Considering there are more than 47,000 tattoo studios in the United States alone, it’s no surprise settling on a unique name when starting a new tattoo shop is no easy task.
Picking the right name gives potential customers an idea about your business’s services, creates a good first impression, and helps you stand out from the competition.
What tattoo studio names are you allowed to use? How do you come up with something that represents your brand best? And what about business name best practices?
If you’re not sure how to answer those questions, you’re in the right place. Keep reading to learn my top tips for choosing the best shop name and making sure the name is available to use.
Learn more about the tattoo studio industry
Guidelines for Naming Your Tattoo Studio
If you’re struggling to choose a company name for your tattoo studio, one of the best things to do is start brainstorming. As you go through the tips outlined below, make a list of words, phrases, and terms associated with your business.
From there, you can narrow down the list and cross off ideas you don’t like.
Once you have several top considerations, we’ll walk you through how to make sure you’re allowed to use them. This last step helps you narrow down your list even more so you can make a final decision.
1. Location-Specific Terms
Many tattoo studios are specific to a geographic service area. So, if that’s true for your business, consider adding a location-specific term to your business name.
You can consider things like:
- City nicknames
- Neighborhoods
- Regions or states
- And descriptive terms
However, consider what happens if you expand outside your intended service area. Does the name become limiting? If so, it’s best to avoid it if you plan to expand or change directions later.
2. Avoid Business Names That Are Hard to Pronounce, Hear, or Spell
Despite the technological advances in voice search, assistants like Siri and Alexa struggle to understand slang and other confusing words.
This could limit how often your business shows up in voice (and text-based) searches if your name is hard to spell, pronounce, or hear. Because of that, it’s important to avoid complicated words, industry jargon, and using numbers in place of letters. While having a unique tattoo studio name is good, being too unique may not be so good.
Keep your business name as simple and easy to remember as possible so potential customers can easily find you.
3. Consider Alliterations and Rhyming Words
Alliterations and rhymes are easy to remember and make for catchy names. Because of that, they make for great tattoo business names.
That said, it’s not always easy to come up with them. Start by choosing a few of your favorite words from your master brainstorming list.
Then, you can Google “words that start with I” to come up with a name like Infinite Ink or Ink Inc. or whatever letter you’re using to create an alliteration. Alternatively, you can search “words that rhyme with _____.”
It can be time-consuming, but it’s an excellent place to start.
And don’t forget to add any exciting finds to your brainstorm list while you’re at it. Try not to overthink the names you come up with. Just write them all down, as some of the more interesting ones may spark better ideas later.
4. Steer Clear of Initials or Obscure Acronyms
Initials and unusual acronyms are hard to remember, so they typically don’t make great business names. They can also be challenging to pronounce and confusing for voice search as well.
Furthermore, there are 325 different two-letter combination possibilities in the English language. And the odds of your customers remembering the specific letters you chose are pretty small.
5. Imagery Words
Another consideration when brainstorming name ideas is whether there are industry-related words that could also lend themselves to be used in a logo. For instance, a tattoo studio could use an image of a tattoo needle or a clever tattoo design and focus the name around the image.
Related: How to create a logo for your business.
6. Try the Owner’s Name
If you’ve made it this far and are still struggling to find the best name, you can always consider using the business owner’s name. Doing so works well if the owner also plans to be the face behind the business.
Something to keep in mind is that using the owner’s name as the business name can make it more challenging to sell the business in the future.
List of Catchy Tattoo Studio Business Names
Here is a list of tattoo shop names from existing studios to spark some creative ideas. While many of these names may be available for you to use, be sure to check first to be sure they can be used.
Tips on how to check business name availability are after the list of names!
