Minecraft: How To Use A Name Tag (2024)

Crafting is an important aspect of Minecraft, but occasionally, you will come across items that cannot be crafted. One of these items is the name tag, used to name mobs that spawn. This uncraftable item can prove to be quite useful.

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In this guide, we are going to go over how to find and use a name tag. Additionally, we will take a look at a few Easter egg names. There are several mods for Minecraft that allow you to craft nametags, however, we are going to be talking about the vanilla version of the game.

Updated May 27, 2023, by Sean Murray: There's an old proverb that says the most basic human impulse is to name things. That's why name tags are more important than ever in Minecraft, and it's why we've updated this guide with better formatting to make it easier to find out how to use name tags.

Where To Find A Name Tag In Minecraft

Name tags are surprisingly rare in the world, and can often be difficult to find. Below, you can learn about the two possible locations where you can find a name tag.

Out of these two options, mineshafts are more common. They can be found everywhere, rather than just one biome. Exploring these mineshafts is the best way to find a name tag.

Fishing For A Name Tag

More often than not, you will catch fish while fishing into a body of water. With an unenchanted rod, you will have an 85 percent chance to catch a fish, a ten percent chance to catch junk, and a five percent chance to catch treasure.

Name tags are classified as a treasure while fishing along with five other items. This means that you have a five percent chance to catch treasure and a one in six chance for that treasure to be a name tag.

Trading With Villagers

The final (and easiest) way to obtain a name tag is by trading with a master-level librarian. This is a villager associated with the lectern, who offers trades related to books (enchanted books, ink sac, paper, etc.).

With a master-level librarian, you can simply buy a name tag for 20 emeralds. To level up villagers, you will need to trade other items; the more you trade, the higher their level will be. For more information, be sure to check out our guide on how to trade with villagers.

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How To Use A Name Tag In Minecraft

To use a name tag, you will need to rename it at an anvil which will cost one level of experience. Fortunately, you can rename multiple name tags with this one level. If you want a stack of name tags with the same name, it will cost the same amount of experience as renaming just one.

With your renamed name tag, head to any mob of your choice. Interacting with the mob while holding the name tag will place the name on the mob and consume the name tag.

Naming mobs is a great way to personalize your world, but it also has some practical uses. Mobs with names will not despawn; this allows you to keep dangerous mobs without worrying about them disappearing.

You will be able to see the name of your mob if you are standing a few blocks away; if you are too far, the name will not appear. This is helpful if you have a lot of mobs in a small space that all have names.

Special Names You Can Use In Minecraft

There are several names that have special effects. Let's take a look at these unique names below. These names don't have any practical effect in the game, but they are fun Easter eggs.

That's all there is to know about name tags in Minecraft. Don't forget to explore woodland mansions and mineshafts to find a few!

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