How to Make a Name Tag in Minecraft

You can’t craft name tags, but we’ll show you how to get them

In Minecraft, a name tag is a valuable item that allows you to name creatures like horses, cows, villagers, and even hostile mobs. There is no recipe for the name tag, so you can’t make a name tag in Minecraft. Instead, you have to go exploring and find or trade for them.

Ways to Obtain a Name Tag in Minecraft

There are three ways to obtain a name tag in Minecraft: 

  • Explore: Find name tags in chests that spawn in various locations, including dungeons, mineshafts, and woodland mansions
  • Trade: Trade a master-level librarian villager for a name tag
  • Fishing: There’s a slight chance to catch a name tag every time you go fishing

How to Find Name Tags in Minecraft

The primary method of obtaining name tags in Minecraft is through exploration. They aren't everywhere, but there is a pretty high chance of finding them if you look in the right place. For example, mineshaft chests have an over 40 percent chance to include name tags.

Here’s how to find name tags in Minecraft:

  1. Go exploring and uncover a location that might have treasure chests that contain name tags, like a dungeon, abandoned mineshaft, or woodland mansion.

    An abandoned mineshaft in Minecraft.

     Name tags can also be found in buried treasure in Bedrock Edition.

  2. Find a chest in that location.

    A chest in a mineshaft in Minecraft.
  3. If you’re lucky, the chest will contain one or more name tags.

    A name tag in a chest in Minecraft.

How to Trade For Name Tags in Minecraft

Librarian villagers will sometimes offer to trade you a name tag for emeralds, but only master-level librarians can make this trade. Search out some villages in your world, and you might get lucky.

If you can't find a librarian villager or a village with a library, place a lectern in a house that doesn't have a workstation. A villager will see it and turn into a librarian. You can then trade with them to level them up to an expert.

Here’s how to trade for a name tag:

  1. Locate a village.

    A village in Minecraft.
  2. Locate a librarian villager.

    A librarian villager in Minecraft.

    Look for a library, as that's where the librarian villager's lectern will be located.

  3. If the librarian isn’t master level, perform trades to help it level up.

    Trading with a librarian villager in Minecraft.

    Bring plenty of emeralds to trade. This is a great way to get bookshelves to power up your enchanting table.

  4. If you’re lucky, a master level librarian villager will offer to trade a name tag.

    Trading a master librarian for a name tag in Minecraft.

How to Fish For Name Tags in Minecraft

Fishing is a straightforward way to get name tags in Minecraft because all you have to do is make yourself a fishing rod and go fishing. You don’t need to fish in any particular location, and every cast has a chance of hauling up a name tag. Unfortunately, the odds of hauling in a name tag are pretty low.

To increase your chances, try enchanting your fishing rod with the Luck of the Sea enchantment.

Here’s how to fish for name tags:

  1. Make yourself a fishing rod.

    A fishing rod in Minecraft.
  2. Locate a body of water.

    Water in Minecraft.

    You can fish anywhere there is water in Minecraft, even a one block pond inside your house.

  3. Cast your line and go fishing.

    Fishing in Minecraft.
  4. Continue fishing until you get lucky and catch a name tag.

    Catching a name tag in Minecraft.
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