Eggnog gets its name from two parts: the “egg” in the rich, egg-based drink, and “nog,” a word likely linked to old terms for strong alcohol or the cups it was served in. The exact origin is a bit fuzzy, but most historians agree on a few leading theories.

Quick Scoop

The “nog” part of eggnog

There are three main explanations people point to for why it is called eggnog:

  • “Nog” as a strong beer or ale in parts of England, so an eggy drink mixed with strong booze became “egg-nog.”
  • “Noggin” as a small wooden cup used to serve alcoholic drinks; an egg drink served in these cups could be called “eggnog.”
  • In colonial America, “grog” was slang for rum; some think “egg-and-grog” slurred over time into “eggnog.”

No single theory is universally accepted, but all tie “nog” to drinking vessels or strong alcohol, which fits the boozy, festive nature of the drink.

How the drink itself started

  • Eggnog likely evolved from medieval British “posset,” a warm, milky drink sometimes thickened with eggs and spiked with ale or wine.
  • By the 1700s, it crossed to the American colonies, where plentiful eggs, dairy, and cheap rum turned it into a rich holiday punch.

Over time, the name “eggnog” stuck to this luxurious, custard-like holiday drink made with eggs, milk or cream, sugar, and usually rum, brandy, or other spirits.

TL;DR: It is called eggnog because it is an egg-based drink (“egg”) mixed with strong booze and historically served in special cups or with strong ale/rum (“nog”), with several overlapping naming stories from England and colonial America.

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