Celtic Cross Tattoos: What Do They Mean?

Let’s begin with the meaning of the symbol itself.

What is a Celtic Cross?

A celtic cross (pronounced “kel-tic”) is an ornamentally designed cross that has a circle surrounding the place where the cross intersects.

People with Scottish, Welsh, or Irish heritages may be very familiar with this symbol. For many people from these ethnic groups the celtic cross represents a symbol of faith. This may also be true for people from Scandanavia. Celtic and Norse art are very similar and borrow elements from one another; this has been true throughout history.

The Celtic design itself has been said to denote nature, representing something with no beginning and no end. It is said to represent the seasons of nature, the cycle of life, and eternity. For that reason many people get Celtic cross tattoos to represent longevity of life. Some people also get the tattoos as symbols of protection.

The cross symbol itself is sometimes referred to as the Irish Cross, the Cross of Iona, or the High Cross.

This should not be confused with the Sun Cross symbols, which show a cross fully enclosed inside the circle as shown below:

Here are some tattoo examples of that:

With the Christian form of the Celtic cross the ends of the cross extend outside the circle. This maintains the true form of the cross itself. It is believed that either St. Patrick or St. Declan developed the cross by combining the symbol of the sun with that of the cross during their attempts to convert the Irish to Christianity. This was done to highlight the importance of the cross by linking it with a symbol (the sun) that represents life giving properties.

Here’s an example of a simple Celtic cross:

Here is an example of a more stylized Celtic cross tattoo: