A Guide To 17 Angelina Jolie Tattoos and What They Mean

When it comes to actors who love tattoos, Angelina Jolie leads the way. The daughter of Jon Voight is known for her sensual look, incredible on-screen performances, and eye-popping tattoos. The Hollywood icon has starred in some of the biggest and most successful movies of the past two decades, including Gone in 60 Seconds, Girl, Interrupted, Wanted, Salt,  Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and the two Tomb Raider movies. She also does a lot of humanitarian work while looking after her six children, three she had with former beau Brad Pitt and three that she adopted. But this article is not about her career or charity work but a guide to 17 Angelina Jolie tattoos and what they mean. 

Jolie has a wide range of ink covering her body, with each of her tattoos holding a special meaning and significance for the actress. Whether it’s her famous “Billy Bob” tattoo she got when she fell in love with fellow actor Billy Bob Thorton or the Khmer script she has on her back, Jolie’s tattoos tell the journey she has been on. 

In this article, we will explore the history and significance of many of Angelina Jolie’s tattoos, examining the stories behind each one and the impact they have had on the world of tattooing. This article is sure to provide an insightful and fascinating look into one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons.

A Guide To 17 Angelina Jolie Tattoos and What They Mean

1. “A Prayer for the Wild at Heart Kept in Cages” Tattoo

This was the first ever tattoo Angelina Jolie got. “A prayer for the wild at heart kept in cages” is the subtitle of Tennessee Williams’ 1941 play Stairs to the Roof. Speaking with Harpers Bazar about the tattoo, Jolie revealed she got it on a whim while hanging out with her mom at age 20.

“I have a tattoo, ‘A prayer for the wild at heart kept in cages,'” Jolie says. “I got it when I was 20. I was with my mom one evening, and I was feeling lost. I was restless – always. I still am. We were driving to dinner, and she talked about spending time with Tennessee Williams and how much she loved his words. She told me he wrote that, about the wild at heart. We drove to a tattoo parlor, and I got it inked on my left arm. What she did for me that night was to remind me that the wild within me is alright and a part of me.”

2. Bengal Tiger Tattoo

On Angelina Jolie’s lower back is an impressively large tattoo of a Bengal Tiger. Inked in 2004, the tattoo was blessed by the artist Sompong Kanphai, who recited an ancient hymn after completing the tattoo. The tattoo was inked in the traditional Thai style, meaning a manual needle was used to create the design. The tattoo has a special place in Jolie’s heart, as she got it to mark her Cambodian citizenship. 

Before she got the Bengal Tiger tattoo, Jolie had an ancient dragon with a window tattoo on her lower back, which has now been incorporated into the Bengal Tiger tatt. 

3. Khmer Script Tattoo

Before getting the elaborate Khmer Script tattoo, Angelina Jolie’s left shoulder was home to a Japanese tattoo that spelled the word death. This was meant as a reminder to Jolie to live for herself. She got this covered up in 2002 with a prayer in Khmer Script after she adopted her son Maddox Chivan. 

The tattoo, once again inked by Kanphai, is meant to protect Chivan from evil and in English translates to: “May your enemies run far away from you; if you acquire riches, may they remain yours always; your beauty will be that of Apsara; wherever you may go, many will attend, serve and protect you, surrounding you on all sides.”

4. “Know Your Rights” Tattoo 

A big fan of UK punk rockers The Clash, Angelina Jolie got the lyrics to one of their songs tattooed at the base of her beck. The words “know your rights” are taken from the song of the same name about the poor and disenfranchised. 

5. Cross Tattoo 

Above Anglenia Jolie’s left hip is a large black cross. The actress got this tattoo to cover up an existing design of a dragon with a blue tongue which she previously got on a trip to Amsterdam. Jolie got the tattoo a day before marrying her first husband, Johnny Lee Miller.

Speaking about the bold, black tattoo, Jolie said, “It was all symbolic, and it was a good thing, nothing dark.”

6. “Quod Me Nutrit Me Destruit” Tattoo

Next to the cross tattoo Angelina Jolie has the words “Quod me nutrit me destruit” ink on her body. This phrase translates to, “What nourishes me, destroys me,” another motto the Academy Award winner lives by. 

7. Letter “H” Tattoo

On the inside of Angelina Jolie’s left wrist is the letter “H” in rune script. The meaning behind the small and unobtrusive tattoo is not well known, with most speculating the letter stands for either Jolie’s former beau Timothy Hutton or her brother Janes Haven.

