Origins and Meaning
What inspires Tavern Names
Whether you are naming a tavern, a restaurant, or a cosy cafe in hell for your story, this generator will help you find a name that fits the mood, the era, and the clientele. You can also use it to generate names for inns, pubs, speakeasies, and other hospitality establishments. Use keywords to fine tune the results to your establishment.
Named After Animals, Objects, and Heraldry
When literacy was rare, inns hung painted signs to identify themselves. Animals, heraldic symbols, and everyday objects became commonplace.
- The White Hart: one of the most common pub names in England, because of the heraldic badge of King Richard II, a white deer
- The Bannered Mare (Bethesda, Skyrim): a horse and a flag, akin to medieval establishments
- The Prancing Pony (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings): an easy to picture and remember sign
Named After Owners, Landmarks, and History
Some taverns take their name from the person who runs them, the road they are on, a historical connection, or their physical location.
- Katz’s Delicatessen: uses the family surname of the owners, which is also a common practice in restaurants
- The 21 Club: a New York speakeasy that used its street number to conceal its ownership during Prohibition
- Wetherspoons: a pub chain named after a teacher who told the founder he’d never succeed
- Rick’s Café Américain (Casablanca): the owner’s first name, implying that he is the reason people come
- The Yawning Portal (Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons): named after the dungeon entrance in its own floor
Names Taken From Events
Some names come after a significant event: a fight, a fire, or an unforgettable regular, which then becomes the sign.
- Bucket of Blood Saloon: a Nevada mining bar named after the state its floor was in each morning
- Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem: a Nottingham pub that claims crusaders drank there in 1189
- The Mended Drum (Terry Pratchett, Discworld): once the Broken Drum
- The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (Douglas Adams): the event/location is the selling point