110 San Judas Tattoo Ideas to Inspire Your Faith

From different halo designs to religious imagery, there are plenty of ways you can customize your San Judas tattoo.

I designed tattoos in Mexico for a while, which is how I came across the San Judas Tadeo tattoo. As it was a popular design, I learned all the different depictions of the San Judas tattoo.

Let's explore these below.

The Best San Judas Tattoo Ideas

What you need to know about San Judas Tadeo tattoos is that they usually have similar elements. This is because San Judas Tadeo - and the San Judas tattoo - tends to be depicted with the same possessions.

The main element of a San Judas tattoo is a medallion bearing the face of Jesus. Some believe this to be the Image of Edessa.

As the Hispanic community believes that San Judas is the patron saint of money, this coin in the San Judas tattoo represents his ability to help people out in financial situations.

The San Judas tattoo sometimes has a flame atop the head of Saint Judas. The flame in the San Judas Tadeo tattoos is meant to depict the Holy Spirit descending upon the saint.

You will often see a San Judas tattoo with St. Jude holding something in his hand. This item in the San Judas Tadeo tattoo is either the handle of a club or an axe. It refers to the fact that he was decapitated.

San Judas Tattoo Design with Different Halo Patterns

San Judas Tadeo tattoos differ from one another when it comes to halo patterns.

Keep in mind that Christian art has changed throughout the ages. So, if you are basing your San Judas Tattoo off a picture, take a closer look at the halo.

Believe it or not, the halo in the San Judas Tadeo tattoo can have greater significance than you might realize.

If you would like a San Judas Tadeus tattoo with a traditional halo, here are the San Judas tattoos to check out:

The plain, un-embellished halos were some of the first designs used for saints. They were also featured on angels. If you want to keep your San Judas tattoo close to this early art work, this is the way to do it.

Of course, art is an ever-evolving medium and overtime, halos were depicted in a variety of ways. One of these were through streams of light. This is meant to depict heavenly light.

Therefore, halos of light on your San Judas Tadeo tattoo would indicate that your favorite saint has been blessed by God. This can add a more reverent touch to your San Judas tattoo.

If these are the kind of San Judas tattoos you're looking for, here are some examples you can draw inspiration from:

If you're a member of the Catholic church, you probably want your San Judas tattoo to reflect this. A lot of people do this by incorporating Roman art and architecture in their San Judas Tadeo tattoo design.

This is to allow the elements of your San Judas tattoo to match the architecture in the Vatican City and St. Peter's basilica. If you want this for your San Judas Tadeo tattoo, here are the San Judas tattoo design ideas to check out:

Would you like more embellishment in the halos of your Roman-themed San Judas Tadeo tattoo? Here are the San Judas tattoos to consider.

The halos in the San Judas tattoo have been made to look like church doors or windows. Another recurring theme with the San Judas tattoo is that some of the body art is meant to look like stained glass or windows.

Another popular halo design for the San Judas tattoo is the Greek meander design. Be aware that this can be a controversial choice for your San Judas Tadeo tattoo.

Before the Greeks converted to Christianity, they were pagans. So, these halos were only given to pagans of importance and were considered distinctly un-Christian.

Due to this, you may not want to include this halo in your San Judas tattoo. At the same time, opinions have changed quite a bit. Since most of Greece is now Christian, people have no problem using this design. So you can too, with your San Judas Tadeo tattoo.

Here is an idea of what your San Judas tattoo will look like with this kind of halo:

San Judas Tattoo Design without a Halo

Did you know that initially saints were depicted without a halo? This is because many people believed that a halo was only meant for Christ. It was only later on that people began to design halos around saints.

You may want to consider this for your San Judas Tadeo tattoo design. Perhaps you don't feel comfortable having a halo on your San Judas tattoo or you don't like that aesthetic.

In any case, here are the San Judas tattoos you can choose from:

Of course, just because you don't want a halo for your San Judas tattoo doesn't mean you can't have some kind of embellishment. The most common way to do with is with streams of light around your Saint Jude tattoo or San Judas tattoo.

