Minecraft Name Tag Guide: Crafting Recipe, All Special Names, How to Use, & More

Name tags are one of the best ways to ensure your favorite mobs never go away, and even contain some secrets that are hilarious to see in-game. So, today, we explore the recently updated name tag and name tag recipe alongside every special name in our Minecraft name tag guide.

Name Tag Overview

• Item ID: name_tag
• Recipe: Paper & Any Nugget
• Max Stack: 64

Added in Minecraft 1.6.1, the name tag is an item that can be named using experience points at an anvil and then applied to a mob, causing the name to appear over its head. The obvious cosmetic benefits of this are being able to name your favorite NPC companions, but it also comes with some mechanical benefits as well. Mobs named with a name tag do not count towards the mob cap and can not despawn.

Obtaining a Name Tag: Recipe & Loot

As of the first 2026 game drop, name tags can be crafted using a piece of paper and any nugget. They can also be found out in the world as loot inside Monster Rooms, Mineshafts, Ancient Cities, and Woodland Mansions, traded from librarian villagers, or found while fishing. Regardless of their source or the nugget used, all name tags function exactly the same.

All Special Names

Most names given to mobs will simply appear over their head, offering nothing more than the benefits listed previously. However, a select few names do have some very humorous easter eggs. Below we have listed every special name and its corresponding effect. Please be sure to use the exact casing we did, as they will otherwise not work.

• Dinnerbone – Any mob named “Dinnerbone” will appear upside down to all players.
• Grumm – Any mob named “Grumm” will appear upside down to all players.
• Jeb_ – All sheep named “jeb_” will have wool that gradually changes colors, creating rainbow wool.
• Toast – All rabbits named “Toast” gain a black and white fur pattern. This is a memorial skin for xyzen420's girlfriend's missing rabbit.
• Johnny – All vindicators named “Johnny” become hostile to every mob in the game.