How Do You Make a Nametag in Minecraft? Recipe and Uses

To answer how do you make a nametag in minecraft, place 1 paper in the lower-left crafting slot and 1 iron, gold, or copper nugget in the upper-right slot. The shaped recipe produces 1 name tag, and it works in the 2×2 inventory grid or a crafting table in current Java and Bedrock versions. ([minecraft.net](https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/updates/tiny-takeover-drop?utm_source=openai))

How do you make a nametag in Minecraft?

Name tags became craftable with the Tiny Takeover game drop. The recipe uses only two items, so you no longer need to explore a dungeon or wait for a rare fishing catch before naming a mob. The recipe is available in Java Edition 26.1 and Bedrock Edition 26.10, released on March 24, 2026. ([minecraft.net](https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/updates/tiny-takeover-drop?utm_source=openai))

Recipe ingredients

Crafting-grid layout

This is a shaped recipe, not a shapeless recipe. Put the metal nugget in the upper-right slot and the paper in the lower-left slot, forming a diagonal line. Leave the other two slots empty. The same diagonal arrangement works in the 2×2 inventory crafting grid, so a crafting table is not required. ([mcasset.cloud](https://mcasset.cloud/26.1-rc-3/data/minecraft/recipe/name_tag.json))

1. Collect 3 sugar cane and craft it into 3 paper, or use paper already in your inventory.
2. Get 1 iron nugget, gold nugget, or copper nugget.
3. Open your inventory or a crafting table.
4. Place the nugget in the upper-right slot and paper in the lower-left slot.
5. Take the name tag from the result slot.

What you need before using a name tag

A newly crafted name tag is blank. You cannot apply it directly to a mob until you give it a name with an anvil. An anvil requires 3 iron blocks and 4 iron ingots to craft, and you also need at least 1 experience level for the renaming operation.

Rename the tag with an anvil

1. Place the anvil on a solid block.
2. Open the anvil interface.
3. Put the blank name tag in the left input slot.
4. Click the name field at the top and type the name you want.
5. Take the renamed tag from the output slot. This costs 1 experience level.

The name can contain spaces and capitalization. The name tag itself is consumed when you apply it, so make sure the spelling is correct before you take it from the anvil.

How to use a name tag on a mob

After renaming the item, hold the name tag and use it on the mob you want to name. On PC, this is usually right-click. On consoles and touch devices, use the normal interact button. The mob displays the custom name above its head, and a named mob normally does not despawn naturally. ([minecraft.fandom.com](https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Name_Tag?utm_source=openai))

1. Move the mob into a safe area, pen, boat, minecart, or other position where you can reach it.
2. Hold the renamed name tag in your hand.
3. Aim at the mob and use the interact button.
4. Check that the name appears above the mob.

Name tags are useful for pets, rare mobs, villagers, animals in display pens, and mobs used in farms. Naming a mob does not make it invincible. It can still take damage, suffocate, burn, drown, or be killed by another mob or player.

Special name-tag effects

Some names trigger easter eggs instead of acting as ordinary labels. Naming a sheep jeb_ makes its wool cycle through colors. Naming a mob Dinnerbone or Grumm renders it upside down. Naming a rabbit Toast gives it a special texture, while naming a vindicator Johnny changes its behavior toward many mobs. These effects are cosmetic or behavior-based and do not replace the normal name-tag function.

How to get a name tag without crafting

Crafting is the fastest renewable option in current versions, but name tags can still come from exploration, fishing, and traders. The exact chest locations depend on your edition and version. Current updates removed name tags from Ancient City and Woodland Mansion chests, while other sources remain available. ([feedback.minecraft.net](https://feedback.minecraft.net/hc/en-us/articles/44551668333837-Minecraft-Java-Edition-26-1?utm_source=openai))

• Explore monster rooms: Dungeon, also called monster room, chests can contain name tags.
• Search mineshafts: Mineshaft chest minecarts are one of the most useful exploration sources.
• Check buried treasure in Bedrock Edition: Buried treasure chests can contain name tags in Bedrock.
• Fish for treasure: Name tags can appear as treasure catches. Open-water fishing and Luck of the Sea improve your general treasure fishing results, but this method is slower than crafting.
• Visit a Wandering Trader: In current Java and Bedrock releases, a Wandering Trader may offer name tags for 1 emerald each. The trade is not guaranteed, so check every trader who appears.

Older guides often recommend leveling a librarian to Master level for a name tag. That advice is outdated for current Java 26.1 and Bedrock 26.10, where Master Librarians no longer sell name tags. They now use other trades, while Wandering Traders provide the replacement trade. ([feedback.minecraft.net](https://feedback.minecraft.net/hc/en-us/articles/44551668333837-Minecraft-Java-Edition-26-1?utm_source=openai))

Java Edition and Bedrock Edition differences

The basic recipe and anvil process are the same in current Java and Bedrock versions: use 1 paper and 1 metal nugget, rename the result on an anvil, then apply it to a mob. Both editions received the craftable recipe through the 2026 Tiny Takeover update. ([minecraft.net](https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/updates/tiny-takeover-drop?utm_source=openai))

The main differences concern alternative sources. Bedrock includes buried treasure as a name-tag chest source, while current Java loot changes removed name tags from Ancient Cities and Woodland Mansions. In both editions, Master Librarians no longer sell them and Wandering Traders may offer them for 1 emerald. ([feedback.minecraft.net](https://feedback.minecraft.net/hc/en-us/articles/44551668333837-Minecraft-Java-Edition-26-1?utm_source=openai))

How to turn off name tags in Minecraft

There are two different things players call “name tags”: the custom names above mobs and the usernames above players. Turning off player names does not remove the name stored on a mob, but it can hide the text from your screen.

Bedrock Edition

Open Settings, select Video, and turn off In-Game Player Names. On split-screen devices, also disable Splitscreen In-Game Player Names if that option appears. This is a local display setting, so each player may need to change it for their own view. ([gameskeys.net](https://gameskeys.net/how-to-turn-off-player-names-name-tags-on-creatures-in-minecraft-bedrock-edition/?utm_source=openai))

Java Edition

With cheats or operator permission, you can hide player nameplates by placing players on a team and changing that team's name-tag visibility:

• /team add HiddenNames
• /team join HiddenNames @a
• /team modify HiddenNames nametagVisibility never

The never setting hides the names of players on that team from everyone. To restore normal visibility, use /team modify HiddenNames nametagVisibility always. This Java team setting can also affect named entities assigned to the team, but it is not the same as deleting a mob's custom name. ([minecraft.fandom.com](https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Commands/team?utm_source=openai))

Common name-tag mistakes and faster alternatives

• Using the blank tag on a mob: Rename it at an anvil first. A blank tag cannot give the mob a usable custom name.
• Putting the ingredients in the wrong slots: The nugget goes upper-right and paper goes lower-left. They must be diagonal.
• Looking for a librarian trade: That method belongs to older versions. Craft the tag or check a Wandering Trader in current releases.
• Expecting a named mob to survive everything: Name tags prevent natural despawning, not damage or death.
• Trying to remove a mob's name by changing video settings: Display settings hide text but do not reset the mob's custom name.

If you only need one name tag, craft it from paper and the cheapest nugget available. If you are naming several mobs, make multiple tags at once, then rename each one separately at the anvil before entering the enclosure.