A Guide to Cara Delevingne's Tattoos and Their Meanings

On Sept. 26, 2023, tattoo artist Matteo Nangeroni posted a picture of Delevingne, who was wearing a brand-new piece of ink from his own sketchbook. "Dormiveglia for Cara," he captioned the pictures. Though the model hasn't yet shared the meaning of the piece, dormiveglia is an Italian word that loosely translates to "the place that stretches between sleeping and waking." However, Delevingne's tattoo actually said, "the place that stretches between sleeping and walking." To cover up the misspelling, Delevingne showcased an addition to the tattoo at the Oliver Awards on April 14, 2024. She added a thicker geometric line to the abstract portrait, which conveniently runs through the "l" in "walking."

On Dec. 30, 2021, Bang Bang NYC posted a video of Delevingne's newest addition: a watercolor rose tattoo in pink and black ink on her side. The design is an identical match to Gomez's back tattoo that she got earlier in the month. You can also spot the number 12 written in Roman numerals right above it, which is her lucky number.

One tattoo you'll have to look a little more closely to see is the white dove on her finger. Delevingne hasn't explained what led her to get this tattoo, though it's said that doves are seen as a symbol of victory, love, and peace.

In 2016, Delevingne went to Dr. Woo to get a snake tattooed on her left hand. She told The Sun that it symbolizes newness and reincarnation.

"It's about re-invention, shedding of old skin, new beginnings, new life," she said.

The iconic lion isn't the only finger tattoo Delevingne has. She also has a wasp on her left pointer finger.

On her left rib is a coat of arms that features a "D" written on the inside, signifying her family and last name.

The model is also a big fan of commemorating her friendships with matching tattoos. With her close friend model Jourdan Dunn, she got "DD" tattooed on her hip, likely a nod to both of their last names.

Delevingne is apparently a huge fan of foot tattoos. On top of the other three she has in the area, she also has a smiley face drawn on her big toe that was given to her by her "Suicide Squad" costar Margot Robbie.

Delevingne has an elephant tattooed on the inside of her arm, courtesy of famed tattoo artist Dr. Woo. She has not yet commented on its meaning.

In 2014, she also got the phrase "breathe deep" tattooed on the inside of her right arm in white ink.

Delevingne got the word "silence" tattooed on her wrist in 2013, writing in an Instagram caption that "silence speaks when words can't."

On her other foot, she has a tattoo that says "Made in England," an obvious reference to her home country.

In 2014, Delevingne got the word "bacon" tattooed on one of her feet in all caps. She (kind of) explained the meaning behind it two years later during an appearance on "The Tonight Show." "Anything bacon is good, am I right?" she asked host Jimmy Fallon, rhetorically, before jokingly implying that it could also be a reference to the historical figure Francis Bacon.

Delevingne explained in an Instagram post in 2018 that her tattoo of a naked woman sitting next to a tiger was inspired by original artwork by a Denmark-based artist named Emil Landgreen.

On top of a spaceship on her heel, she got matching "solemate" tattoos with her best friend and fellow model, Kaia Gerber.

The model's "Pandora" tattoo, which sits on the inside of her left arm, honors her mother, Pandora Delevingne.

Delevingne has a red heart tattooed on her left pinky finger, although she has never revealed what inspired her to get it.

Delevingne has a diamond tattooed on the inside of her ear next to a crux constellation on the outside. The constellation is featured on Brazil's flag, and she got it while visiting tattoo artist Daniel Tucci in Rio de Janeiro.

The tattoo on the back of Delevingne's neck is a Yantra tattoo. These kinds of tattoos are popular in Thailand and Southeast Asia, and they consist of sacred geometrical designs that are often thought to bring good luck.

Shortly after getting this tattoo, she added a pair of eyes to go directly above it on her neck.

One of her more notable tattoos is the lion that she has on her right pointer finger. Lions typically symbolize courage and fearlessness, which could play a role in her reasoning for getting the tattoo.

Delevingne has her initials, "CJD," tattooed on the side of her right hand. (Her full name is Cara Jocelyn Delevingne.)

Danielle Jackson was a former assistant editor for PS Beauty.

Renee Rodriguez is a staff writer and social producer for PS. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for POPSUGAR's TikTok and Instagram accounts.