100 (And More)

British-
Inspired Pub
Names

Azukail
Games

jordan forsythe (Order #33635729)

 100 (And More) British-
Inspired
Name That Pub
Pub Names
Pubs, inns, taverns ­ these are all places that
sell, usually alcoholic, drinks and are a popular
place for players to visit. This may be to meet an
employer about a job, meet a source or just to
quiz the locals for information. Wherever they
are, there is a good chance that players will end
up inside a tavern at some point. It may not have
been designed with a name, or the GM may be
building an urban location and needs inspiration
for the names of pubs that can be found there.
This list allows the GM to generate names for drinking establishments, based on
British names for them. Some of these names have meaning, and many pubs take
their name from folklore and history. Others are influenced by heraldry, whilst some
names are more descriptive in nature.
Many of the pubs have "The" in front of
Credits
Written by Adrian Kennelly
their name. Even if they don't, they will be
referred to as if they did which, over time,
can result in "The" being officially added to
the name.
Internal images by Adrian Kennelly
This product is part of the Names series
which are intended to help provide
Cover and page backgrounds by Lord
GameMasters with names for places, people
Zseze Works
and things when needed.
Published by Azukail Games, a trading Using the Main Table
The following table can be used to
style of eGDC Ltd
generate a random result by rolling 1d100.
Alternatively, a name can be picked from
Copyright Information the list if something more specific is
The contents are copyright © 201 5
required.
Azukail Games. All rights reserved. As a
Some of the pub names are more
purchaser of this product your are
appropriate to specific areas and locales.
entitled to print one copy for personal
Many of the names can be quickly altered
use. Reproduction, re-selling and
using the suggestions in the Notes section,
redistribution of this work are strictly and
which also provides more details on the
expressly forbidden without written
origins and meanings of some of the names.
permission from Azukail Games.
Roll: The roll of d100, if selecting a name
randomly.
Compatibility Name : The name of the pub.
This product is designed to be system
agnostic and usable with any pen and Notes: The possible meaning of a name,
and some suggested alternatives to it, as
paper fantasy role playing game system.
appropriate.

jordan forsythe (Order #33635729)

 Roll Name Notes
1 Admiral This could be named after a specific Admiral -
Admiral Nelson is a popular British one - or it could
be an Admiral of a particular region, such as an
estuary or a body of water, which would be written
as Admiral of the... followed by the relevant name.
2 Banker The Banker would be near banks.
3 Barley Mow A barley mow is a stack of barley, a grain commonly
malted for brewing beer.
4 Bird in Hand This is a reference to a hunting bird used in
falconry.
5 Black Boy This is a traditional pub name, often considered to
be racist these days. It could have been used to
describe chimney sweeps, who were young, so that
they were small enough to fit up a chimney, and
ended up with soot ground into their skin.
6 Black Bull Alternatives could be Brown Cow, Spotted Cow or
Ox.
7 Blacksmith's There are many other professions that can be used
Arms as an alternative, such as Brewer's (a logical one for
a pub that brews its own beer), Bricklayer's,
Butchers, Carpenter's, Cobbler's, Fisherman's,
Goldsmith's, Mason's and Smith's. It's possible for
any profession to be used in the name and, in a
fantasy world, this could include those such as
Sorcerer's and Wizard's.
8 Blue Bell This could refer to either a bell, or be from the
flower, the bluebell. This could just be called The
Bell or, if a flower, other flowering plants are
possible alternatives.
9 Boot A simple object. Objects used to be hung outside
inns to identify them, before written and pictorial
signs became the norm. Other common, everyday
objects could be used, especially for older
establishments.
10 Bridge Inn This would be found near a bridge, and is quite
likely to be near a major bridge that isn't in an
urban area. The name of the bridge, if it has one,
could also be in the name of the pub.
11 Bunch of Romans used to display grapes outside taverns, and
Grapes this name could have originated from that custom.
Just using Grapes is an alternative.

jordan forsythe (Order #33635729)

