Tattoo Artists Reveal the Most Stereotypical 'Millennial' Tattoos

Stacey Ritzen
·2 min read

Tattoos are a great way to express your individuality and are even believed to boost confidence and self esteem. However, one of the drawbacks to getting inked is that, much like fashion, tattoo trends come and go. Countless Gen-Xers sporting faded tribal tattoos from the '90s can surely attest to this fact.

But while the art form has evolved substantially in recent years, millennials, who came of age in the aughts, are not exempt from cringeworthy tattoos. As such, Axiom Tattoo in San Diego, CA asked its artists in a recent TikTok video what they think the most common millennial tattoo trends are.

And not shockingly, some of the most prevalent tattoos were based on works of young adult fiction that most people in the generation grew up with, that unfortunately hasn't aged extremely well.

"So, millennials used to get Harry Potter tattoos, specifically the 'Deathly Hallows' symbol," the first artist remarked. "They are now getting cover ups of those tattoos."

"Frog in a cowboy hat," said the next artist, which seems like an incredibly random tattoo to be so common, until a cursory Google search turns up over 3.5 million results for the trend.

"I think it used to be cursive, and now it's cursive but really spread out," not so subtly quipped another artist.

Another popular millennial tattoo theme is cartoon characters, as the generation seems to gravitate towards nostalgic ink that reminds them of their childhoods. Disney-themed tattoos are likewise popular among 28 to 43 year olds, as are spooky cartoon tattoos, such as from The Nightmare Before Christmas and Halloween-themed Snoopy designs.

Switching gears, another artist added: "I definitely saw my share of infinity symbols and little lotus flowers."

However, millennials aren't the only ones getting basic tattoos. In another video, the shop explores Gen Z tattoo trends. And for anyone under the age of 30 and who has some form of bows, lockets, postage stamps, sparkles, or Haku dragons from the 2001 animated Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away inked on themselves... well, let's just say we have some bad news for you.