House naming started many years ago with rich people naming their homes. The rich named their Halls, Houses, Manors, Castles, and Lodges according to ancestry, location, and family titles: Norfolk House (Duke of), Belvoir Castle (overlooking the Belvoir Valley); Castle Droge (named after a 13th ancestor) etc. Gradually over the years other people began to give names to their homes too.

All houses in towns and cities have a number. Very few have just a name and majority do not have names.

Street Numbering

Street numbering was introduced by act of Parliament in 1765. Every house in a town and city has a number followed by the name of the road it is in e.g. 26 Avebury Avenue. The first house in the road is number one and the last house is the number of buildings in the street. The number readily identifies the location of a property in a road and so makes it easier for the emergency services to find houses quickly.

Odd numbers are usually assigned to the left side of the street and even numbers to the right, as they head out of town.

The UK's Top 50 house names
from the Halifax House Names Survey 2003

The most Common Themes for House names in Britain

House names today are inspired by a bewildering array of sources: everything from location and local history to literature and legends.

Animals and birds

Favourites include:

Badgers Cottage, Cuckoo Cottage, Curlew Cottage, Dolphin Cottage, Fox Hollow, Kestrels, Magpies, Mole End, Nightingale Cottage, Robin Hill, Rookery Nook, Squirrels Leap, Swallow Barn, The Jays and Two Hoots

Trees

Favourites include:

Orchard House, The Orchard, Woodlands, Treetops, Oaklands, The Willows, Yew Tree Cottage, The Laurels, The Hollies, The Beeches and The Firs.

Plants and flowers

Favourites include:

Rose Cottage, Primrose Cottage, Honeysuckle Cottage and Lilac Cottage.

Locations and views

Favourites include:

Hillside, Hillcrest, Sunnyside, Woodside, Meadow View and Fairview.

Historical

Favourites include:

The Coach House, The Old School House, The Old Rectory, The Old Vicarage, The Old Post Office, Mill House, The Granary and The Grange

Fairytales and Old Favourites

Favourites include:

Thimble Cottage, Pippins, The Little House, The Nutshell, Whispers, Wishing Well Cottage and The Nest.

Holidays and beauty spots

Favourites include:

Ambleside, Blencathra, Eskdale, Rydal, Tarn Hows, Windermere, Larmona, Tresco and Kynance.

Other pages on a similar theme

Find out about the different type of houses we have in England

Photos of different types of houses in England