New pub name trends revealed – are borough ‘Inns’ in or out? Is royalty trending again?

Is your Erewash pub of choice hitting the trend when it comes to names? 

New data has revealed the changing preference in pub names over the past three years, as well as an updated list of those which are the most popular.

The ukphonebook.com review has used its own data to find all the pubs that are registered in the UK, before analysing it to conclude the most popular names since 2020.

Over the course of three years, some have become more popular, whilst others have decreased in popularity.

The 10 most popular are:
Position/Most Popular 2023: Total:

The survey offered little or no surprise over the popularity of The Red Lion, but there have also been some significant naming trends over the last three years.

Position/Most Popular since 2020: Total:

Looking at which types of pub names have become more popular, animal-themed names have risen in popularity – with 6.5% more pubs named after animals in the past three years.

Royal names have also seen a 7.7% increase – possibly inspired by the coronation of King Charles.

Position/Most popular name type since 2020: Total: % change:

After that, however, the other themes have all dropped. Sports, Religion and Food have inspired zero people to name pubs after them in the past three years – no Cricketers, no Angels, and no Shoulders of Mutton.

Are you ‘Inn’ or out?
Another new trend is the inclusion of ‘Inn’ as part of a pub’s name. Inns – historically, places along a road where travellers could stop and rest – have inspired many pub names in the past. But times are changing.

There are 2,264 (28%) UK pubs with ‘Inn’ in their title. However, since 2020 only 16% of new pubs have chosen to include ‘Inn’ as part of their name.

This could be due to the popularity of shorter names – The Crown instead of The Crown Inn. Or it could be that many new pubs simply don’t consider themselves Inns because they don’t offer rooms.

What is the most popular pub name in the UK?

The most common pub name in the UK is The Red Lion, with 468 pubs using this classic name.

Position/Most Popular: Total:

Coming second on the list is The Royal Oak, with 433 pubs taking this name. Royal British Legion sneaks into the top three with many members only clubs using this name. There are over 400 registered RBL clubs in the UK, though not all have the same pub name.

Kevan Wilding, founder of Pubwiki, said: “Pub names are really interesting if looked at from an earlier date. There were many thousands of beer houses opened in the 1850s with a sign outside giving a beer house its name. Some of these went on to become the modern-day locals we still know.

“In Hertfordshire, for example, nearly every other building in the high street was once a pub. But later the licensing laws became stricter.”

The Royal theme continues throughout the top ten with The Crown Inn, White Hart, Rose and Crown and King’s Arms all inspired by the UK’s rich history.

The Plough Inn sits at the bottom of the top 10 with 206 pubs.

Nik Antona, National Chairman for CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) said: "The array of weird and wonderful pub names are part of the charm and experience of frequenting your local. Pubs are part of the fabric of community life across the UK, providing a safe place to meet and socialise, offering a community hub for activities and events. As well as being vital to local economies, they help bring people together, tackling loneliness and social isolation.”

Most popular pub names by type
Eight of the top ten most popular pub names are inspired by royal connections. However, there is obviously a lot of overlap – for example, the classic Red Lion is both an animal and inspired by royalty.  Animal-themed pub names made up 34% of all names, with royalty accounting for 17.6%.

Position: Most popular name type: Total:

In third place was machinery and tools (9.1%) – largely down to pubs called The Plough, Cross Keys, and the Wheatsheaf. Nature (8.8%) inspired nearly 700 pub owners when choosing their names – drawing on both the rose and oaks. Again, these have royal connections, especially the rose.

Vehicles (8.7%) rounded out our top 5, with everything from pubs being located near railways to coastal pubs opting for ships and anchors in their names. However, these options are becoming less popular as Britain moves away from its seafaring and manufacturing peak.