The most popular pub names in the UK (2026)
UK’s most popular pub names 2026/27 & why pubs are closing
Nowhere does pub culture quite like the UK. It’s arguably part of our DNA and what makes us British. But whether we all like it or not, pub culture is changing, and owners have had it tough over recent years, especially independents. We’ve looked into how it’s shifting and why it’s happening. But first - the fun bit.
Quick overview:
- Red Lion is the UK’s most common pub name, with 510 open pubs in the UK (Pubs Galore, October 2026). Crown and Royal Oak are second and third
- Britain had 44,656 pubs at the end of 2025, after 336 closures by the end of that year (BBPA via The Morning Advertiser).
The most popular pub names in the UK
Pubs Galore tracks open pubs across the UK. Using its live data, we’ve ranked the most common pub names as of October 2026. Let’s take a look.
‘Red Lion’ is the most popular UK pub name
Have you got a local called the Red Lion, or perhaps you run one? The Red Lion takes first place as the UK’s most popular pub name, with 510 open pubs.
But where does its name come from?
Many people link the name to James I. The tale says as he took the English throne in 1603 - he then ordered pubs and other public buildings to display the Red Lion of Scotland. The red lion appears on the coats of arms of more than 150 English families, according to Ordnance Survey. This means many Red Lions could be named after a local patron!
The top 10 most popular UK pub names
| Rank | Pub name | Open pubs (October 2026) |
| 1 | Red Lion | 510 |
| 2 | Crown | 457 |
| 3 | Royal Oak | 389 |
| 4 | White Hart | 291 |
| 5 | Swan | 274 |
| 6 | Railway | 266 |
| 7 | Plough | 265 |
| 8 | White Horse | 259 |
| 9 | Kings Arms | 226 |
| 10 | Ship | 224 |
Source: Pubs Galore, accessed 26 October 2026.
Royal pub names still rule the top 10
The Crown is the second most popular pub name in the UK, with 457 open pubs.
And, in third place is the Royal Oak, with 389 open pubs. The name supposedly refers to Charles II. It’s said he hid in an oak tree after losing the Battle of Worcester in 1651!
The Kings Arms comes in 9th with 226 pubs, still in the top 10. Perhaps the King’s coronation a few years ago may have renewed interest in the royals?
Railway and Ship make the top 10
Railway comes in 6th. Why is this name popular? The use of the name railway tends to reflect our own history. In the Victorian era, many pubs were located directly inside or next to railway stations to attract workers and commuters. Many of these still stand today, you’ll often see pubs outside stations across the country.
The Ship comes in at 10th in our 2026 list. As the name suggests, these pubs are likely a nod to Britain’s maritime history. With many of these pubs located near rivers (like the River Thames in London or docks in Liverpool), canals, or historical shipyards where the original punters would have been sailors’ dockworkers, merchants, and perhaps even a pirate or two!
‘Inns’ are making their way out
What names are ‘in’ and ‘out’ shift over the decades and this is no different when it comes to pubs. While pubs like ‘The New Inn’ are still popular, the name is decreasing in popularity. Business owners setting up new pubs are perhaps deciding to choose more digitally appealing names that make them stand out – it seems the wilder, the better.
“Inns”, traditionally included rooms for people to stay, like B&Bs. While pubs with rooms are still around, they are not as popular as they once were, due to Airbnbs, hotels and other accommodation options. A hotel style service is also costly to run for owners, on top of the costs of running a pub!
The most popular UK pubs on Google Maps
Google Maps turned 20 in February 2025. To mark it, Google named the UK’s 20 most popular pubs, based on reviews and ratings, while there isn’t a newer list, here’s the top 10.
The Standing Order in Edinburgh came in first place, with 11,600 In second place is the Velvet Coaster in Blackpool, with 11,145 reviews. See the full breakdown below:
| Rank | Pub (Google Maps list) | Chain? | City | Google rating | Reviews | Characteristics |
| 1 | The Standing Order | JD Wetherspoon | Edinburgh | 4.2★ | 11,599+ | A former bank on George St. |
| 2 | The Velvet Coaster | JD Wetherspoon | Blackpool | 4.3★ | 11,145+ | A 3-storey seafront “superspoons”. |
| 3 | The Counting House | JD Wetherspoon | Glasgow | 4.0★ | 10,635+ | Italian-renaissance banking hall. |
| 4 | Anchor Bankside | Greene King | London | 4.2★ | 10,461+
| A Shakespearean tavern. |
| 5 | The Albert & the Lion | JD Wetherspoon | Blackpool | 4.1★ | 8,934+ | Named after Stanley Holloway |
| 6 | The Palladium | JD Wetherspoon | Llandudno | 4.0★ | 8,871+ | A restored 1920 cinema and theatre |
| 7 | Waxy O’Connor’s | Independent | London (Soho) | 4.5★
| 8,779+
| A six-level labyrinthine Irish pub |
| 8 | The Sherlock Holmes | Greene King | London (WC2) | 4.2★ | 8,710+
| Gives inspector vibes |
| 9 | The Moon in the Square | JD Wetherspoon | Bournemouth | 4.2★ | 8,217+ | A town-centre jewel |
| 10 | Founder’s Arms | Fuller’s | London (South Bank) | 4.3★ | 8,751+ | A modern riverside pub with beer terrace |
Anchor, Bankside is London’s top pub
Ranking 4th overall, Anchor Bankside is the top entry for London, with a 4.2 Google rating and 10,461+ reviews. There were 4 London entries in the top 10 – are we surprised? Many Londoners live for the after-work drinks.
