Tavern Name Generator & Guide

The stink of old alcohol and drunken sweat marks any tavern. In a fantasy world, taverns serve not only as drinking spots but also as crossroads, and sometimes as inns.

Fueled by strong drink, bar brawls are not uncommon, especially in taverns where different races mix and work. Even still, tavern keepers have seen it all, and can usually be convinced to turn a blind eye to a certain level of debauchery with the right bribe.

As important landmarks in any town, the name of a tavern is used for giving directions as often as for luring in customers.

Good Tavern Names

When settling on which tavern to rest up at, customers are easily persuaded by a catchy name. The name of a tavern should be memorable, and often evolves from a favourite story of the tavern keeper.

• The Tired Shapeshifter
• The Peckish Eagle
• The Bleeding Faun
• The Dancing Werewolf
• The Fel Steed
• The Blushing Bear
• The Second Naga
• The Nodding Kettle
• The Wanton Maiden

The Thief’s Candle

While this tavern is a perfectly respectable lunch spot, be wary at night. If a burning candle is set in the front window, that signals a meeting between the tavern keeper and his illegal wine suppliers.

• The Horse and the Hellhound
• The Lewd Trickster
• The Sly Harlequin
• The Nocked Arrow
• The Last Resort
• The Dragon’s Breath
• The Backwards Pigeon
• The Needle’s Eye

The Thirsty Dragon

If you order a drink here without reading the menu carefully, you are likely to get landed with Red Scale Ale, a drink so tantalizing a dragon apparently attacked the tavern to sample it. The Ale is also the most expensive drink available.

• The Lonely Rogue
• The Sunless Sky
• The Laughing Lord
• The Bootless Soldier
• The Tried and True
• The Shorn Sheep

Medieval Tavern Names

In medieval times, tavern names often came from local legends or famous figures. Asking how the tavern got its name is a sure way to be bombarded with patrons all trying to retell the same story at the same time.

• The Broken Bowl
• The Sitting Duck
• The Green Skull
• The Sage and Chain
• The Ditzy Diplomat
• The Sly Wench
• The Kneeling Bird
• The Hungry Harper

The Thirsty Knave

When a poor pauper tried to imitate the folk stories and seduce a princess, he was soundly rejected and came here to drink away his woes. To rub salt in the wound, a beautiful portrait of his crying face now hangs over the mantle.

• The King and Mug
• The Boastful Bard
• The Trimmed Peacock
• The Smoking Spark
• The Booze and Stews

The Golden Garrison

A local gang of muggers has made this tavern their headquarters, and they always expect the best table to be made available for them. Watch where you sit, or you could find yourself a few teeth short.

• The Old Outpost
• The Boar’s Pub
• The Steel Rose
• The Minstrel and Cask
• The Weary Beggar

Pirate Tavern Names

When pirates dock at shore, they head straight for the tavern. These chaotic bars are brimming with the worst kinds of cutthroats and thieves, and you are as likely to get blackout drunk as you are to get a dagger in the back.

• The Sunken Wreck
• The Drunken Crow
• The Silver Sail
• The Bloody Sailor
• The Crying Maiden
• The Lonesome Captain
• The Jolly Sailor
• The Salt Serpent

The Murdered Pirate

A lucky curse seems to hang over this tavern, because nobody has ever died while drinking there, a rarity for pirate taverns. Some have even tried to deliberately commit murder inside, but the wounds are miraculously never lethal.

• The Tasty Monkey
• The Wrecked Prow
• The Grim Kraken
• The Maiden’s Flagon
• The Broken Mast
• The Crow Bar
• The Dancing Wench

The Silver Siren

From the windows of this tavern, a sandbank far out from shore is just visible. Those lost in the fog of drink have often claimed to see a beautiful woman washing her hair while standing on the sandbank.

• The Grill and Swill
• The Brawl Box
• The Grinning Serpent

Dwarf Tavern Names

If there is one thing dwarves are known for, it is their drinking. Dwarves can handle far more alcohol than humans, and drinking contests are a traditional way of settling disputes to prove who is the bigger man.

• The Watchful Mountain
• The Stony Heart
• The Dapper Dwarf
• The Iron Tooth
• The Stout Drinker
• The Chief’s Tavern
• The Scorched Beard
• The Bloody Axe

The Shattered Shield

Erected on the spot where Harsok the Grey defeated the minotaur king, the foundations are built from Harsok’s mead barrels. After his fight, he set down for a rest and drank a dozen barrels himself in one sitting.

• The Torn Beard
• The Spark and Stone
• The Grim Sentinel
• The Whetstone
• The Steel Fist
• The Warrior’s Cellar

The Stumbling Miner

Balanced over the edge of a mineshaft, the tavern keeper has spent so much money constructing safety measures to protect her drunken customers from falling to their deaths that the tavern is in danger of closing.

• The Bronze Tankard
• The Sober Dwarf
• The Bottom of the Barrel
• The Silverhaired Son

Did you enjoy this guide? Leave us a comment with your thoughts, and share this guide with your friends if you liked it. A good name for a tavern will stick in the minds of whoever hears it, so that when they need a drink and a rest, they know where to look.