90 Fantasy Inn Names for D&D and Other RPGs

Coaching inns and posting houses

Big, busy inns on the main roads, with stables, a yard and a timetable chalked by the door.

• The Mile and Mare: fresh horses every hour, stale gossip all day
• The Gilded Spur
• The Coach and Lantern: the night coach leaves at the third bell
• The Four Wheels
• The Postboy’s Rest
• The Long Stage
• The Saddle and Seal
• The Changing Horses
• The Turnpike Arms: the innkeeper also collects the road toll
• The Whip and Wheel
• The Copper Horn: a coach horn hangs over the door
• The Kingsway Inn

Crossroads and roadside inns

Smaller places that exist because travellers have to stop somewhere.

• The Fourways: every rumour in the county passes through
• The Halfway House: nobody agrees halfway between what
• The Weary Pilgrim
• The Milestone
• The Signpost Inn: the sign points four ways and lies about two
• The Dusty Boot
• The Last Lamp: the final light before the forest road
• The Wayfarer’s Lodge
• The Broken Axle: named for the cart that founded it
• The Gatehouse Inn: once guarded a road that no longer exists
• The Footsore Fox
• The Hedge and Hearth: a cottage that slowly became an inn

Mountain passes and hard country

• The Snowbound: guests stay as long as the pass is shut
• The High Shelter
• The Cairn House
• The Iron Brazier
• The Eagle’s Ledge
• The Frostgate Inn
• The Moorland Lamp: a lamp burns in the window for lost walkers
• The Rope and Piton: guides for hire, by the day
• The Thornwick Bothy
• The Saltgrass Inn: the only water for a day in any direction

River, ferry and harbour inns

• The Ferryman’s Toll: the fare includes a bed, whether you want it or not
• The Lantern Quay
• The Weir House
• The Mooring Post
• The Eel and Oar
• The Tidewater Inn
• The Bargemaster’s Rest
• The Gull’s Perch
• The Ford Inn: built where the river is shallow enough to cross
• The Saltway Lodge

City inns and fine lodgings

• The Silver Ewer: rooms by the week, references required
• The Guildhall Lodgings
• The Marbled Swan: a fountain in the courtyard, and a fee to look at it
• The Chancellor’s House: favoured by visiting diplomats and their spies
• The Velvet Key
• The Gilt Lantern
• The Old Exchange
• The Laurel Court
• The Crown and Cushion
• The Amberley Hotel: the only inn in the city that calls itself a hotel

Pilgrim hostels and temple guesthouses

• The Open Door: no one is turned away, no one is asked questions
• The Lamplighter’s Hostel
• The Mercy House
• The Candle and Cloister
• The Pilgrim’s Bowl: one meal, one bed, one prayer
• The Dawnward Lodge
• The Almoner’s Rest
• The Quiet Bell: silence is kept after sundown

Rough lodgings and flophouses

• The Straw Pallet: a copper buys a space on the floor
• The Rat and Rope
• The Leaking Roof: the name is a warning, not a joke
• The Three Blankets
• The Bent Nail
• The Cheap Sleep: locks on the doors cost extra
• The Mudlark’s Bunk
• The Draughty Hall

Inns with a secret

Each of these names comes with a hook you can build a session around.

• The Stopped Clock: no one inside ages while the clock is still
• The Honest Ledger: a front for the smugglers who keep the real ledger
• Room Nineteen: the inn has eighteen rooms
• The Painted Door: one door upstairs opens onto a different inn
• The Grey Guest: a ghost pays for its room every night
• The Sleeping Bear: there is a bear in the cellar, and it is asleep
• The Patient Host: the innkeeper has been waiting for one guest for years
• The Second Supper: the kitchen feeds something after midnight
• The Moving Inn: it is never quite where you left it
• The Guestbook Inn: every guest who signs the book is remembered forever

Dwarven, elven and halfling inns

• The Anvil Hall: dwarven, with beds carved into the rock
• Stonebeard’s Hostel: dwarven, payment in ore accepted
• The Deep Lantern: dwarven, for miners coming off shift
• The Moonleaf Lodge: elven, the rooms are in the trees
• Silverbough House: elven, guests are asked to whisper
• The Starwell Rest: elven, built around a spring
• The Round Door: halfling, mind your head
• The Plump Partridge: halfling, six meals a day included
• Tumbledown Cottage: halfling, the beds are tiny and the pies are not
• The Kettle and Crumpet: halfling, second breakfast served till noon

What is a good name for a fantasy inn?

A good inn name is short, easy to say at the table and hints at what the place is like. Pair an object from the inn’s sign with a word about its location or owner, such as The Copper Horn, The Fourways or Stonebeard’s Hostel. If players can picture the sign over the door, the name works.

What is the difference between an inn and a tavern in D&D?

A tavern sells food and drink. An inn also offers beds and usually stabling, so it serves travellers rather than locals. In a game this matters because players sleep at an inn, which makes it a natural place for night-time encounters, thefts and overheard conversations.

Why are so many inn names “The something and something”?

The pattern comes from real-world inn signs, which showed pictures because many customers could not read. Two simple images, such as a whip and a wheel, were easy to paint and easy to remember. Using the same pattern in a fantasy setting makes an inn feel lived-in.

How do I name an inn in a dwarven or elven town?

Take the culture’s values and building materials and put them in the name. Dwarven inns suit stone, metal and clan names (The Anvil Hall). Elven inns suit trees, stars and water (The Moonleaf Lodge). Halfling inns are named after food, comfort and round doors.

Is there a free fantasy inn name generator?

Yes. LoreKeeper’s free Name Generator creates inn, tavern, town and character names for fantasy settings. It runs in your browser and is free to use.