About Roman numeral tattoos
Roman numerals are the numbers which were used by the ancient Roman empire. They are still used a lot in everyday life, and you will probably see them regularly. They make very striking tattoo designs, and are a very popular type of tattoo. Basically, the Roman numerals system uses certain letters to signify numbers.
I- 1
II- 2
III- 3
IV-4
V-5
VI- 6
VII-7
VIII- 8
IX- 9
X- 10
L- 50
C- 100
D- 500
M- 1,000
Roman numeral tattoos can be displayed either as a single number (e.g. 1967 would be MCMLXVII) or as series of individual numbers (12/3/92 would be XII-III-XCII). There are lots of online convertors for you to check exactly what your preferred number would look like as a Roman numeral tattoo.
Why get a Roman numeral tattoo?
People get Roman numeral tattoos for all sorts of different reasons. They are a great way to display any sort of number, so they are especially popular as tattoos of important dates. People may use Roman numerals for tattoos of their date of birth, their wedding, their child’s date of birth, or any other significant life events. If someone feels that a number is lucky, or particularly important to them, they may choose to have it tattooed as a Roman numeral. There are other reasons to get a Roman numeral tattoo as well – for example, four siblings may choose to get the numeral IV tattooed onto all of them, as a reminder of how much they care for one another.
Roman numerals make for more interesting and striking tattoos than ordinary Arabic numbers, which is why they are so popular as tattoos. They are also a little more mysterious, as most people will have to spend a few minutes working out the number.
Roman numeral tattoos look great when the different symbols are laid out in a long line, and so they are especially good for longer numbers, such as dates. The neat black line of the Roman numerals makes for a very striking tattoo.
Roman numeral tattoo ideas
What number your Roman numeral tattoo contains is of course a very personal decision! You may well have a specific date or special number in mind already. Otherwise, you should consider which dates have been most important in your life, or perhaps think of any numbers which mean a lot to you.
When it comes to the design of your Roman numeral tattoo, you have a lot of different options. Different fonts are available, so your tattoo can be simple black lines, or something more elaborate. You can even try a 3D effect for your Roman numeral tattoo! It can be the numerals alone, or part of a more complex design. It can also vary in size, from a tiny, delicate numeral to a huge tattoo.
There is also no limit to where on your body you can get a Roman numeral tattoo! The nape of the neck and along the shoulder are both popular places, but you could also try around your arm, behind your ear, or on your foot. One thing that is worth considering is the way that your tattoo will change over time, especially if you have a long line of numerals, which will look odd if the skin sags at different rates. For shorter Roman numeral tattoos, however, anywhere on the body will work – it all depends on what you prefer. You can have a large and obvious Roman numeral tattoo on your arm, or a more subtle one on your ankle. You can decide just how visible you want the tattoo to be.
Celebrities with Roman numeral tattoos
Roman numeral tattoos are very popular with celebrities, and a lot of famous people have chosen to have themselves inked with Roman numerals that mean a lot to them. They make great examples of just how individual and meaningful a Roman numeral tattoo can be, as well as showing all the different numbers that can be chosen.
Rihanna
The singer Rihanna has a Roman numeral tattoo on her left shoulder. It’s the date of her best friend’s birthday – and her friend, Melissa Forde, has a matching tattoo of Rihanna’s birthday! It’s a really sweet tattoo to commemorate what is obviously a very important relationship in Rihanna’s life. Matching Roman numeral tattoos is also a great idea!
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber has a large Roman numeral at the top of his chest, showing the year of his mum’s birth. Unlike other date tattoos, this spells out each number individually – I-IX-VII-V
Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus has a small Roman numeral tattoo on her arm, commemorating the month and year that her parents first met.
Beyonce
The singer Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z have matching tattoos of the Roman numeral IV on their ring fingers. Apparently, it’s important to them because they were both born on the 4th day of the month, were married on the 4th day of the 4th month, and ‘4’ was the name of Beyonce’s 4th studio album.
Selena Gomez
Like her ex Justin, Selena decided to get a Roman numeral tattoo of the year her mum was born. Unlike Justin’s, though, hers is very small and subtle, tucked away on the nape of her neck.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato has a small tattoo of the Roman numeral III on the outside of her left wrist. This is in memory of her father, who passed away in 2013.
Cara Delevigne
One of Cara Delevigne’s most recent tattoos is a large XII (12) tattooed on her ribcage, under her right arm. Unlike a lot of smaller Roman numeral tattoos, Cara’s is about five centimeters high!
