House Name
Naming Your Home: A Long and Venerated Tradition
House naming began in the days of the Roman occupation of England, where the Roman grandees would name their villas after the home's size, color, or a family name. During the time period after the Dark Ages, homes were often named after locations or ancestors. When villas became affordable to lower-income people, they also tended to name homes after locations, creating diminuitives of grander properties to dignify their own comfortable homes.
In the 1930s, when the land outside of London was claimed and developed, homes were given "blended personal" names such as Frankville and Maryville, as well as comforting and relaxing names to show their importance as a place of repose and restoration.
Modern house names take their inspiration from local flora, fauna, and landmarks visible from the home; the home's historical purpose (such as The Old Schoolhouse); ancestral names; and imaginative names, often inspired by fiction or local legend, with no concrete significance to the homeowners.
How to Name a House
There is no "official" way to name a house in most countries. It's a private matter between you, your family, and your home. Sit down with your loved ones and come up with a list of evocative, original, and interesting names for your home. Some of the best modern names for homes are puns, such as Dunroamin; many others have personal meaning, such as Milestone or Heather's Rest. However, once you have chosen a name, the best way to display it is on a customized house sign.
Your home sign will proudly proclaim your house's new name to the neighborhood, and can be placed just about anywhere around your home. Most house number sign manufacturers allow up to 16 characters per house sign, meaning your house name could be quite long - the word 'elephant' is 8 characters, for example.
Making Your House Sign
Next, choose a house sign manufacturer to assist in the creation of your house sign. Many house sign manufacturers boast full-featured websites with interactive sign creators and extensive photo galleries to help you decide who can do the best job on your custom house sign. Research several house sign manufacturers, and go with the ones you feel will do the best possible job.
Your house number plaque can be made of wood, stone, or sturdy, long-lived plastic. You can choose the graphics, the font, and even the colors used on your house sign. You can order a house sign with or without a frame, and your house sign manufacturer will inform you about installation and care.
Naming your home, and displaying your home's name on a house sign, is a huge gesture of homeowner's pride. Take your time and consider all your sources of inspiration. You're marking this house as your own, and increasing its social value to others, for years to come.