Waxy O’Connors is the most popular independent UK pub
Coming in at 7th, this vibrant pub in Soho, London is the UK’s most popular independent pub, with a Google rating of 4.5 and 8,779+ reviews. Many pubgoers mention its ‘labyrinth-esk’ interiors and warm atmosphere. With tough competition from Wetherspoons, it’s great to see an independent pub make the list.
UK pubs with historical features are more popular
When looking deeper into the reviews, we start to see some patterns. Pubs with real, rich history and character interiors like banks and theatres are popular in the UK. It’s clear that what makes a UK pub popular is not just the quality of the pint – but the experience and ambience is just as important.
UK pubs have fallen by more than a third since 2000
The sad, but harsh truth is that UK pub culture is declining. According to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), there were 60,800 UK pubs in 2000. By 2025, this had fallen to about 44,650 – a 36% drop in 25 years. That’s more than 16,000 pubs closed up and gone.
| Year | UK pubs (BBPA) |
| 2000 | 60,800 |
| 2015 | 50,800 |
| 2016 | 50,300 |
| 2017 | 48,350 |
| 2023 | 45,350 |
| 2024 | 45,000 |
| 2025 | 44,650 |
| 2026 | 44,290 (estimate) |
Source: BBPA in The Morning Advertiser
How many pubs are closing in 2026?
Sadly, pub closures seemed to have sped up in 2026. With 295 pubs closed between January and September 2026, 226 in England, 64 in Scotland and 5 in Wales, (BBPA figures show).
Around 360 closures are expected by the end of 2026, making the total pubs left in 2026 at 44,290 putting around 5,000 jobs at risk, according to Beer Today.
But what’s making our pubs close the door to punters? There are several driving forces that are creating difficult conditions for our beloved pubs to survive.
Rising duty, rates and tax
Rising alcohol duty and business rates have put even more pressure on small pub owners.
The rise in Employers’ National Insurance from 13.8% to 15% in April 2025 has also added to this, creating a knock on effect in 2026. In fact, the BBPA suggests for every £3 spent in a pub, £1 of it goes to the taxman. It like extra costs are coming from every angle.
Like everything else, the cost of running a business has gone up. This squeezes margins that are already tight for many independent pub owners. At this rate, it’s estimated that pubs will continue to close at a similar rate into 2027.
An increasing awareness on health and more sobriety
Over the last decade, there has been a change in consumer habits, with drinking alcohol becoming less popular. According research by YouGov in partnership with Portman Group, over a third of UK drinkers (38%) are now consuming low and no alcohol alternatives semi-regularly. Even though low or no alcohol options are increasing in pubs, many may prefer just not to go.
A cultural shift in ‘going out culture’
While ‘wet pubs’ – those that only serve drinks – seems to be declining, there is a surge in eateries, especially large ones like food and drinks courts where people can choose from a variety of vendors.
Research by Homefords backs this up. They suggest, as of March 2026, UK restaurants have outnumbered pubs.
Perhaps the only way to save our declining pub culture is to try to support them when possible. So, the next time you go out for dinner, how about pop into your local for quick drink just before, or consider going for some drinks and pub grub instead.
Supporting our pubs with business basics
At Bionic, we champion small business owners and we genuinely help to arrange their business essentials like energy, insurance, broadband and finance.
Run a pub? Our UK-based, friendly brokers can help you compare quotes for pub insurance, business energy and business broadband and take care of some of the admin, so you can focus on your punters.
Head to our guides to find out more or get in touch today if you need any support.
Methodology:
We used Google’s list of most popular pubs. Google’s ranking was based on two key metrics:
- Number of reviews - Total volume of customer reviews each pub had received
- Average rating scores - How many times venues were rated 4 stars or above
Venues were ranked based on the number of reviews they had received and how many times they had been rated four stars or above. This methodology has some inherent biases:
- Favours quantity over quality of reviews
- Gives advantages of pubs in high-traffic areas
- May not reflect actual pub quality, just online engagement
- Newer establishments at disadvantage regardless of quality
The ranking system essentially measured “most reviewed and well-rated” rather than “objectively best,” which explains why some exceptional independent pubs didn’t make the cut.
For the most popular pub names we used the used the live list from Pubs Galore, based on all open pubs on it’s site. For the original publication before the last updated date, the 2025 data was based on used names in live business listings from UKphonebook.com, this is featured in BBC Countryfile, The Morning Advertiser and Yahoo News.
For pub numbers we used figures from the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA). The estimated figure for 2026 closures takes into account reported pub closures for far and estimates from the (BBPA) British Beer & Pub Association.
FAQs
Why is the Royal Oak a popular pub name?
The Royal Oak name remembers Charles II hiding in an oak tree after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. There are around 389 Royal Oak pubs in the UK today.
How many pubs are there in the UK?
There were 44,656 pubs in Britain at the end of 2025, according to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA). In 2000, there were 60,800.
How many pubs are closing in the UK in 2026?
Around 360 pubs could close in 2026, about one a day, according to the BBPA. By the end of September, 295 had already shut - 226 in England, 64 in Scotland and 5 in Wales.
Why are pubs closing in the UK?
Pubs are closing because of rising costs and changing habits, including gigher taxes, business rates and staff costs. Customers are also more careful with their spending. More people are also choosing low and no alcohol drinks or eating out elsewhere.
Is there business rates relief for pubs?
Yes, eligible pubs in England can currently get 15% off their business rates bill for 2026/27. From April 2027, the government has confirmed a 35% relief for qualifying pubs, social clubs and most live music venues in both 2027/28 and 2028/29. The Small Business Rates Relief threshold is also set to change to £18,000 for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, including pubs. Check with your local council to see if you qualify.
