All of Justin Bieber’s Tattoos, Explained

Portrait, Upper Back

Upper back · February 2026

Bieber debuted this one live, not on Instagram. During a shirtless performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards, cameras caught fine linework on his upper back showing a face inside a frame.

Fans online decided within minutes that it was Hailey. That is a guess, not a confirmed fact. Neither Bieber nor his tattoo artist has said who the portrait is, and from photos alone it could just as easily be a religious figure, which would fit the rest of his collection better than a second wife tattoo would.

Hockey Team Logo

Shoulder blade · January 2013

A chief in a feathered headdress, done in black and grey. It looks like a generic tribal design, but it is actually the logo of the Stratford Cullitons, the junior hockey team his grandfather used to take him to see on Friday nights. He posted it with a caption dedicating it to his grandfather.

The design drew criticism at the time, since a chief-in-headdress image reads as a stereotype no matter what team crest it is borrowed from. Bieber has not added to or covered this one since.

“Son Of God” Script

Center chest · November 2016

Large cursive text stretched across his chest, added not long after he canceled part of his Purpose tour and talked openly about burning out. It sits right above an earlier tattoo of the word “Purpose,” so the two read together as one statement rather than two separate pieces.

Crown

Chest, near the collarbone · August 2012

A simple line-art crown, done during his early 20s when most of his tattoos were still small and quick. Some fans read it as a Michael Jackson tribute, since Bieber has cited him as an influence, but he has never confirmed that reading himself.

Cross

Center chest · January 2014

A plain cross, no shading or script attached. It came during the same stretch as several other faith tattoos and predates his more public statements about Christianity by a couple of years, so it reads more like a quiet marker than a big announcement.

Lion

Chest, next to the cross · March 2017

A lion’s head done in the same loose linework as his other chest pieces. Lions show up a lot in Christian iconography as a stand-in for Jesus, which fits the cluster of religious tattoos around it, though Bieber has not spelled out the connection himself.

Yeshua, Now Covered by an Angel

Ribcage, below the left armpit · original April 2011, reworked October 2017

His second tattoo ever was the Hebrew word for Jesus, matching one his father has in the same spot. Six years later he had most of it shaded over with a larger angel design, so the original text is mostly hidden now rather than fully gone.

“Patience”

Neck, below the right ear · April 2014

One word in tall Gothic script running vertically down his neck. It came out during a rough stretch of press for Bieber, mugshots and public complaints included, so at the time it read as a note to himself as much as a design choice.

Wings

Back of the neck · December 2015

A pair of small angel wings spread across the back of his neck, visible mainly when his hair is pushed forward or he is on stage under bright light from behind.

Swallow

Neck · December 2019

A small bird in flight, added by Dr. Woo around the same time as the word “Forever” nearby. Swallows are the classic sailor-tattoo symbol for finding your way home, though Bieber has not explained this one directly.

Peach

Side of the neck · March 2021

A small peach, added to mark his song “Peaches” and matched by a nearly identical peach Hailey Bieber got on her own body around the same week. It is one of the few tattoos in his collection that is explicitly a couple’s piece rather than a solo one.

“Believe”

Left arm · June 2012

The word “Believe” in a rounded, almost cartoonish font, matching the title of his second studio album, which came out that same month. It was one of his first tattoos placed somewhere he could not easily hide it.

Owl

Left forearm · October 2012

A detailed owl, done not long after the arm tattoos started stacking up. He has never explained it beyond the usual wisdom symbolism attached to owls in tattoo culture generally.

Koi Fish

Left arm · April 2013

A koi fish worked into what became a half-sleeve on his left arm. In traditional tattoo symbolism koi represent pushing through difficulty, which lines up with the “no matter how hard it gets, keep swimming” idea Bieber referenced when it was done.

Eagle

Left upper arm · December 2013

A large eagle, wings spread, covering most of his upper arm. He got it backstage in Australia during a world tour stop, posting a shirtless photo mid-session with the caption “just got off stage bout to get tatted.”

It sits close enough to the koi fish and owl that his left arm reads as one crowded piece rather than three separate tattoos.

“G”

Inner right forearm · July 2015

A single letter G, done for Georgia, the daughter of his friends Chad and Julia Veach. Georgia was born with lissencephaly, a rare brain condition, and Bieber has called the Veach family some of the people who make him better.

H22

Hand area · March 2025

A small “H22,” Hailey’s initial paired with her November 22 birthday. It is one of the more recent additions and, unlike the ambiguous 2026 back piece, is a tattoo he has let people directly connect to her without pushback.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Left hip · March 2010

Bieber’s first tattoo ever, done at 16. It is a small seagull referencing the book of the same name, about a bird that breaks away from its flock to push past what everyone assumes is possible. Given everything that followed, it is the one piece on this list that reads almost like a mission statement.

Jesus Portrait

Left calf · 2011

A realistic portrait of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns. It came a year into his tattoo collection and set the tone for the religious pieces that would keep showing up over the next decade.

“Forgive”

Right hip · January 2014

One word, no imagery attached. His tattoo artist at the time described it simply as a reminder that forgiveness matters, without tying it to any specific event or person.

“Better at 70”

Front thigh · 2017

A short phrase in slanted script, read as a note about aging into a better version of himself rather than chasing anything short-term. It is one of the few tattoos from this period that is not obviously religious or relationship-based.