 Roll Name Notes
12 Bush This refers to a plant. It could specify the type of
bush, such as Holly and Mulberry.
13 Castle This could be named after other fortifications such
as Keep, Tower or Watchtower.
14 Cat and Fiddle A pub name formed by the pairing together of
names that had no logical connection. Other
pairings can be done, such as Fox & Grapes.
15 Cliff Inn Most probably near a cliff.
16 Coach and This is most likely found on or near a main land
Horses transport route, including, or especially, out of
town. Some alternatives include Coach and Four -
the Four being horses - and Stagecoach.
17 Cock & Bottle This doesn't refer to the cockerel, but instead to a
stopcock that is used to drain a barrel of beer.
18 Coopers Another profession, and one that is strongly
associated with brewing, as coopers make barrels.
19 Copper Kettle This could be named after a brewing vessel. Mash
Tun is one that is definitely associated with brewing.
20 Courts A pub that is probably near a magistrate's court or
similar place.
21 Crooked Billet A billet is a stick, so this name means Bent Stick -
which isn't as catchy.
22 Cross Keys This is actually a religious name, being the sign of
St. Peter. The symbols of holy figures from the
fantasy world could be used as alternatives.
23 Crown For this to be used, the land will probably have had
some sort of monarchy or ruling noble, either in the
past or currently. Colours can also be added, such
as Rose, Gold and Silver. The Rose and Crown is a
very common version.
24 Dog & Duck This is a hunting name, and some alternatives
include Dog & Bear, Dog & Partridge and Dog & Fox,
but any animal that is hunted using dogs will do.
25 Dolphin This is not, usually, named after the sea mammal,
but is instead an Anglicised version of the French
Dauphin. Consequently, it can be found far from the
sea.
26 Fair Maid Alternatives to this could be Dairy Maid and Milk
Maid, with these most common in dairy farming
areas.

jordan forsythe (Order #33635729)

 Roll Name Notes
27 Falcon A bird used in hunting. Other birds such as Eagle
and Kestrel can be used. They could also be from a
coat of arms.
28 Ferry Inn This would be most likely found near to a, probably
river or estuary, ferry. Ferryboat Inn is another
possible spelling. It could also be named after the
river itself, or an estuary or town, for example,
"Name of River"'s Ferry. Barge Inn is an alternative
that would have more general usage near a
watercourse, and referring to river boats, rather
than just a ferry.
29 Festival Inn This could be named after a specific festival, rather
than being general.
30 Fiddler's Green This is a legendary afterlife, full of mirth, dancing
and a fiddle that always plays.
31 Five Ways Possibly religious in origin, this could also be used
by a pub at a road junction. The number could be
changed, to reflect the number of roads, and
Crossroads is an alternative for a simple junction of
two roads.
32 Flax & Twine A fibrous plant and the product that is made from it.
This is likely in areas where the flax could be grown.
33 Fountain Head This would be near a source of water. It could also
Inn be called Fountain or Spring Head.
34 Four in Hand This is a reference to a method of reining horses, so
that four can be handled by a single driver.
35 Gallows Inn This would be lost likely found at a place of
execution, either former or current. Hangmans Inn
is an alternative. Strugglers was a term used to
describe people being hanged, and was also used in
pub names.
36 Gate Inn Taverns are common near to gates into a city, and
this is a logical one to be situated there. Barbican
and Gatehouse are alternatives.
37 Green Dragon A mythical beast in reality, but one that is ideally
suited to fantasy settings. There are a wide range of
alternatives for this, as there are a whole range of
dragon colours (Red being associated with Wales),
including metals such as Gold and silver, in many
fantasy settings. The colour could be omitted
entirely, and the pub simply called The Dragon,
which can also be modified to be Wyvern or Drake.

jordan forsythe (Order #33635729)

 Roll Name Notes
38 Green Man The Green Man is a name that refers to a woodland
spirit, normally depicted as a mask or figure made
of leaves and branches. John Barleycorn is a similar
figure, associated with barley and brewing.
39 Half Moon This is named after a phase of the Moon, and
alternatives could refer to other phases, such as
Crescent, Full and New. In a fantasy setting it could
be named after a specific moon.
40 Half Way As the name suggests, this would be situated
House halfway between two places, probably towns or
cities, rather than villages. The name can also be
written as Halfway.
41 Hammer & These are smithing tools. Pincers or Anvil are
Tongs possible alternatives to Tongs. Tools from other
professions could also be used.
42 Hand & Shuttle Shuttles are used in looms, so an area with a
weaving industry or tradition is the most likely site
for this.
43 Hare & Hounds This name refers to hunting with hounds. It can be
altered by substituting Fox for Hare.
44 Harvester A harvester harvests crops, so this is likely in an
arable farming area.
45 Hayride This is a pleasure trip on a wagon decorated with
hay, and is more commonly found in areas with a
farming background.
46 Highwayman This is most likely to be found on a major route
where highwaymen are more likely. Highwaymen
had other names, so Knight of the Road and
Gentleman of the Road are alternatives. It could
also be named after a specific historical one; Dick
Turpin is one such in Britain.
47 Hogshead This is a barrel that contains 54 gallons, in this case
referring to alcohol. Other sizes could be
substituted, such as Firkin (9 gallons), Barrel (36
gallons) or the Tun (usually 252 gallons of wine, or
210 Imperial gallons) or the more general Cask.
Multiples of these can also be used, such as the
Three Barrels.
48 Hole in the Usually a very small pub, probably in a city.
Wall

jordan forsythe (Order #33635729)