8. Roman Numerals Tattoos

Who would have thought Angelia Jolie would be a Winston Churchill fan? The Gone in 60 Seconds star has the Roman numerals XIII (13) and V MCMXL (51940) inked on her left forearm, with both tattoos completed at different times.

What’s the Winston Churchill connection you ask? When put together, the letters create a very significant date: May 13, 1940 (13/05/1940), which was the day when the former British Prime Minster gave his very famous “Blood, toil, tears, and sweat” speech. The XIII is also said to represent Jolie’s disbelief in superstitions, such as the number 13. 

9. Letter “M” Tattoo

This tattoo is much harder to see than many of Angelina Jolie’s other ink. The small letter “M” can be found on the palm of her hand and is believed to be a tribute to her late mother, Marcheline Bertrand. Sadly Bertrand passed away in January 2007 after battling cancer for several years. 

10. Billy Bob Tattoo

Although she got it covered up after their divorce, one of Angelina Jolie’s most famous tattoos is a tribute to her former husband. After tying the knot with fellow actor Billy Bob Thorton, Jolie got a Chinese dragon tattoo accompanied by Thronton’s name “Billy Bob.” Once their relationship ended she had the tattoo removed and covered it with new ink dedicated to her children. 

Speaking about the tattoo, Jolie said it’s not something she would do again; “I’ll never be stupid enough to have a man’s name tattooed on me again.” 

11. Coordinates Tattoo

Speaking of her children, this is the tattoo Angelina Jolie got to replace her “Billy Bob” tatt. It is the geographical coordinates in longitude and latitude of where she first met each of her six children. As well as her kids, Jolie also got ex-husband Brad Pitt’s birth details added. Check out the coordinates for each tattoo below:

• N11° 33′ 00″ E104° 51′ 00″ – The first coordinate is for Cambodia and is dedicated to her eldest son, Maddox.
• N09° 02′ 00″ E038° 45′ 00″ – The second tattoo is the location for Ethiopia in recognition of her daughter, Zahara.
• S22° 40′ 26″ E014° 31′ 40″ – The third one is the coordinates for Namibia, where her daughter Shiloh was born. 
• N10° 46′ 00″ E106° 41′ 40″ – The fourth coordinate is for her son Pa, who was born in Vietnam.
• N43° 41′ 21″ E07° 14′ 28″ – The fifth and sixth reference her twin kids, Knox and Vivienne, who were born in France.
• N43° 41′ 21″ E07° 14′ 28″ – The final coordinate details Brad Pitt’s birthplace.

12. Arabic Script Tattoo

Located on Angelina Jolie’s right forearm is the word “determination” written in Arabic script. This is another cover-up tattoo Jolie got to hide ink she had done when married to Billy Bob Thorton. 

13. “Whiskey Bravo” Tattoo

This is another tattoo that’s often hidden. The words “whiskey bravo” are inked on her inner right thigh. The tattoo is a tribute to her former flame, Brad Pitt, with “whiskey bravo” standing for William Bradley, Pitt’s first and middle name. 

14. Buddhist Yant Tattoo

One of Angelina Jolie’s most recent additions to her ever-growing collection of tattoos is a Buddhist Yant tattoo on her right shoulder. Similar to her Bengal Tiger tattoo, this ink was done using traditional methods where the ink is inserted via a single needle. The tattoo was completed by former Thai monk Ajarn Noo Kanpai. 

The tattoo is of the Yant Kraw Petch (Diamond Armour) and is meant to bring good luck. As Steal Her Style details, the tattoo “highlights the powerful virtues of Buddha” and is said to “help you regarding luck, virtue, wealth, success in business.” 

15. Persian Tattoo

On the inside of her right arm is the phrase “There exists a field, beyond all notions of right and wrong. I will meet you there,” written in Persian. It is a famous line from the Persian poet Rumi’s collection of manuscripts written during the 13th century. 

16. Swirl Tattoo

A big believer in the Buddhist faith, Angelina Jolie has a decorative swirl tattoo on her upper left arm. The Buddhist tattoo is a symbol that warns off evil spirits and bad mojo. 

17. Yant ViHan Pha Chad Sada Tattoo

In the middle of Angelina Jolie’s back is this large tattoo known as “Yant ViHan Pha Chad Sada.” This is another Buddhist tattoo inked by Ajarn Noo Kanpai that contains magical text only he is privy to.

The tattoo is some sort of protection symbol and is part of a larger tattoo that includes the “Yant Phutson Sak Yant” ink just under her neck tattoo. This ink is also known as “Yant of the Five Gods” and offers good luck in life. It also “represents having and acting with great mercy towards yourself and others.”