How to find and use name tags in Minecraft

In Minecraft, players will find and interact with all kinds of mobs. Some of them will also become their pets, and gamers will most definitely want to give them a moniker. This is where name tags can help. These are items that can be used to name any mob or entity in the game. However, they are rare and can only be found scattered around the world. Players cannot craft them in any way.

Gamers can also use these tags to name important mobs, like rare variants of hostile entities. Moreover, they can be used to prevent mobs from despawning. This item is extremely helpful in several situations. Here is how to find and use it in Minecraft.

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Where to find and how to use name tags in Minecraft

Where to find the rare item in Minecraft

Name tags can either be found as chest loot in several structures, through fishing, or from trading with a particular villager.

Name tags can be found in structures, through fishing and from librarian villagers in Minecraft (Image via Sportskeeda)

As chest loot

One of the most common ways to get the items in question is by searching for them in pre-existing structures. Here is a list of the ones that name tags can be found in:

• Dungeon - 27.9% chance
• Mineshaft - 42.3% chance
• Ancient City - 16.1% chance
• Woodland Mansion - 28.3% chance (Java Edition), 27.9% chance (Bedrock Edition)
• Buried Treasure (Bedrock Edition only) - 34.4% chance

According to this list, the best way to obtain those tags is by looking for chests in mineshafts. Bedrock Edition players can also try to find buried treasure to have a better chance of obtaining name tags.

From fishing

Name tags can also be obtained by fishing. Since they are quite rare, you only have a 0.8% chance of getting one through fishing. However, if you use the highest level of Luck of the Sea enchantment on your fishing rods, you can increase the odds to 1.9%.

From trading

Finally, you can also acquire name tags by trading with a master-level librarian villager. The mob will sell a single name tag for 20 emeralds.

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How to use name tags in Minecraft?

Name tags need to be named using an anvil before they can be used on mobs (Image via Minecraft Wiki)

Once you have a name tag, you cannot use it on mobs immediately. First, you need to write a name on the item using an anvil, which is an expensive block to craft since it requires three blocks of iron and four iron ingots. Once the anvil has been made, you can place the name tag inside it. Then, you just have to write a name on it.

You will also notice that this action will take one XP level to accomplish. Hence, you must ensure you have enough XP levels if you wish to wear multiple name tags.

Once the item has a custom moniker on it, it can be used on any mob to essentially name it. The entity's name will then be displayed on top of their head at all times.