Ryan Gosling’s Tattoos and Their Meanings

Last year, Ryan Gosling’s partner, actor Eva Mendes, debuted a wrist tattoo that reads, “de Gosling.” In Spanish, “de” translates to “of,” which is a common preposition women in Hispanic culture use to add their husband’s surname to the end of theirs. (Mendes is Cuban.) This sparked rumors among fans that Gosling and Mendes have gotten married at some point in their 12 years together. While neither has commented on what the ink means, it did make people wonder whether the couple have more sweet tattoos.

Although Mendes has just one known design, Gosling’s tattoos come to a grand total of five known designs so far. The actor has been open about the meanings of many of them, and he’s even shared that he has some DIY ink as well. Some have pretty clear meanings — like his “Esme” tattoo dedicated to his daughter Esmeralda — while others, like what looks like a cactus tattoo, have a significance that’s less obvious.

Gosling has worn fake tattoos for his movies, like a design that’s a reference to Greek mythology in “The Gray Man.” In “The Place Beyond the Pines,” you can see one of Gosling’s real pieces of body art — a tattoo of a ghostly woman — on display among many fake ones. (For the record: no, you won’t see him wearing any tattoos for his role as Ken in Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.”)

If you’re wondering what each of his five known tattoos means, we’ve rounded them up for you in the slides ahead. Keep reading for a guide to Ryan Gosling’s tattoos — and the significance behind them.