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Original poster

Is it pretentious to give a house a name?

127 replies

SarahAndQuack · 10/05/2022 22:32

Just that really. We live in a village where the majority of houses have names. A few have just numbers, and some have both. We rented the house for a while but now we've bought it and we like the idea of giving it a name. But is that weird? Do you only get to name a house if it's had a name already?

OP posts:
DarlingNik · 10/05/2022 22:35

Do what you like- I don’t think it’s odd if most houses around you have names, unless you want to call it Blenheim Palace when it’s a 2 bed terrace or something.

you have to apply to the council to do it officially.

Loginmystery · 10/05/2022 22:37

I think it’s pretentious. However if I ever own a house in the country I will be naming it.

Throwawaytoday · 10/05/2022 22:38

In my local council elections, the Tory candidate's house was named, Labour had a number, and Green and LibDem had both.

IDK why, but it tickled me.

That having been said, I'd jump at giving my house a name... (Not a Tory).

CloudPine · 10/05/2022 22:38

I think it’s corny.

LoveSpringDaffs · 10/05/2022 22:38

Fine if its a big house or a cute cottage. Naff as naff can be if it's a terraced house.

DramaAlpaca · 10/05/2022 22:42

I don't think it's pretentious at all. I'd love to give our house a name, we're in a village like OP's where there's a mixture of names and numbers. I have a great name in mind, but my DH does think it's pretentious and won't agree <sulks>

pastypirate · 10/05/2022 22:44

I think it's great to have the choice!! Dm house was named 'Cozy Cottage' with that spelling. It changed to 63 pretty quick 😂

RewildingAmbridge · 10/05/2022 22:44

I wouldn't name a house, PILs house has a name the coach house, because that's what it was, other houses in their village also have their original names. Otherwise it's a bit birds of a feather/Chigwell Dalentrace.
I used to live near a house called RossLynn because those were the names of the people who lived there, see also Glen Barry, Karenza, Seychelle, Topaz, Tenco one just called Marian and my favourite Agincourt. This was a standard suburban high road with 60-70s built houses, all had numbers on display. I don't know who started it but it had clearly got out of hand

MindPalace · 10/05/2022 22:44

It’s fine I think. Unless it’s Casa Bevron [am old].

Original poster
SarahAndQuack · 10/05/2022 22:46

Grin @DarlingNik, I will now have to call it Blenheim Palace!

@Loginmystery - perhaps we can embrace the pretentious vibe together?

@Throwawaytoday, that tickles me too. A perfect summary of political positions.

@LoveSpringDaffs - ah, well there we are. It's an end terrace in a row of three, but they are cottage-y as fuck. They were built in around 1730 and were probably almshouses then barns before being separated into houses. Until we bought ours it was agricultural occupancy and I suspect the terraced house context means we should Know Our Place. Grin

OP posts:
DingDongBellPussysInTheWell · 10/05/2022 22:50

Like pps have said, not pretentious if lots around you have names and you don't use words like 'mansion' or 'palace' in the name.
Someone round ours has put up a new build and given it a name. We live in "Cricklewood" which is quite a large village and they have called their house "cricklewood house" like it's the bloody local Manor House or something and not some crap garish new build. Lots of people in the pub laughed at the gall of it.

HeddaGarbled · 10/05/2022 22:51

We have a house with a name and no number. Not our choice, it was built between existing houses by the people we bought it from. It’s a pain in the arse - no one can ever find it and we are forever being phoned by visitors and delivery people who’ve been driving around for ages and we have to go down to the bottom of the drive and wave them in.

StoneofDestiny · 10/05/2022 22:51

I guess Downton Abbey would sound funny being just No. 7. However Downing St is just Number 10.

MrsAvocet · 10/05/2022 22:53

I think it's fine if it's in a place where most houses have names, though the postie and delivery drivers will probably thank you if you leave the number on too. We live in a place with no numbers and it's a bit of a pain to be honest.
I wpuld like to give our house a number if I could, as we get so much stuff misdelivered and regularly get people ringing the bell asking for directions which is a bit irritating. But as none of the other houses have numbers and our road doesn't have a name, calling our house Twelve instead of Avocet Towers wouldn't make it any easier to find! It must be a bit of a nightmare for the emergency services etc. Numbers are much more sensible really.

DeusInAbsentia · 10/05/2022 22:58

We have both, so “name, 6 anytown street” We did it like that because the numbers in the street are weird and a bit out of whack and the name references a feature of the house which makes it easier for people to spot.
we never did it officially with the council etc though so the number remains as well.

there is a house near me called “overland “ and some wit keeps scrawling “leg” in front of it. Confess it made me snort.

LadyWhistledownofWhistleton · 10/05/2022 23:03

I don’t think it’s pretentious. Most houses in our village have names like x lodge, x house, x hall or just a name. It’s a pain in the arse for deliveries when you live in the sticks where I do though because the postcode covers such a large area of rural houses. Just make sure you don’t name your house similar to another as we’re always getting deliveries for a house with the same name as they’re Lodge at the end and we’re Hall.

Crispynoodle · 10/05/2022 23:06

Ours was called Ardenlea when we bought it so it still says that! I wouldn't have named it and I've no idea why it was called that!

Kathers92 · 10/05/2022 23:06

I think it's a little weird if they already have a number.

Our house has a name but there are no numbers on our lane at all, its over two miles long so getting a takeaway is a nightmare.

Shannith · 10/05/2022 23:09

Mines got a name and number and my last one had just a name - there weren't any numbers. But I live in a village. We toyed with the idea of changing the last one it was xxxxx cottage and not a cottage but it'dbeen called that for a over a hundred years so just left it.

DrNo007 · 10/05/2022 23:10

It’s great to give your house a name and the house will appreciate it and want to look after you better. There, I probably win the prize for the most pretentious answer. We are giving ours a name as soon as we can get the sign made.

AngelinaFangelina · 10/05/2022 23:15

Mine has a name, but was built in the late 1700s when in this area the houses were only named and not numbered. Its a descriptive name that makes sense and you would know the house from the name.
I don't see the problem if someone wants to name their house 🤷‍♀️

Pascha · 10/05/2022 23:15

Mine's a name and a number because we are one of 8 cottages in a group so it goes:

2 Madeup cottages, Somewhere Road
Village
Local town
Postcode

Which is a pain in the arse because no one ever get the address exactly right and I can never find the address on auto searches.

I'd love to be just a unique name. A number is pointless here as its just clumps of houses here and there.

randomsabreuse · 10/05/2022 23:16

I used to live in a (very) small town, house names like Dartmoor View, Flower Cottage etc. And next door was "Camion Vista" which was great - as little town had a large haulage yard and cheese factory...

Put me off naming houses other than in an ironic way - I really admired that person!

DH has unofficially named our current house, I'm not thrilled about it and am vetoing an official name change...

mawik · 10/05/2022 23:18

I have lived in 7 different houses in the last 55 years, only one of them had a number, the rest had names, none that we named. All of them except that one have been in rural areas, so had names rather than numbers.

TurnOverANewPage · 10/05/2022 23:20

MindPalace · 10/05/2022 22:44

It’s fine I think. Unless it’s Casa Bevron [am old].

Op I had to scroll back when I remembered Casa Bevron 👍🏽