why is it called elephant and castle

Elephant and Castle is called that because the area took its name from a historic coaching inn, “The Elephant and Castle,” which itself likely drew its name from the heraldic crest of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers, showing an elephant carrying a castle on its back.

The core story

• In the mid‑18th century, a busy coaching inn at a major South London road junction was named The Elephant and Castle.

• The junction became known by the pub’s name, and as London grew, the whole surrounding district adopted “Elephant & Castle” as its place name.

Where the name comes from

• The most widely accepted origin links the pub’s name to the Worshipful Company of Cutlers, a medieval guild whose crest (granted in 1622) shows an elephant with a castle or tower on its back.

• On this crest, the elephant’s tusks symbolised ivory knife handles, while the castle symbolised the animal’s great size and strength, making it a striking emblem for a pub sign.

Other myths and alternative theories

• A popular but doubtful story says the name comes from “Infanta of Castile,” a Spanish princess supposedly misheard by Londoners as “Elephant and Castle,” later attached to a local tavern.

• Some writers also mention possible links to the historic ivory trade and crafts (like knife‑making) in South London, where the elephant was a convenient symbol for ivory.

Historical depth

• References in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” to an inn called “The Elephant” suggest there were earlier taverns using the elephant motif in London long before the 1760s, helping anchor the symbol in local culture.

• When the area developed into a major traffic junction and later got its own Underground station in the 19th century, the existing name “Elephant & Castle” was simply carried forward and fixed on maps and signs.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.