Sparrow tattoos are a great design for girls and are rising fast in popularity. Sparrow tattoos having many different meanings depending on which part of the world you are in. Generally the bird represents hope and freedom and the tattooed image is said to carry a person soul into heaven, this meaning dates back to the early 1600s when sailors would get sparrows tattooed on their chests to guarantee that their spirit got to heaven even if their ships sank deep into the ocean.