- 3 Lil Birds Tattoo Gallery
- 3rd Eye Tattoo
- 3rd Street Custom Tattoos
- A Test Of Time Tattoo
- Above & Beyond Tattoos
- Academy Star Tattoo Co
- Ace Of Spades Tattoo Studio
- Ace Old Tattoos
- Aces High Tattoo Shop
- Aftermath Tattoo Gallery
- Agent Ink Gallery
- Alchemy Ink
- All Saints Tattoos
- Altered State Tattoo
- American Dream Tattoo
- America’s Best Tattoos
- Anarchy Ink
- Anarchy Tattoos & Art Co
- Anchor Rose Tattoo
- Anchored Soul Tattoo
- Angels & Outlaws Tattoo Studio
- Apocalypse Tattoos
- Apostles Tattoo Parlor
- Archwork Cosmetic Tattoo
- Art Fusion Tattoo Gallery
- Artillery Ink
- Artistic Armour Tattoo
- Artistic Temple
- Ascended Tattoo
- Ashes 2 Ink Tattoo Piercing
- Atlas Body Art
- Atomic Frog Tattoo
- Atomic Tattoos Central FL
- Bad Applez Tattoo
- Bad Seed Tattoo
- Bad To The Bone Tattooing
- Bakersfield Tattoo & Piercing
- Bamboo Tattoo
- Bank Street Tattoo Co
- Bare Bones Tattoo
- Battleship Tattoo
- Bay Ink Tattoo
- Beautifully Twisted Ink
- Beauty Inked
- Bed Of Roses Tattoo
- Big Dreams Tattoo Studios
- Big Trouble Tattoo
- Billy Bonker’s Tattoos
- Black Dragon Tattoo
- Black Raven Tattoo Gallery
- Black Rose Tattoo
- Black Shamrock Tattoo
- Black Sheep Tattoo Parlor
- Black Sparrow Tattoo
- Black Widow Tattoo Shop
- Blackheart Ink
- Blackwood Tattoo
- Blue Flame & Ink
- Blue Rose Tattoo
- Blueprint Tattoo Studio
- Body Adornments
- Body Graphics
- Bombshell Body Art Studio
- Bound In Black Tattoo
- Brickhouse Tattoo Shop
- California Rose Tattoo Gallery
- Candlelight Tattoo
- Casanova Ink
- Chinatown Tattoo
- Chronic Ink
- City Ink Tattoo Parlor
- Colorado Custom Ink
- Concrete Jungle Tattoo
- Conspiracy Tattoo
- Convicted Ink
- Convicts Tattoo Parlor
- Cosmetic Tattoos By Leslie
- Cosmic Creations Tattoo
- Crooked Soul Tattoo
- Crows Nest Tattoo
- Dame Of The West Tattoo
- Dark Rose Tattoo Parlor
- Deadlift Tattoo
- Deep Seas Tattoo
- Denver Tattoo Collective
- Devils Due Tattoo
- Diamond City Tattoo & Piercing
- Dire Wolf Tattoo & Fine Art
- Divine Tattoo Collective
- Downtown Tattoo
- Dragonborn Ink
- Duke Of Earl Tattoo
- Dying Art Tattoo
- Dying Breed Tattoo & Piercing
- Electric Moon Tattoo Studio
- Electric Wizard Tattoo & Piercing
- Elite Micropigmentation
- Envisions Tattoo Collective
- Everlasting Ink
- Excellence Piercing & Tattoo
- Exotic Ink & Smoke
- Faithful & True Tattoo
- Fallen Crow Tattoo Co
- Family First Tattoo Parlor
- Famous Tattoo & Body Piercing
- Fantasy Ink
- Flying Daggers Tattoo Parlor
- Forever True Tattoo
- Forsaken Tattoo
- Free Hand Studios
- Freedom Tattoo & Piercing
- From The Heart Tattoo
- Ghost Stories Tattoo
- Glamour Ink
- Golden Dagger Tattoo
- Golden Eagle Tattoo
- Golden Rule Tattoo
- Goliath Tattoo
- Gonz & Roach’s Tattoo Forge
- Good Neighbor Tattoo
- Good Vibrations Ink
- Graceful Eye Tattoo
- Graffiti Ink & The Tattoo Guys
- Hand Of Faith Tattoos
- Happy Client Tattoo
- Hardcore nk
- Healing Ink
- Heart Of Gold Tattoo
- Heatstroke Tattoo
- Hidden Coast Tattoo
- High Art Bodyworks
- High Caliber Ink
- High Noon Tattoo
- Highwinders Tattoo Studios
- Hoss Tattoos
- Hot Rod Tattoo
- House Of Ink
- Iconic Ink
- Iconiq Tattoo Studio
- Illuminate Ink
- Infamous Tattoo
- Ink Addiction Tattoos
- Ink Addicts
- Ink Brain Studios
- Ink Envy Tattoo Studio
- Ink Major’s Body Art & Design
- Ink Snob Tattoo
- Ink Stain
- Ink Studio
- Ink Therapy Tattoos
- Inkaholics Tattoo Co
- Inkstein Tattoos
- Iron Electric Tattoo
- Iron Horse Tattoo
- Iron Monkey Tattoo Studio
- Jokers Asylum Tattoo
- Kill Cupid Tattoo Studio
- Killer Tattoos
- Kinetic Ink
- Konvikted Ink
- Kreate Ink
- Kustom Creations Tattoo Studio
- Lady Of The Lake Tattoos
- Lakeside Custom Tattooing
- Left Coast Tattoo
- Lefty Tattoo
- Lifetime Tattoo
- Lil Ink Spot
- Little Tokyo Tattoo Clan
- Logic Ink Tattoo
- Lost Chapter Tattoo
- Love & Lost Tattoo
- Lowlife Tattoo Studio
- Lucid Tattoo
- Luv Ink
- Luxury Tattoo Studio
- Main Street Ink
- Malarkey Tattoo
- Microdot Ink
- Midnight Tattoo Parlor
- Modern Medium Tattoo Studio
- Monolithic Tattoo
- Mortuary Tattoo
- Mutiny Tattoo Co