 Roll Name Notes
49 Hop Pole A pole that supports hops as they grow. Pole could
be replaced with one of the more common names
for pubs, as listed below.
50 Hope & Anchor This is not a maritime name, but actually a religious
one.
51 Horse & Groom Horse & Jockey is an alternative, possibly near to a
race track.
52 Horseshoe Inn This could be near, or attached to, a smithy.
53 Inn on the A village inn near the village green.
Green
54 Kings Head A common alternative would be Queens Head.
Other noble titles could be substituted, such as
Prince, Duke, Earl and Baron. Arms can also be
substituted for Head. The pub may also be named
after a specific monarch or noble, including the
name of an area, such as the Duke of Wellington. A
lot of pubs in Britain are named the Marquis of
Granby, after a general who provided money for
many former soldiers to establish taverns. Religious
titles could be used, as they were more common in
the past.
55 Kingston Arms This is literally Kings Town, and would be located in
a town founded by royal decree. It is unlikely in any
country that isn't either currently a monarchy, or
was once one in the past.
56 Lion & Unicorn Two common heraldic animals.
57 Lurcher A common crossbreed hunting dog, so this would be
seen in areas where hunting is common.
58 Mainbrace This is most likely in a port town, as it is a term
used with ships. Fo'c'sle (short for Forecastle) is an
alternative.
59 Malt Shovel This is a shovel that is used in the malting process
of brewing.
60 Mile Inn The name of this pub is usually prefixed with a
number, which is the distance from a specific point,
probably a town or city. It is unlikely to be found
within an urban area.
61 Mill This would be most commonly found near a mill. An
alternative would be Windmill, or Miller.
62 Miner In addition to the generic miner, this could also be
named after specific types of miner, such as Coal,
Lead, Tin, Copper and Iron.

jordan forsythe (Order #33635729)

 Roll Name Notes
63 Mint Perhaps near a city's mint, or in an area where
precious metals are commonly used, such as at
gold- and silversmiths.
64 Mitre This refers to a bishop's headgear, and could be
substituted by a setting's own religious items. The
religious title can also be added, such as the
Bishop's Mitre. It is likely to be near a church or
other place of worship.
65 Monument Inn Many cities have monuments to various people and
events. This could be near one.
66 Nags Head Nags are low quality horses. Another possible
animal name is Stags Head.
67 New Inn Despite what the name suggests, the pub could in
fact be centuries old. It was new once, but no
longer.
68 Owl An alternative is Wise Owl. Other birds could be
used, such as Peacock.
69 Oyster Catcher The oyster catcher is a breed of bird found in
coastal areas. Gull, Pelican and Sandpiper are other
possibilities.
70 Plough A common farming implement, most likely to be the
name of an inn in a farming community. Another
implement is the Harrow, and the two can be
combined into Plough and Harrow.
71 Priory Inn This would be most likely near a Priory, and it could
even be run by it. Other religious buildings such as
Abbey and Church could be used as alternatives. A
pub could have a religious order associated with
brewing running it.
72 Quarry Inn This is commonly found near a rock quarry.
73 Red Lion One of the most common British pub names, this is
heavily influenced by the heraldic animal. Common
alternatives are other colours of lion, especially
Black and White, but Golden and other colours are
also used.
74 Riverside Inn Near a river; it could also be Lakeside.
75 Rope Walk Rope walks, or ropewalks, are where ropes used to
be made, so this is most common in a port city.
76 Royal Oak This name relates to the English Civil War, when
then-Prince Charles (later King Charles II) allegedly
hid from his pursuers in an oak tree. Other trees
could also be used.

jordan forsythe (Order #33635729)

 Roll Name Notes
77 Swan A water bird, and so a pub that is probably found
near to water. One alternative is using a colour,
such as White or Black, before Swan, another is
Swan & Cygnet and a third is Swan with Two Necks,
the latter named after the two "nicks" put in the
beaks of swans that were not considered royal
property. Other possibilities are Duck and Goose.
Drake is also used, but in a fantasy setting that
could be confused with Dragon.
78 Pilot This refers to a maritime pilot. It could also have
the name of the local river, estuary or sea added,
as in the "River Name" Pilot.
79 Pirate's Head This could have once been meant quite literally, and
could have been the head of an executed pirate.
Other people who have been executed could be
used as a replacement, such as Barbarian or
Brigand, including nationalities that are opposed to
the city or country the inn is located. In a fantasy
setting, the head of a race commonly considered to
be villainous could be used, such as Giant, Goblin,
Orc and Troll.
80 Regiment A pub probably associated with the military in some
way, perhaps run by a former soldier. The specific
name of a military grouping is a likely usage, such
as King's Own Regiment.
81 Ship This would be most likely found in a port city. A
specific ship type could also be used, such as
Clipper Ship, Galleon, Schooner, Cog or Galley (and
its variants such as Biremes and Triremes).
82 Shoulder of This pub would be found in sheep farming areas.
Mutton
83 Star As well as being a generic name, it is also possible
that a specific star or constellation of the world in
question could be used. Shooting Star is another
option.
84 Sun A common alternative would be Rising Sun, with a
less likely version being Setting Sun.
85 Tap & Spile Casks would be tapped, to get the drink out of
them, and a spile is a wooden peg that controls the
flow of air and carbon dioxide into and out of a
cask.

