience, they are willing to open their heart to love and be loved again.

Barbed Wire Tattoo Designs

Barbed Wire Heart Tattoo

The heart shape barbed wire tattoos are usually done by people with negative relationship experiences. It can be a symbol of time spent trapped in an abusive relationship with an unsuitable partner.

On a more positive note, it can be done as a way to express a desire to embrace love even though you might have a broken heart. The meaning of the heart tattoo depends on the wearer, but common meanings are love, heartbreak, and a clear indication of a delicate heart.

The heart shape tattoo featured here shows a young boy trapped by still trying to find happiness in even the smallest things in life. You can do this to inspire you to keep finding happiness in the smallest things despite the trials and tribulations of life.

The heart wire tattoo with eyes signifies a deeply painful experience that motivated you to take a big step towards improving your life. There are several variations to the barbed eye tattoo, but this is a great example for practical use. You can add other tattoo designs to help you communicate the true meaning behind your tattoo and the challenges it represents.

A beautiful heart with barbed wire wrapped around it. This tattoo design symbolizes how sometimes, we might have our heart wrapped around something that might be bad for us. This can be done as inspiration to help you let go of unfavorable life decisions and situations.

This heart tattoo has two skeleton images in it. The design has a positive and negative meaning. It could be a way of showing how you and your significant other will have each other's back, no matter what is thrown at you.

Anime-inspired barb wire tattoo for the Japanese anime fandom.

Barbed wire tattoo heart with flames. Just like the flames added, this design looks beautiful and hot.

Simple heart-barbed wire tattoos:

Neck and Shoulder Blade Barbed Wire Tattoo

The barbed wire tattoos on the shoulder blade region usually have deep meaning. It features just the barbed wire design. Write-ups are sometimes added to add depth to the tattoo design. The design is usually done by people who have lost a loved one. Although the memories of lost loved ones are painful, the barbed wire tattoo signifies how they will always be on your mind despite the pain that comes with thinking about them.

Animal Barbed Wire Tattoo Design

Barbed wire tattoos with animals can be a way to show how you will hold on to your strength and bravery even in the darkest days. The animals featured here are shown trying to escape or thriving, despite the chokehold of the barbed wire wrapping around them.

Barbed Wire Tattoos With Write Up

Barbed wire tattoo with write-up is my favorite of all barbed wire designs. The design usually features a heart-shaped barbed wire tattoo design with a meaningful psalm, motivational sayings, numbers, or year symbols in it. It is done by most prisoners where they add the number of years spent behind bars into the tattoo. People who have lost loved ones in World War II also get this done with the birth date or age of the departed person.

Linear Barbed Wire Tattoos

A linear thorn tattoo is a minimalistic approach to barbed wire work. Such tattoos are commonly worn by people with religious faith, to represent Jesus wearing the crown of thorns.

You can get creative with your linear barbed wire art by getting a design with a thin line and diamond-shaped spike, or get them done with bold lines. Many soldiers frequent the linear design of the fencing material.

The wristband or armband tattoo is the name given to a barbed wire wrapped around the arm. The ankle or leg are also popular spots to get this design. It is usually done for the aesthetics like the actress Pamela Anderson who got a band barb tattoo to honor her movie 'Barb Wire'. You can get a linear tattoo that goes around your entire arm if you prefer larger tattoos.

Knuckle/ Hand Wire Tattoo

Who wouldn't be intimidated by someone with a barbed wire hand tattoo? I know I would. This design is usually done by boxers and wrestlers as a symbol of the strength that their fists possess. It is sometimes done with a chain tattoo or other symbols to emphasize the meaning of the barbed wire tattoo design.

Barbed Wire Tattoo Ideas On Face

People who incorporate barbed wire tattoo designs on their faces are said to be bold and strong. It is usually done by those who express themselves with zero regard for people's opinions.

Barbed Wire Tattoo With Fruit

A fun take on the barbed wire body art. The wire tattoo usually has serious meaning and symbolism, but this doesn't mean you can't have fun with yours. You can get a drawing of your favorite fruit and have it wrapped in a wire to show just how much you love it.

Barbed Wire Tattoo With Spider and Spider Web

Spider webs are generally known to represent the struggle and challenging experience of the web of life. Pairing these two designs is another great way to serve as a reminder of the ups and downs you've had to overcome in life.

Butterfly Barbed Wire Ideas

The tattoo shows a butterfly resting without worries on a barbed wire. Butterflies are immune to the thorns of the wire since they are light and don't apply as much pressure as needed to be wounded by the thorns. You can get this design done to express your immunity to the emotional pain or distress life throws at you.

Barbed Wire Flower Tattoo

The wire tattoo design done with flowers is a way of showing people that you've got a thorny side to your personality despite your free-spirited nature. Different flowers can be incorporated into the tattoo art but none beats the beauty of the barbed wire and rose tattoo body art. It depicts how the rose manages to overcome the adversity of the barrier and still produces stunning petals.

Barbed Wire Scorpion Tattoo

This is a unique tattoo design that can be done to express your power. The barbed wire and scorpion design is a great choice for military heads or gang leaders to signify the hardships they had to overcome to get to the position they are in now.

Unique Barbed Wire Tattoo Meaning

This barbed wire design is an iconic piece. The tattoo artist designed the wires to go down the entire back of the wearer, with a single wire going up as far as the head. The barb drawn here is synonymous with those used in private properties, concentration camps, refugee processing facilities, or mental asylums.

This design can be done to serve as a daily reminder of how you were able to overcome adversity.

A human skull is shown with a barbed wire design here. This tattoo represents power incarceration, protection strength, or even death. Some people are more comfortable with getting the design done with an animal skull in place of the humans used.

Barbed wire with Hanya mask design. A unique and mysterious tattoo suitable for a military governor or leader of a strong bratva.

Pink and black work well here to create this lovely barbed wire forearm tattoo.