- My Tattoo
- Mystic Images Tattoo
- New Needle Touches
- No Regrets Tattoo
- Noteworthy Tattoo
- Oak Tree Tattoo
- Off The Wall Tattoos
- Once Upon A Tattoo
- One Drop Tattoo Co
- One Time Tattoo
- One Truth Tattoo
- Oracle Tattoo Studio
- Out Of Line Tattoos
- Pacific Ink Tattoo
- Pain & Patience Tattoo Shop
- Painted Hand Tattoo
- Pathfinder Tattoo & Piercing
- Pens & Needles Custom Tattoo
- Philthy Clean Tattoo
- Phoenix Tattoo Co
- Pirates Lounge Tattoo Parlour
- Ponderosa Tattoo
- Power Tattoo
- Prohibition Ink
- Project Ink
- Pyramid Tattoo
- Queen Of Hearts Tattoo
- Rabble Rouser Tattoo
- Rattlesnakes Grave Parlour
- Raven Tattoo Art Gallery
- Redemption Tattoo Parlour
- Reflection Tattoo
- Reservoir Tattoo Studio
- Revelry Tattoo
- Ritual Tattoo
- Roadrunner Tattoo Studio
- Rocky Mountain Tattoo Emporium
- Roots Tattoo Studio
- Rose & Dagger Tattoo
- Rose & Thorn Tattoo
- Sacred Art Tattooing
- Sacred Heart Tattoos
- Sacred Oath Tattoos
- Saints & Sinners Tattoo Parlor
- Sassy Squirrel Ink
- Savage Ink & Body Piercing
- Scorpio Ink
- Sea Of Ink Tattoo Studio
- Second To None Tattoo Studio
- Secret Kingdom Tattoo
- Shades Of Grey Tattoo
- Sharky’s Paradise Tattoo Co
- Shrunken Heads Tattoos
- Sinfully Inked Tattoo & Piercing
- Skin Artistry
- Skin Canvas
- Skin Deep Studios
- Skin Kings
- Skulls N Bones Tattoo
- Sleepy Lagoon Tattoo
- Slung Back Tattoo
- Snowy Mountain Tattoo Co
- Something Creative Tattoo
- South County Tattoo
- Southern Ink Addictions
- Stained Purity Tattoo
- State Pen Tattoo
- State Tattoo Co.
- Stay True Tattoo
- Street Tatts
- Studio Seventy One
- Sugar Skulls Tattoo Shop
- Summit Ink Tattoo
- Tat Cat
- Tattoo Den
- Tattoo Galaxy
- Tattoo Lifestylez
- Tattoo Magic
- Tattoo Planet
- Tattoo Royale
- Temecula Tattoo
- Tempest Tattoo Shop
- The Tattoo Store
- Third Eye Tattoos
- Thunderbird Tattoo
- Tooth & Nail Tattoo
- Transcendence Tattoo
- Triple Goddess Tattoos
- Unauthorized Ink
- Unique Ink
- Vanilla Unicorn Tattoo
- Velvet Panther Tattoo
- Victory Lap Tattoo
- Virgin Ink Tattoo Studio
- Visual Art Tattoo Studio
- Wandering Crow Tattoo
- Wanderlust Tattoo
- Witchhouse Tattoo
- Wolfcreek Tattoo & Gallery
- Workhorse Tattoo Collective
- Wrapped Tattoos
- Xtreme Tattooz
- Yatted Back Tattoos
Is Your Tattoo Studio Name Available?
At this point, you should have several top considerations to choose from. And the best way to narrow it down further is to check each one for availability.
This step is helpful because using a name that someone else is using could be very costly, time-consuming to rebrand your business, and possibly embarrassing. There are several places to look to check whether a name is available to use, so let’s walk through each one.
Can the business name be registered in your state?
If you plan to use a specific business name, you may be required by the state to verify it’s available to use.
Related: How to check business name availability in your state
Is your name already trademarked?
When searching for a name for your new business, you should check that your new name isn’t trademarked by someone else. If it is, you may not be allowed to use it legally.
Thankfully, the United States Patent Trademark Office (USPTO) makes trademark searching a breeze through their Trademark Database.
A name isn’t necessarily available if it doesn’t appear in this search. Every business has some limited protection through a common law trademark. This means another business can’t open up down the street with the same name, as this creates confusion for customers. Also, check local competitors by doing a Google search and looking through the Yellow Pages.
If your name is available and you want to protect it from being used by anyone else, you can register it with the USPTO.
Related: How to check for a trademark
Hopefully, you now have some great tattoo shop name ideas. Once you have narrowed this list to just a few and researched that they are all available, start asking friends, family, and potential customers their thoughts to get feedback, and then pick your perfect tattoo studio name!
