From do-gooder Mandy Moore to Princess Stephanie of Monaco and Winston Churchill, check out these top celebrity tattoos on pop stars and political figures you’d never guess.
1. Jessica Alba
Surprisingly, the innocent looking Jessica Alba has a total of 4 tattoos. She has a flower and ladybird on the back of her neck, the Sanskrit character for lotus flower on her right wrist and a bow on her lower back. Her most recent piece is the ladybird on her neck, which she had done with her mother and aunt as a bonding experience.
2. Rosie O’Donnell
The large tattoo on Rosie’s right lower calf is made up of gears, screws, and flowers intertwined around a cross. She also has a red circle with a sunburst on her upper left shoulder. Who knew?
3. Mandy Moore
In January 2004, with the moral support of friend Jack Osbourne, Mandy walked into a Sunset Strip tattoo parlor and asked for a heart tattoo on her second toe. The 23-year-old singer/actress admits that this inconspicuous tattoo is the extent of her rebellion, and she doesn’t plan on having any more work done.
4. Barbie
Yes, even the beautiful Barbie has her share of ink. The 1999 Butterfly Art Barbie wore a bikini to show off her abdominal butterfly tattoo. Unfortunately, after complaints from parents about skimpy clothing and tattoos, this Barbie was discontinued the same year it was released. Maybe if Barbie wasn’t so conservative, the Bratz dolls wouldn’t be taking her place in the hearts of American girls.
5. Victoria Beckham
Are tattoos posh? They must be considering this former Spice Girl has four. She has five stars (one for each family member) on her lower back, roman numerals on her right wrist, her husbands initials (DB) on her left wrist, and Hebrew script stating “I am my beloved’s, my beloved is mine” on her upper back.
6. Jessica Biel
This actress has a small dove tattooed on her right abdomen, just above the bikini line. She likes to show it off by wearing low cut jeans and she never covers it up in photo shoots. Way to be proud of your body art, Jess!
7. Cher
Although it may not be a surprise that Cher has a tattoo (or two), I doubt many people realize how many and where. This singer/actress has flowers on her butt, a Chinese strength symbol on her right shoulder, a black rose on her ankle, a black orchid below her panty line, crystals on the underside of her right arm, a bicep tattoo and a necklace on her upper left arm. Her last tattoo was done in 1989, and she jokes that now that she is older and her tattoos have begun to “slip” she would like to get some of them removed. However, she has also stated that it would be extremely hard to get rid of the tattoo on her buttock, seeing as it was her first and most rebellious.
8. Dixie Chicks
Unlike their tattooed image on the cover of Entertainment Weekly magazine, these country singers prefer small tattoos. Each time they reach career milestones, the band members each ceremoniously add a small chick’s footprint to their collection of foot tattoos.
9. Scarlett Johansson
During the summer of 2007, this 23-year-old actress decided she wanted a tattoo. She had a colorful sunset scene done on her left inner forearm. Unfortunately, she has not been able to show it off onscreen as all of her roles require it to be covered up.
10. Princess Stephanie of Monaco
Princess Stephanie may hold the record for royalty with the most body art. She has flowers, dolphins, and text inked all over her body. Her mother lovingly calls her the “wild child.”
11. Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of L.A.
Before Villaraigosa became the 51st Mayor of Los Angeles he served as a California State Assemblyman, the Speaker of the California State Assembly and the Los Angeles City Councilman of the 14th district. It’s hard to believe that at one time this avid public servant was somewhat of a juvenile delinquent, getting expelled from high school and sporting a “born to raise hell” tattoo. In his mid-twenties he cleaned up his act and eventually graduated from UCLA and has since received honorary degrees from Loyola Marymount University and the University of Southern California. Unfortunately, it seems that he may be slipping back to his old rebellious ways; he recently divorced after admitting to infidelity.
12. George Schultz
Not only does this Former secretary of state have a tattoo, it is located on his buttock. The tattoo is of a tiger in honor of his alma mater, Princeton University.
13. Geraldo Rivera
This news reporter has two tattoos: a Star of David between his left thumb and forefinger, and an unidentified design on his right bicep. Geraldo sure does a good job keeping this art hidden.
14. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr.
Some may be surprised to know that “America’s Son,” the late JFK Jr., was tattooed twice. His first and more rebellious tattoo was a dagger on his right bicep. Then, in the summer of 1991, he had a Shamrock design done on his foot.
15. Winston Churchill
This Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Nobel Prize Winner had an anchor design tattooed on his right arm. Maybe he was trying to carry on family tradition since his mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, had a snake tattoo on her right wrist as well as bilateral nipple piercings.
16. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Churchill is not the only World War II hero with a tattoo. Former U.S. President FDR proudly bore a tattoo of his family’s crest across his chest.
17. King Alexander of Yugoslavia
King Alexander I reigned over Yugoslavia from 1921 until he was assassinated in 1934. He also had a rather large eagle tattoo in the middle of his chest.
18. King Frederick IX of Denmark
Frederick IX was King of Denmark from 1947 until his death in 1972. Even during this time, he was known to proudly display numerous tattoos.
19. King George V
George V reigned over the UK and Commonwealth Realms from 1910 until his death in 1936. In addition, he served as the first King of the Irish Free State and Emperor of India. While he was still known as the Duke of York he allowed a local Japanese artist to tattoo a red dragon onto his arm.
20. George Orwell
Famous author, George Orwell, was known by family and friends as a paranoid rebel. Although he was incorrect about Catholics and Communists spying on him, his fear was somewhat founded, since at points in his life he had the Soviet secret police watching him. Maybe it was all the stress and paranoia that caused him to get a strange tattoo while in Burma. He had all of the knuckles on one had tattooed with blue spots.
21. Thomas Edison
This prolific inventor had a mysterious arm tattoo on his left forearm. No one but maybe himself knew, or will ever know, the meaning of the five dots positioned as they would be on dice.
Check out less-than-surprising, yet still hot, female celebrity tattoos here. And, discover why certain celebrities lose their identity to their body ink here.