Pub names in Great Britain

Common card · No. 304266

Pub names in Great Britain identify traditional drinking establishments. Many pubs are centuries old, from a time when most customers were illiterate but could recognise pub signs or symbolic objects, such as a boot hung outside. Names may be for anything from everyday items to sovereigns and landowners, often represented through coats of arms. Some reflect historic events, occupations, sports, and craftsmen' guilds. Others are rooted in myths and legends, such as the Green Man or local stories like the Moonrakers of Wiltshire. Names may straightforwardly describe their building or the services offered in addition to serving beer. Several refer to stages in growing barley and in brewing or transporting beer, such as John Barleycorn, the Hop Pole, the Malt Shovel, the Mash Tun, and the Three Barrels. Establishments that served wine might use names like the Spread Eagle, indicating the coat of arms of Germany. Sporting associations appear in names such as the Hare and Hounds or the Bowling...

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