Names: and Their Meaning

Why is it called Lloyd's? Why the Green Man? Leopold Wagner traced the origins of everything the Victorians had a name for — countries, tavern signs, flowers, wines, London streets, nicknames and battles — and found a story behind nearly all of them.

Tavern Signs

5 pages in this part of Names and Their Meaning.

Tavern Signs

OTEL is a French term, derived from hostil, a lordly house, a palace. The designation And Public House, signifying a house of public resort…

Tavern Signs: White

Where the innkeeper was not bound by any ties of gratitude or regard to the ground landlord he evinced his loyalty to the reigning monarch…

Tavern Signs: Crown

A very general expression of loyalty, again, was conveyed in the sign of The Crown, which, by the way, was shrewdly complimentary to the…

Tavern Signs: Garter

Perhaps the most glaring instance of this kind originated in the sign of The Garter, or the insignia of the Order of the Garter represented…

Tavern Signs: Boulogne

Chief among these are: - The Cat and Fiddle, a perversion of "Caton le Fidele," in honour of Caton, the faithful Governor of Calais; The…

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of Names: and Their Meaning (1891) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.