Tattoo Artist Reveals the Most-Common Design Trends Among Millennials

Tattoo artists have revealed which ink choices that they associate with millennials.

In a TikTok video with more than 16.2 million views, artists from Axiom Tattoo in San Diego, California, revealed the tattoo trends that are most common among the millennial generation—those born between 1981 and 1996.

From a frog in a cowboy hat to Disney tattoos, artists could instantly name the ink trends.

"Tattoos feel so personal to each of us, and as a tattoo shop, we have the unique experience of noticing the trends among our clientele. It's fun to get to see a whole age demographic come in and get unintentional matching tattoos," Annie Wood from Axiom told Newsweek.

No stone was left unturned when it came to popular trends: "So, millennials used to get Harry Potter tattoos, specifically the Deathly Hallows symbol; they are now getting cover-ups of those tattoos," one artist said, hinting at the shift in the fictional wizarding world's popularity in recent years.

Author J.K. Rowling's years of controversial comments about transgender people have prompted some to turn away from the once-much-loved series—and for many to cover up their Potter-themed tattoos.

Another artist highlighted another trend: "I think it used to be cursive, and now it's cursive but really spread out," they said.

The comments flooded in after the artists revealed the common tattoo trends—and plenty of millennials felt very seen.

"I thought I was safe and then they hit me with lotus flower," posted brittswiggum, while Mallory wrote: "Idk [I don't know] how none of them mentioned stars or sparrows."

Others even shared their own memories of millennial tattoos. Rachel commented: "Y'all remember 'refuse to sink' ironically alongside an anchor?"

Laura wrote: "Surprised nobody mentioned the infamous butterfly that was on everyone's lower back."

"Trends for tattoos are similar to clothing trends; they always come back in fashion after some time away from the spotlight," said Wood. "Right now, the tramp stamp is totally back, which was deemed 'tacky' in the 2010s. Tattoo trends are a fun way to connect with other people in your generation, and just like millennials still love skinny jeans, they'll also still always love the infinity symbol they got on their 18th birthday."

The frenzy of response to the tattoo trend chat delighted the studio staff who watched comments pour in from millennials reminiscing about their own ink.

"It's honestly been such a great experience. Everyone loves to talk about their own tattoos, and it's really cool to be the facilitator in that conversation," Wood said.