Of course, you're free to get creative with your San Judas Tadeo tattoo. Heavenly clouds are also a another good idea for your San Judas tattoo.

Here are some alternatives to a halo for your San Judas Tadeus tattoo design:

Patron Saint of Money San Judas Tattoo Designs

As you know, San Judas is known as the patron saint of lost causes. However, in many communities, he is the patron saint of money and financial issues.

Many people pray to San Judas for better finances. If this is how you view the saint, you might want your San Judas tattoo to reflect this.

The good news is that there are plenty of saints tattoos with this motif that you can borrow from for your own San Judas tattoo. You will find that this kind of San Judas Tadeus tattoo will feature paper money.

Here are the San Judas tattoo ideas you should check out:

With the above San Judas tattoo designs, the money depicted is American dollars.

If you want something more subtle, you can have gold coins in your San Judas Tadeo tattoo.

San Judas Tattoo Designs with Color

As you might have noticed, most San Judas tattoo concepts are in black or grey. This is usually because the San Judas Tadeo tattoo will be depicted in a more somber style.

However, this doesn't have to be the case when it comes to your San Judas tattoo. In many cases, the color can elevate the meaning of your San Judas Tadeo tattoo.

You may have noticed that San Judas is often depicted wearing green. If you think this is a random choice, think again.

Green is a sign on renewal, a fresh start. Since San Judas is the patron saint of hopelessness, green signifies that placing your faith in him will bring you a new and better beginning.

Here are some San Judas tattoo ideas if this is something you want to showcase:

San Judas Tattoo Designs with Religious Symbolism

If you're getting a San Judas tattoo as a sign of your faith, you might want other elements of your religion in your San Judas Tadeo tattoo as well.

You may want to include a white dove. This is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

Another popular tattoo design for your San Judas tattoo is the three crosses. The three crosses in a San Judas Tadeo tattoo can signify one of two things. They could be a sign of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The three crosses in your San Judas tattoo may also indicate Jesus and the men that were crucified alongside him.

Saint Jude Tattoo Placement

It is important to discuss where you want to get your San Judas tattoo. The most common placement is on the upper body. This is because it's seen as a more respectful position for your San Judas Tadeo tattoo.

Due to this, a San Judas tattoo arm is most common. The San Judas Tadeo tattoo also works better as an arm tattoo. Arm tattoo placements allows for a larger and more complex design.

Of course, a chest San Judas tattoo can work just as well. It also means that your San Judas Tadeo tattoo is close to your heart.

If you don't mind your San Judas tattoo being quite visible, here is a San Judas Tadeo tattoo design you can get on your hand:

What Does San Judas Signify?

Before you commit to a San Judas tattoo, you need to understand who he is and how is symbolic to your faith.

San Judas, also known as San Judas Tadeo was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. In English, he's known as Saint Judas Thaddeus or Saint Jude. It is likely that he was the son of the Virgin Mary's sister and a cousin of Jesus.

It is important not to confuse Saint Judas Thaddeus with Judas Iscariot - the man who betrayed Jesus. In the bible, John 14:22 specifically distinguishes Judas Thaddeus from Judas Iscariot.

This is also why he is often referred to as simply Jude, so that he's not mistaken for Judas Iscariot.

Saint Judas Thaddeus also wrote a letter about living life based on Christian faith and avoiding the unholy distractions of the world.

It isn't clear how Jude Thaddeus died but many people believe that he was martyred, after which he was canonized.

Saint Jude is the patron saint of lost or hopeless causes. As a holy figure, he is said to help those struggling with life.

The Saint Jude tattoo affirms your faith and belief in him to get you through hard times.

Why Do People Place Money Under San Judas?

This isn't done everywhere - rather it is more common in the Hispanic community.

People struggling in life will leave money under the saint's statue as an offering to San Judas Tadeo to help them out.

These are all the San Judas tattoo designs that you can choose from. There are many ways to make your San Judas Tadeo tattoo your own by giving it a few twists.