The Best Neck Tattoos for Men

Neck tattoos were once considered too taboo for most. Many people feared they would suffer professional setbacks if they inked their necks. Today, however, neck tattoos for men are more popular than ever before. Thankfully, the stigma around tattoos has faded for most and more people are expressing themselves through ink than ever before.

You might be considering a neck tattoo and there are plenty of things to consider. Placement is the biggest choice when it comes to neck tattoos for men. You can choose the front, back, or sides and it’s wise to take into account the shape of your tattoo’s design and allow it to dictate the best placement for it. Further, you will need to choose between color or black ink. Black ink is the most popular choice but you can chart your own path with color. Take a look at some of the latest and greatest neck tattoos for men below for ink inspiration!

Get Ideas for Your Own Ink with These Neck Tattoos for Men.

Bold & Black

If you decide to go with just black ink you can really lean into it for a moody and dramatic outcome. This classic heart and dagger design truly delivers.

Front & Center

Placement on the sides of the neck is most popular among neck tattoos for men but you can always go with ink at the very center. This person has chosen their birth year and you might like something similar on the spot.

Expressive Color

Colorful ink is less popular than black with neck tattoos for men. But, we will share with you some examples for you to see how it can really pop. This flaming mask wouldn’t be as exciting without the colorful flames.

On the Back

Tattoos on the back of the neck are less popular for men than they are for women. But, that doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. The back of the neck is one of the least painful spots on your neck to have tattooed.

Take Flight

Bird neck tattoos for men are fairly popular and we will share with you a few more examples on this list. We love the movement in this particular design that adds to its visual interest.

Feel the Sting

Here’s a smoky scorpion that extends from behind the ear all the way to the base of the neck. It’s one of the larger neck tattoos for men on this list. If you’d like to take up some considerable real estate on the neck, try going oversized with your design.

Eye of Providence

The Eye of Providence symbol crops up in all sorts of places. It’s an especially popular choice for tattoos. If you’d like an eye on the back of your head, you should think of doing something similar.

Painted On

Abstract designs can also be winners as neck tattoos for men. Here’s a singular line that looks like a brushstroke that extends all the way up the neck. Think outside the box and you could walk away with a tattoo that truly grabs attention.

Owl Pal

Here’s another one of the bird neck tattoos for men. Owls are popular choices and this one happened to be the best one we stumbled across. For the sides of the neck, consider getting the characters tattooed in profile as opposed to straight on for a cool effect.

Cattoo

Big cats make for enticing tattoo subject matter. A handsome panther is a great option but any cat will do. Notice how the cat’s face has been tattooed in profile. It’s a common feature for neck tattoos with this placement.

Peony Lady

Lady’s faces have been part of the tattoo artist’s visual vocabulary for centuries. Here’s a gorgeous example of a woman who seems to be blooming from inside a peony flower. Blue and orange inks look fantastic paired together in this way.

Heart Piercer

Here’s one of the more intriguing neck tattoos we encountered. It finds a safety pin piercing a heart. Take a look at how clean and crisp the lines are. It’s also been expertly shaded to have a cool texture. Find an artist with a point of view and you could walk away with a stunner like this piece.

Go Micro

Micro tattoos are a huge trend today. The more photorealistic the better as far as we’re concerned. The above tattoo looks like an actual rose has been shrunken down. If you’re not going big, you can still make a huge statement.

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Or Go Bold

On the other hand, you can choose to go big and bold with your design. We find merits in both styles and you get to decide what’s going to be right for your own neck.

A Sacred Heart

We found a number of Sacred Heart tattoos when we were researching this list. This one has a cool drip effect and wings that extend to the sides of the neck. Something similar in shape will be perfect centered at the back of your neck.

Go Abstract With it

These abstract lines were inspired by chrysanthemum flowers, the artist shared. Can you see it? By going more abstract and less figurative, you can have an impactful design that offers a touch of mystery and plenty of intrigue.

Get Creative

The Creation of Adam can be found as subject matter for many tattoos. We liked this one because it accentuates the natural shape of the neck. Those are some mighty fine lines that are truly remarkable!

Go Graphic

This graphic neck tattoo almost looks like an optical illusion. Abstract pieces are so handsome on the neck and this one in grey and red really catches the eye.

Wet Ink

Similar to the brushstroke tattoo we viewed earlier, this circular design looks as if it’s been painted on rather than tattooed. It’s a cool effect that’s similar to a watercolor tattoo.

A Marvelous Mandala

Mandala-inspired designs are very popular neck tattoos for men. This one is worked into the hairline which looks interesting. Notice how each shape contains a cool dot-work texture.

Mandala Round II

Here’s another, very big, example of a Mandala neck tattoo. If you live your life by the mantra “go big or go home,” something similar could be suitable for your neck.

Be a Dragon

Neck tattoos for men with this shape are best at the front of the neck. The parallel nature of the design is similar to birds with their wings spread or a butterfly doing the same. All of those shapes look fantastic front and center.

Controlled Chaos

This tattoo was applied freehand by the artist. Despite the overall business of the tattoo, the artist has still managed to strike balance. If you want to blast over your entire neck, and abstract design works wonders.

The Raven

Here’s a fresh raven neck tattoo that seems to be about death. For those with morbid sensibilities, something similar can make a big statement on the neck.

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Fierce!

We leave you with another big cat that looks ready to pounce. There’s plenty of action going on in the design to offer movement. Black and grey tattoos have their merits but some neck tattoos for men look best in color!

There you have it! Did you find a design you want among these neck tattoos for men? We hope that they have given you ideas about placement on the neck, what to get, and what style will be best for you. There’s no right or wrong way to go about your neck tattoo. Just make sure that you’re expressing your own, unique point of view with an original design that’s all you.