40 Cool Tattoo Shop & Parlor Names

Tattoos are such a beautiful form of art, both expressive and unique. For someone to come to you for one is truly an honor—they are trusting you to put something permanent on their body! That’s an awful lot of trust to instill into a stranger. But, hopefully they won’t remain strangers!

Attracting customers to a newly opened studio can be quite the task. Not only should you have good advertising and an amazing portfolio on display, but you need to have a catchy name to get people's attention in the first place. That—plus a good location—and you have the recipe for a successful business!

Coming up with a name for a business is never an easy thing to do. It is something that should never be rushed, either. Your business name will become a part of your face, brand, and reputation, and will (hopefully) be around for a very long time.

It’s also important that the name is something that looks good on a billboard or in lights on the front of a building.

Here are a few tips that should be considered when brainstorming tattoo shop names:

• Name the artist. Artists should be known by name, so it never hurts to use yours in your business name!

• Location. Using the street name, neighborhood, or general area name will help potential customers remember your location.

• Think tattoo. Anything tattoo-related goes well in tattoo shop names, of course, i.e., ink, needle, art, etc.

• Make it fierce. Who wants to get inked up at a shop that portrays puppy dogs and rainbows? This is not a business for toddlers.

• Display your talents. If you are skilled in custom tattoos, portraits, or any other specific type of tattoo, let everyone know in your name!

Don’t forget that these days, it seems like there is a tattoo shop on every corner, so competition is tough! Having a name that is truly unique and stands out can mean the difference between a customer walking into your doors or passing you up for the next shop.

You get the drift. Shop names need to make it clear exactly what goes on inside: Tattoos! If you are having trouble coming up with your own names, or maybe you are stuck between a few, try a few of these tips out to help decide on a name:

• Have a tattoo party! As long as the environment is a sterile one, invite friends and family over for a naming party and offer a free, small tattoo in lieu of a few good name ideas! Don’t tattoo those who have been drinking though, of course.

• Coin toss. Do you have two names in mind but really can’t decide? Flip a coin!

• Take a vote or survey. Polling friends, family, and even strangers can help give you an idea of what people think of the potential shop names and help you realize which ones they find most attractive!

• Design a logo. If you have a logo in mind, put it down on some paper and see how each name looks with it. This can work well for the visual thinker!

Artists find inspiration in the strangest of places. It’s one of the things that makes them an artist! So until you think of the name, make sure you are looking for ideas in everything you do, including your routine, day-to-day tasks. Just like doing a tattoo, this is not something that should be rushed because it will be permanent.