Pub Signs and Their Meanings: A Guide to the Symbols

Walk down almost any British high street or village lane and you will see a painted board swinging above a pub door: a red lion, an oak tree, a white deer, a crown. These signs are far more than decoration. Understanding pub sign meanings opens up a little window into British history, from medieval law and royal loyalty to religion, trade and travel. This guide explains why pubs have signs at all and what the most common symbols are generally believed to represent.

A quick note on accuracy: many pub name stories are local legends, and historians do not always agree. Where an origin is debated, we say so.

Why Pubs Have Painted Signs

Pub signs developed at a time when many people could not read, so a picture was the easiest way to identify a business.

• Roman roots: Roman taverns are often said to have hung a bush of vine leaves outside to show that wine was sold. In Britain, where vines were scarce, evergreen bushes may have been used instead, and the Bush remains a pub name today.
• Medieval law: in 1393, King Richard II passed a law requiring those brewing ale for sale in certain areas to display a sign, partly so that official ale tasters could find and inspect them.
• Identification: before street numbers were common, signs acted as landmarks and addresses for travellers and locals alike.

Over time, these practical signs became a distinctive folk art form, with many pubs commissioning hand-painted boards from specialist sign painters.

Royal and Heraldic Signs

Many of the most common pub signs show loyalty to a monarch or borrow from coats of arms and royal badges.

The Red Lion

Often cited as the most common pub name in England. A popular explanation is that after James VI of Scotland became James I of England in 1603, he ordered the red lion of Scotland to be displayed in public places. Another theory links it to the badge of John of Gaunt, the powerful fourteenth-century Duke of Lancaster.

The Crown

A straightforward sign of loyalty to the monarchy. Variations such as the Rose and Crown and the Crown and Anchor add other meanings.

The Rose and Crown

Usually associated with the Tudor rose, which combined the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York after the Wars of the Roses, topped with a royal crown.

The White Hart

A white deer was the personal badge of King Richard II. Because his reign coincided with that sign law, many inns are thought to have adopted it, and it remains a common name.

The King’s Head and Queen’s Head

These signs usually depict a specific monarch, and some pubs have changed their painting over the centuries as rulers came and went. Henry VIII is a popular face on many King’s Head signs.

Historic Events and Famous Stories

Some pub signs commemorate particular moments in British history.

The Royal Oak

This sign recalls the story of Charles II, who is said to have hidden in an oak tree at Boscobel in Shropshire to escape Parliamentarian soldiers after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. After the monarchy was restored in 1660, the Royal Oak became a hugely popular pub name.

The Saracen’s Head

Usually connected to the Crusades and the returning soldiers and pilgrims who brought stories of the Middle East back to England.

The Marquis of Granby

Named after John Manners, Marquess of Granby, an eighteenth-century military commander. He is widely said to have helped some of his former soldiers set up as innkeepers, and many pubs took his name.

The Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington

Both celebrate national heroes of the Napoleonic era, Admiral Nelson of Trafalgar fame and the Duke of Wellington, victor at Waterloo.

Religious Symbols

In medieval England, monasteries brewed ale and offered hospitality to pilgrims, so religious imagery is common on older pub signs.

• The Lamb and Flag: the lamb carrying a flag is a Christian symbol representing Christ, known as the Agnus Dei.
• The Cross Keys: the crossed keys are the symbol of Saint Peter, who is said to hold the keys to heaven.
• The Mitre: the tall hat worn by bishops, often found near cathedrals.
• The Angel: many inns of this name were on pilgrim routes or near religious houses.
• The Bell: possibly a reference to church bells or bell ringers, who are said to have enjoyed a drink after practice.

Trade, Work and Travel Signs

Pubs often served particular groups of workers or travellers, and their signs reflected that.

• The Coach and Horses: coaching inns provided food, rest and fresh horses for stagecoach passengers before the railways arrived.
• The Railway and the Station: nineteenth-century pubs that opened near new railway lines.
• The Three Horseshoes: often a sign that a blacksmith or forge was nearby.
• The Wheatsheaf and the Plough: farming communities and the agricultural year.
• The Bricklayers Arms and the Carpenters Arms: pubs popular with a particular trade, sometimes acting as informal meeting places for workers.
• The Ship and the Anchor: common in ports and coastal towns where sailors drank.

Nature, Folklore and Animals

Some of the most charming signs come from the countryside and English folklore.

The Green Man

A face made of or surrounded by leaves, found carved in many medieval churches. Its precise meaning is debated, but it is often linked to nature, rebirth and the greenwood. Some pubs show a forester or a figure dressed in green instead.

The Swan and the Swan with Two Necks

The Swan is a common name, while the unusual Swan with Two Necks is generally thought to come from a mishearing of two nicks, the marks once cut on swans’ beaks to show ownership during the traditional ceremony of swan upping on the Thames.

The Fox and Hounds

A reference to the countryside and hunting traditions, often found in rural areas.

The Black Horse and the White Horse

Horses feature on many signs. The White Horse is linked by some to the ancient chalk figures in the English landscape and by others to heraldic badges.

Curious and Puzzling Signs

Not every pub sign has a clear explanation, which is part of their charm.

• The Pig and Whistle: several theories exist, but none is proven, so treat any confident explanation with caution.
• The Cat and Fiddle: often linked to the nursery rhyme, though other origins have been suggested.
• The Elephant and Castle: the elephant carrying a tower appears in heraldry, and the name is famous as a district of London.
• The Chequers: sometimes linked to a chequered board used for counting money or playing games, a symbol that some say dates back to Roman times.
• The George: usually honouring Saint George, England’s patron saint, or one of the six King Georges, and sometimes shown as George and the Dragon.

Tips for Spotting and Enjoying Pub Signs

• Look at both sides of a hanging sign; some pubs paint a different scene on each side.
• Ask the staff about the name; many pubs have a local story or a framed history on the wall.
• Check for older carvings or plaques near the door that may predate the current sign.
• Photograph signs on walks and road trips; many people collect them as a hobby.
• For detailed history of a specific pub, check local history societies or the official archive for the area.

A Picture Worth a Pint

Pub signs are a living gallery of British history, mixing royal loyalty, religious tradition, working life and folklore. Next time you stop for a drink or a meal, take a moment to look up at the sign and think about the story it might be telling. It makes every visit a little more interesting.