jordan forsythe (Order #33635729)

 Roll Name Notes
86 Three Arrows Three is a common prefix before any object in a pub
name, and refers to guilds or to London Livery
companies. Other names used here include Bucks,
Castles, Compasses, Crowns, Cups, Goats' Heads,
Hammers, Horseshoes, Tuns and Wheatsheafs, but
there is no reason why other animals and objects
couldn't be used.
87 Trumpeter This probably refers to a military signaller.
88 Unicorn Many pubs are named after mythical creatures that,
in a fantasy game, are not mythical. Other
creatures include Gryphon, or Griffin. Sometimes a
colour will be added to the name, such as Black,
Silver or White.
89 Waggon This is the traditional British spelling of Waggon
which is still used in pubs. It can also have "and
Horses" in the name.
90 Waterman Watermen worked on the rivers in British cities,
transporting passengers. Boatman is a possible
alternative.
91 Whaler This is a commercial fishing ship, so it is probably
near to the sea. It could also be named after
fantastical sea creatures.
92 Wharf A pub that would be found near water, whether
river or sea. Dock is an alternative.
93 Wheatsheaf A bundle that wheat is tied in after harvesting. This
would be more common in or near farming areas.
94 White Elephant Rather than being named after an animal, a white
elephant is a useless object.
95 White Hart This was a livery badge of Richard II. It is
sometimes spelled Harte. Other animals such as
Bear can also be used, and other colours, although
Black is the most likely.
96 White Horse Other colours of horse, such as Bay, Grey, Dapple
and Black, the Black Horse being named after the
highwayman Dick Turpin's horse, Black Bess (which
is also used). As well as Horse, there are other
names, like Stallion, Mare and Gelding. Terms such
as Old are common too, such as the Old Grey Mare
97 Woodman A pub with this name would be most likely in an
area near a wood or forest. Foresters is a possible
alternative.

jordan forsythe (Order #33635729)

 Roll Name Notes
98 Woolpack A pub that is most likely used in sheep farming
country. Shepherds Boy could also be found in this
area, as could Fleece.
99 World's End This would be used for an inn on the edge of town.
100 Yew Tree Inn Other trees can also be used for the name, such as
Alder, Ash, Beech, Cherry, Elm, Lime, Oak, Pear,
Pine, Silver Birch, Sycamore and Willow. A
namesake tree can be commonly found growing in
the grounds of or near to the establishment in
question, although it may have since died or been
chopped down.

Customising the Names

Both New and Old can also be added as a prefix to most pubs. As with New Inn,
this does not necessarily mean the pub is New or Old; it could have been around for
centuries, or trying to appear as if it has.
Many of the suffixes to the pub names can be replaced with one of the other
generic names from this list. Those that don't have an existing suffix can have one
added, so the Carpenter's Arms could become the Carpenter's Inn and the Black Bull
could become the Black Bull Tavern.
Other pubs can be just the name of the village, town or city where it is located
with one of the generic names added on.

jordan forsythe (Order #33635729)

 Using the Suffix Table
Many if not all of the pub names can be changed by simply changing the type of
suffix. To do it randomly, simply roll on the following table which has different suffixes
as well as suggested uses.
Roll: The roll of 1d5 (half of a d10), if selecting a suffix randomly.
Name: The name of the suffix.
Notes: The possible meaning of the suffix, and some suggested uses.

Roll Name Notes

1 Alehouse This is one of the earliest Anglo-Saxon terms, and originally
was just a private dwelling that sold ale. Any place that
uses this may be old and long established, and has since
become a true pub.
2 Arms Arms is a heraldic reference, as in coat of arms. Heraldry is
a common source of pub names, and almost any place,
name, profession or title can have Arms added to it.
3 Hotel Hotels would provide a place to stay and, as such, often
served food too.
4 Inn Inns were primarily lodging places, that often also served
food and drink, and were commonly found on highways.
5 Tavern Taverns primarily served drink, and possibly food. They did
not provide lodging.

jordan forsythe (Order #33635729)