Change house number to name

[ALS17081982]

Hi,

We've just bought a house. The house currently has a number but historically had a name. We love the name and it is written in the original Victorian stained glass above the front door.

We would love to use the name because we think it is more characterful and charming than using a number.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think it's pretentious to change from a number to a name? Has anyone done this and got experience with how straight forward/involved it is to change from a number to name?

Thanks

You can use both, no problem ie
Jane Smith
Jesmond
25 Maple Street.

I wouldn't use only
Jesmond
Maple Street
If you want to receive your post!

We have a named house with no number. Causes no end of problems when people try to find using just the postcode. They end up half a mile away. Plus you can't see our house from the road so it's a double whammy. We don't get any junk mail unless it's stuff the post person delivers. Every cloud.

Yes, just use both. Our house only has a name and it can be a big problem.

Use both. I lived in one of a terrace of grand Victorian houses that all had names as well as numbers. Poor postman or visitors if we hadn't used both housename and number!

I visit clients in a semi rural area where houses have names only and it's a total pain trying to find the right one. If possible, I ask for comprehensive description of the house to help locate it

As a community worker I beg you not to do this. It is so bloody difficult trying to find house names. It must drive paramedics insane!

In terms of the emergency services finding you if you need them I'd keep both.

My house has a name, no number and everyone struggles to find it. I have to give massive long drawn out directions and people still quite often can't find us.

I think that you are absolutely right to use the name as it is obviously original to the house (in conjunction with the number makes perfect sense too).

In comparison I think it incredibly twee and vaguely nauseating when bog standard houses which have always just had a number get given names. Very Hyacinth Bucket.

Our house has a name but no number. Unfortunately the road is long and none of the houses have numbers. Total PITA. I regularly have delivery drivers call me for directions and I have to go and stand in the middle of the road and wave at them to give them a point of reference!

Stick with the number OP. So much easier.

I think that's a lovely idea. Our house only has a name as we are in the middle of countryside, no neighbours. When I see houses in streets where they have a name (plus number) I always think the owners wanted to make it more homely and characterful. I can't see you causing emergency services (God forbid) any problems so long as you keep the number too. A friend hated her house name and wanted to change it but County Council said no, there are some regulations about that sort of thing. For instance two Rose Cottages in same post code is a no no.

@TwoIsQuiteEnoughThankyou that is exactly what I'm worried about - being Hyacinth Bouquet! It's not an estate house, it's an individual Victorian house on the oldest road in the town but the rest of the houses all seem to have numbers so I'm not sure if it would be too much...?

@llangennith in your old house, was the house name and number part of your official address e.g. in land registry, census etc? In this house currently only the number forms part of the address but I can see that historically there was just a name in the official address. I'm wondering if I'd be able to update this (with land registry?) to include the name as well as the number.

Thanks

I don't think it's "Hyacinth" if the name is printed in an original stained glass window on a Victorian house. Quite enviable in fact.

I did this as purchased a house in a village where almost every house was named except a few of ours.
I added a name, registered it through the post office (I don’t think we had to do it anywhere but was 12 yrs ago) and job done!
I kept name and number.
I believe it helped sell it or at least get viewings as ‘Pretty named cottage’ it a bit more appealing than just a number?

We used both in our last house. We found in conversation people referred to the house by name (same as they did for surrounding houses) but we needed number for ambulances (regular visitors sadly).

Unless it's Blenheim or Chatsworth, using names is a bit naff.

That's a bit harsh DeepInFrance - our house is 110 years old and has it's original name. The name has local significance too.