The name of the tavern refers to an archaic unit of liquid measurement, the hogshead. It may also be an allusion to the "Boar's Head Tavern" from the play "Henry IV, Part 1" by William Shakespeare. Much like The Hog's Head, Shakespeare's tavern is the haunt of some less-than-reputable characters. It should also be noted that there is a second hand music shop by the name of "The Hog's Head" less than a mile from JK Rowling's residence in Edinburgh, Scotland. The shop was established four years before "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was released.