Garden bar name ideas: how to name your home pub

A name turns a shed into a place. "Meet you at the Fox and Feathers" is an invitation; "meet you in the shed" is a chore. Most good garden bar names follow the same patterns real pubs have used for centuries.

Classic pub naming patterns

• The [Animal] and [Thing]: pairing an animal with an object, such as a bird and a bottle.
• The [Name] Arms: traditionally from a local family or trade; use your surname or street.
• The [Something] Inn or Tavern: works with almost any word.
• The Royal [Something]: a nod to the classic, often used with humour.
• The [Number] Bells or [Colour] Lion: classic forms with colours, numbers and creatures.

Draw on where you live

• Your house name or number: "The Number 14".
• The street, road or close: "The Elm Tavern".
• A local landmark, hill, river or old industry.
• A pub that once stood nearby and has since closed.

Draw on the household

• The dog, cat or a long-lost pet.
• A family nickname or catchphrase.
• The job or hobby of the person who built it.
• The year it was built.

Keep it neighbourly

Avoid names that might be taken as offensive or that copy a real local pub's brand closely. The bar is for fun, and a name that annoys the neighbours undoes the point.

Test the name

Say "see you down the ..." out loud. Ask the family. Leave a shortlist on the fridge for a week and see which one people use without thinking. That's your name.

Once you have it

• Commission or paint a sign. See garden bar signs.
• Use it on a chalkboard, coasters or glasses.
• Keep the decor consistent with the name. See decor.

Names by theme

• Pub-style: traditional patterns above. See pub-style bars.
• Tiki: island, reef or lagoon names. See tiki bars.
• Sports bar: the club, a famous ground nearby or a legendary score. See sports bar sheds.
• Gin shed: botanical or garden names. See gin sheds.
• Beach bar: shoreline and seaside names. See beach bars.

Write five names tonight, read them aloud and cross out any that make you wince. The one left standing is usually right.