Name Tag

A name tag is an item used to name existing mobs. It is used by naming the name tag using an anvil, and then right clicking any mob you want to name with the renamed name tag in your hand. Name tags have no crafting recipe and are only found in dungeons.

Usage and behavior
To use a name tag, it must first be renamed to the desired name with an anvil. The player can then right-click mobs to give the mob the name given to the name tag with the anvil. The name tag is consumed during the process and it will not be dropped by a renamed mob. To name horses using a name tag, however, a player must mount on a horse first and then right-click the horse with a name tag. Also, villagers cannot be named using the name tags. You can only name villagers by renaming their spawn egg using the anvil. This was added in the Redstone Update.

Renamed mobs will have their name displayed over their head in the fashion as a mob named through a renamed spawn egg. Their names can only be seen if they are aimed at from 7 or fewer blocks away. Mobs that are named using the name tag will also not despawn in the world, similar to tamed mobs. Players can therefore use name tags to not only name mobs, but to retain them if players travel far distances.

Trivia

 * Name tags were added to the game primarily due to the request of popular Minecraft gamer Paul Soares Jr..