Your Guide to David Beckham's Family-Inspired Ink
David Beckham likes to express his love for family in a deep and lasting way.
Our favorite undies model loves his tattoos — and keeps adding new ones in honor of his wife, Victoria Beckham, and their four children. His most recent inky addition pays tribute to his eldest child, Brooklyn, in the form of script lettering (his favorite) spelling out the 16-year-old Instagram aficionado's nickname, "Buster," on the right side of his neck. The macho retired soccer star also added a heart for good measure.
"I've always called Brooklyn 'Buster' since the day he was born," Becks, 40, explained. "Love you Bust @brooklynbeckham."
Related: Like Father, Like Son: David and Brooklyn Beckham's Dueling Instagrams
While one might think daddy is playing favorites, he actually honors all his kids — and The Designer Formerly Known as Posh Spice — with his ink. Take a look...
The Boys
This isn't Brooklyn's first nod from his dear old dad. All three Beckham boys — also including Romeo, 12, and Cruz, 10 — are immortalized on their father's back. Above the guardian angel — which, fun fact, is David's first tattoo — at the nape of his neck, little Romeo gets a shout out. Cruz's mention is in the middle of David's back. Brooklyn appears below that — in the tramp stamp region, not that we are judging the unusual placement as he did get it a long time ago. (OK — maybe we are judging a little.) Before David retired from footy, he could often be spotted shirtless on the soccer field, giving this trio of names the spotlight.
The British star also had famed tattoo artist Mark Mahoney create an extensive design in honor of the boys. He explained it during a 2011 interview with ESPN, saying, "I wasn't planning on getting another tattoo — I've had a lot done — but I heard all these great things about [Mahoney]. So he created this tattoo of Jesus being lifted by three cherubs. It took about 12 hours over two days." You can see it well — on his chest — when he's modeling his undies.
"Pretty Lady" Harper
David is absolutely wrapped around the finger of his one and only daughter, Harper, as we have noted. The 4-year-old cutie landed prime real estate on dad's neck area when he etched her name into his skin. In July, he incorporated the words "Pretty Lady" to it, explaining, "Just adding to the collection of tattoos that mean so much to me."
Related: Harper and David Beckham's Sweetest Moments
The "Love" of His Life
Victoria has long been David's muse when it comes to his inky artistic expression. There's the obvious — like her name on his right hand (he later added a Jay Z/Beyoncé concert quote beneath it, "Dream Big Be Unrealistic," after they saw the concert together at the Hollywood Bowl) — but there are others as well.
His left hand boasts the words "Love" and "Lead With Love." On the same arm, he has his wife's first name in Sanskrit — however, it actually translates to "Vihctoria," it's been reported. Oops! The jock also likes quote tributes to his missus, including "I am my beloved and my beloved is mine," which they both have, and "Forever by your side." FWIW, those are spelled correctly.
In July, David added "99" to his pinky on his right hand, explaining, "99 was a good year for me ..." That was the year that he married Victoria. It was also the year Brooklyn was born.
Extended Family Matters
Becks has also paid tribute to his late grandfather Joe West, who died in 2009, by getting the Man of Sorrows on his side. He also has "Mum and Dad" on his rib cage, a nod to his 'rents, Sandra and Ted Beckham.
As his kids get to the age where they can get tattoos, we can't wait to see if they'll return the favor. Our money is on yes considering that young Romeo is already sporting (fake) copies of his dad's ink. Here's hoping that they try some different fonts (script is nice and all, but...) and consult experts before getting any in foreign languages to prevent future, permanent typos.