Is beauty salon the most common term in the USA?

I’m planning to open a beauty and hair salon in the United States and want to choose a name that resonates best with local customers. While considering terms like “beauty salon,” “hair salon,” “beauty parlor,” and “beauty shop,” I’m trying to understand if “beauty salon” is the most commonly recognized and used term in the USA for this type of business. This will help me align my branding with what consumers expect and use in everyday conversations, ads, or directory listings. Would “beauty salon” indeed be the most prevalent term across different regions, or do other variations dominate based on local preferences or industry jargon? I’m particularly interested in this for a metropolitan area like New York City or Los Angeles as a point of reference.

The term "beauty salon" is very common and widely understood throughout the United States, particularly for businesses offering services like haircuts, styling, coloring, manicures, pedicures, and sometimes skincare or makeup. However, "hair salon" is arguably more frequently used in everyday parlance and specific business naming, especially when the primary focus is on hair services. The reason is multifaceted:

1. Core Service Focus: Hair services (cuts, color, styling) represent the most frequent and revenue-driving services for the majority of establishments categorized under the broad "beauty salon" umbrella. Businesses often use "hair salon" immediately to signal this primary offering to potential customers searching for these specific services.
2. Search Behavior: Consumers searching online or asking others for recommendations for a haircut or color treatment are significantly more likely to use the term "hair salon" than "beauty salon." This drives the term’s prominence in daily language and digital listings (Google Maps, Yelp, etc.).
3. Business Naming: While "beauty salon" and variations like "salon" are extremely common, "hair salon" appears with high frequency in business names, both standalone and as part of chains (e.g., "Supercuts," "SmartStyle Hair Salon"). "Hairdresser" or "Stylist" are also very common terms, often used interchangeably in conversation to refer to the professional in the salon.
4. Semantic Nuance: While "beauty salon" formally encompasses a broader range of beauty services (nails, skin, makeup, sometimes even spa-like treatments), its practical usage often overlaps heavily with hair-focused establishments. "Hair salon" simply describes the dominant activity more precisely for many businesses.
5. Regional Acceptance: "Beauty salon" is universally recognized and accepted nationwide. "Hair salon" holds equal or slightly greater recognition, especially given the dominance of hair services in the industry’s core offerings.
6. Industry Terms: The broader industry is often referred to as the "beauty industry," "cosmetology industry," or "personal appearance industry." The physical business location is commonly called a "salon" for short. "Beauty salon" and "hair salon" are the most common full terms for the business entity, with "hair salon" potentially having a slight edge due to point #1.

Therefore, while "beauty salon" is undeniably one of the most common and widely accepted terms in the USA for this type of business, "hair salon" is likely used with slightly greater frequency in everyday consumer language, search queries, and business naming, primarily because hair services are the cornerstone of these establishments for most customers. The terms are highly interchangeable and synonymous in common usage.