Every adventure seems to start in a tavern, and the best fantasy taverns borrow their names from real English pubs: an animal, a colour, a trade or two things joined with "and". This tavern name generator builds names in six styles, from classic signs like The Red Lion to dockside dives and a few jokes for the table, over 2,100 names in all.
Why tavern names sound the way they do
Medieval drinkers mostly couldn't read, so an alehouse was known by its painted sign. In 1393 Richard II made it compulsory for anyone brewing ale to hang one, and the picture on the sign became the name. That's why so many pub names are things you can paint:
- An animal and a colour. The Red Lion is the most common pub name in England. The White Hart was Richard II's own badge.
- Arms. "The Masons Arms" or "The Kings Arms" comes from a coat of arms: a guild, a trade or the local landowner.
- A Head. The King's Head, the Queen's Head: a portrait on the sign.
- A single object. The Plough, The Anchor, The Bell, The Wheatsheaf. Often a hint at the trade nearby or what drinkers did for a living.
- Two things joined with "and". The Rose and Crown, The Fox and Hounds, The Lamb and Flag: a symbol, a little scene or a pun.
The Classic and Pairs styles follow these patterns, so their names would pass for a real village pub.
Famous fantasy taverns
- The Prancing Pony in Bree, from The Lord of the Rings, run by Barliman Butterbur. Adjective plus animal: the classic fantasy pattern.
- The Green Dragon in Bywater, the hobbits' local in the Shire. A pure English pub name with a dragon on the sign.
- The Yawning Portal in Waterdeep, D&D's most famous tavern, run by Durnan and built over the well that leads down into Undermountain. The name tells you what's in the cellar.
- The Elfsong Tavern in Baldur's Gate, named for the ghostly elf's song heard there, and visited in Baldur's Gate 3.
- The Bannered Mare in Whiterun, Skyrim, and The Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter: one a heraldic sign, the other a joke at the building's expense.
Matching the name to the place
- Village inn: Classic or Pairs. A farming village drinks at The Plough or The Wheatsheaf.
- Port or river town: Dockside. The Drowned Sailor and The Rusty Hook tell the party to keep their purses close.
- Noble quarter: Upmarket. The Gilded Swan has a doorman and expensive wine.
- Adventurers' haunt: Fantasy, or Funny if your table likes a joke. A tavern called The Critical Fail tells players what kind of game this is.
The name is also a quick hook. A tavern called The One-Eyed Griffin invites the question "why one eye?", and the barkeep can answer with a rumour.
Making the name yours
- Give the sign a story. Who painted it, and what really happened to the griffin's eye?
- Add "Inn" or "Tavern" if it fits. An inn has rooms; a tavern only serves drink and food. The Red Lion Inn tells travellers they can stay the night.
- Use the regulars' nickname. Locals shorten names: The Fox and Hounds becomes "the Fox". It makes a town feel lived in.
- Check it in a sentence. "Meet me at the Drunken Owlbear" should be easy to say out loud at the table.