How to use a Name Tag in Minecraft
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Minecraft has become a huge hit since its release in 2009. The game allows players to build their own worlds from scratch using blocks and other items. While we have a load of Minecraft guides in our dedicated hub, in this one, we will show you how to use a Minecraft Name Tag to really make those pets your own, keep those mean mobs from despawning or even turn your world upside down.
What is a Name Tag in Minecraft?
A Name Tag is an item in Minecraft used to name almost any mob in the game. This will stop it from despawning naturally and will allow you to put a name of your choice above their head.
This is useful for differentiating between different mobs, especially if you have a lot of them close to each other, like in a farm. There are also some other fun uses for the Name Tag in Minecraft, so keep reading if you want to know what they are!
How to get a Name Tag in Minecraft
Name Tags are not a craftable item and can only be obtained through finding them in the overworld.
The simplest way to find an item tag is from a chest that you find. The chests that will have name tags are only in specific locations, however.
Chests
You may find a Name Tag in Chests in Dungeons, Mineshafts, Woodland Mansions, in Ancient Cities, and also in Buried Treasure Chests, located with a Shipwreck map. To find these, simply go exploring! Hopefully you’ll come across a few Name Tags as you roam your Minecraft world without even trying.
Fishing
As well as finding Name Tags in procedurally-generated chests, you can also receive them from fishing. Name Tags fall under the treasure category of items you can pick up while fishing, meaning they are rarer, and you must be fishing in open water.
When successfully fishing, you have a 1/6 chance of getting something from within the Treasure category. Within this 1/6 chance of treasure, there is a 5% chance what you catch will be a Name Tag.
If you want a better chance of getting treasure when fishing, you can enchant a fishing rod to get the ‘Luck Of The Sea’ enchantment.
Trading
You also have the chance to trade for a Name Tag with a Master-level Librarian Villager.
It will take a lot of effort, however, to get a Librarian to Master Level, and it will then cost 20 emeralds to buy a Name Tag. However, it’s also the easiest and only guaranteed way of obtaining a Name Tag in Minecraft.
How To Use A Name Tag In Minecraft
Once you have managed to get your virtual Minecraft hands on a Name Tag, you will need to put it into an Anvil to rename it. Simply place the Name Tag into the first box in the Anvil interface, change the name at the top, and part with an EXP level to rename it. Then, you can interact with any mob with the Name Tag in your main hand to apply that name to the mob! This will make the name you have chosen appear above the mob, and in most cases, it will stop it from despawning.
There are some exceptions to this rule. Wandering Traders will still despawn even if they are named, and silverfish will lose their name once disappearing into a block.
However, baby animals or villagers will keep their name once they grow to full size, and a villager will even keep their name if they are turned into a zombie villager.
Fun ways to use a Minecraft Name Tag!
There are some specific names that have been coded to result in fun, in-game events! Try naming some mobs from this list…
- Naming a Rabbit “Toast” will change its color to a black and white variant that otherwise doesn’t appear in-game (different than the salt and pepper Rabbit variant), and was named after a player’s lost bunny.
- Naming a sheep “jeb_” (after Jens) will cause it to become a rainbow sheep! Its wool will constantly scroll through different colors.
- Naming any mob “Dinnerbone” or “Grumm” will cause it to stand upside-down!
- Naming a Vindicator “Johnny” will cause it to attack any nearby mob with its axe… Inspired by The Shining.
So, using a Name Tag in Minecraft not only allows you to easily differentiate between mobs that may be similar looking, but can also force them to do strange things!
You can use them to help identify certain mobs such as zombies, skeletons, creepers, spiders, wolves, pigs, sheep, cows, chickens, horses, goats, rabbits, deer, cats, dogs, birds, fish, turtles, frogs, snakes, slimes, ocelots, and many more!
Now you know how to find them and use them, make sure to use them to your advantage!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Fish In Minecraft?
Fishing is one of the easiest ways to obtain resources in Minecraft. You can craft a fishing rod with sticks and string. The easiest way to find string is by killing spiders.
Once you have a fishing rod, there are many different ways to use it, but the easiest way is to just equip it and use it by water.
As said earlier, if you want a better chance of getting top loot from fishing, you can enchant a fishing rod to get the ‘Luck Of The Sea’ enchantment.
How Do I Enchant In Minecraft?
Enchantments are used to give items special properties. They can be used for a variety of different purposes to enhance the usefulness of items and equipment in Minecraft.
To craft an enchantment table you will need two diamonds, four blocks of obsidian, and one book. If you cannot find a book, they can be crafted with leather and paper.
To farm obsidian, you will need a diamond pickaxe, which needs three diamonds on top of the other two you need for the enchantment table.
Enchantment tables will also be more effective if they are surrounded by bookshelves, but this takes a lot more resources.
More Minecraft Block and Item guides
- What are Grass Blocks and how to make them
- What are Amethyst Geodes and where to find them
- Everything you need to know about Nautilus Shells
- How to make Concrete and Concrete Powder in Minecraft
- How to get Blue Ice in Minecraft
- Everything you need to know about the Minecraft Crafting Table
And head over to our Minecraft hub for even more news, guides and how-tos!
