Although my house has a boring number and that gets packages and plumbers to the door, I want it to have a name.
It’s a great old rural custom, even for dwellings that don’t rank up there with Pemberley. You know … “Take the lane past Rose Cottage” “Oh, Miss Smythington? She lives out at Bide-a-Wee.”
I’ve been calling it Ye Olde Wreck in my BHM articles, but hopefully that name won’t apply a few years down the road. Something a little more evocative would be nice.
I toyed with names last summer but couldn’t settle on anything. So maybe you can help.
What’s a name suitable for a modest house on a narrow lane, tucked against a wooded hillside, enjoying a pocket view of wetland and forest?
Here’s a sample of what I’ve been noodling, but the name is probably still out there.
The Hermitage
Freelands
Cedar Cottage
Selkie House (Celtic)
Carraig Cottage (Celtic)
Waterfall House (because it has a tiny seasonal waterfall)
Adnamira (“Flowing Water”; Australian)
Aalican (“Great Calm”; Celtic)
Serendipity
Dromore Cottage (Irish)
_________ View
_________ Hill
Casa __________
You see where I’m going? But I’ll bet the collective wisdom of the Living Freedom Commentariat can come up with something better that I haven’t thought of yet.
P.S. The first person to suggest any variation on “Wolfe’s Den” or “The Dog House” will be summarily shot. Don’t. Do it. I warn you.
P.P.S. Have you ever lived in a house that had a name? Or do you now?
How about The Freedom Sconce? A bit of BHM, a bit of Jeff Cooper (actually, a bit of Janelle Cooper), and nothing too terribly typecasting. 🙂
Sconce??? I’m going to have to look that up. I know “sconce” only as something on a wall, usually holding candles.
Thanks for being first in, Kevin. If there were prizes, you’d get one for that. 🙂
I did once… out in the desert I lived for a while in a house that was called the “Box X” … and it came complete with a ghost…
Have to give some thought to a name for your place. Would be so much better if I could be there, get the feel of the place. Something about dragons?
I’ve actually been trying to think of a name for my house. Everything I come up with is either overused, or suggests things I’m not prepared to explain to the neighbors. 🙂 Fort Defiance? Cluttered Cabin? LOL Considering that most of my property is at a decided slant, maybe I should call it the “Slippery Slope.” Ok, I’ll quit now. 🙂
Okay, I looked it up. I’m still not at all sure why anybody would name a house “The Sconce,” but their place has about zero in common with mine and I would always think “candles on the wall.” So … that was interesting, but not the name for this place.
Arbroath Cottage
Presumably for this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Arbroath
Mo Saoirse (“my freedom”)
Yes
How about Wolfes Freehold? With a nod to Robert A. Heinlein Farnham’s Freehold post-apocalyptic tale.
Wolfe’s DensDog HouseThe Pound? [grin](If you can hit me from there, I want your ICBM dealer’s nname and email.)
Serenity?
Never lived in a named house. Never named my cars, trucks, guns, or swords either.
Claire View?
Or if that raises a blush,
Hodge Lodge.
Not including hotels and lodges, the closest I ever came living in a named residence was in signal base on top of a mountain in Vietnam. But the name the grunts gave my command bunker isn’t repeatable.
Claire View? Hodge Lodge? The Pound? LOL! You guys are funny.
Serenity would be a candidate for sure, except that I used to sell my jewelry under the name Serenity Hill (the site of Cabin Sweet Cabin, though I never used the name otherwise) and I’m kind of done with that.
Tim, I like Wolfe’s Freehold. I’m not as much of a Heinlein fan as many are around here, but that’s got a nice ring.
Favorite so far: Mo Saoirse (mo seer-sha). Good Irish phrase. Very pretty once you get past the tongue-twisting look of the thing. Has an interesting history as a name. Definite possibility.
Mo Saoirse also reminds me of another Irish phrase — Mo Stor Gal or Gal Mo Stor, meaning “my bright treasure.”
Keep ’em coming …
First house I built (with my own hands) we named BobCat. My wife’s name is Catherine. I even laid a corner stone. I’m sure it sounded pretty stupid to everyone except us.
You need something which represents the entity which makes it a home. It only needs to have meaning to you.
Moldmore (Moldnomore?)
Dripping Leaves (Branches/Ceilings)
Canine Castle (Hey, it isn’t The Dog House!)
Rescue Retreat
Libertopica
Warm Hovel
Freecave
Hole in the Trees
The Hideout
Apricotia
The Dry Spot
The Pristine Chapel
The CWastle
Neverfinished
Someday Hillside
Freedonian Free Territory
The Possibility
Home Sweet Fortified Position
Ohhhh, Kent! YOU. ARE. GOOD. Prolific, too. And hysterical (Moldmore, Neverfinished, The CWastle).
Dripping Leaves (more like Dripping Needles hereabouts) is probably the most appropriate. The Dry Spot in the Dripping Leaves …
And Apricotia …
OMG.
“You need something which represents the entity which makes it a home. It only needs to have meaning to you.”
Yes, exactly. OTOH, sometimes I think the Commentariat knows me and perhaps even that “entity” better than I know me and my own thoughts, entitywise.
BobCat. Not bad. Did you put a time capsule in the cornerstone?
I went to a preschool in Santa Fe– some decades ago– called Casa Solana. Given the pretty yellow color of your house, it would suit.
Casa Solana — Sunny Spot House. That would be a very encouraging name, given the climate here. Pretty one, too. And fitting not only because of the yellow paint but the big windows. Good one, Seibert.
So many possibilities (including “The Possibility” LOL). Unless one just jumps straight into the center of my heart, I suspect I’m going to end up putting five or six names into a hat and pulling one out. Or maybe putting a list of favorites under my pillow and sleeping on it for a night or two.
I too, have never named anything. Not any car, gun, knife, home, nor fish.
I suspect if I were a SciFi writer, my aliens would have names such as “Bob”, and “Ralph”.
Possibly Beth something? House of the Rising Sun, translated to Hebrew, would be funny.
Yeah, I’m not much help. 🙂
I second “Claire View;”
also, how about “Acres and Panes?” which seems appropriate for a home being renovated.
I hesitate to presume, but you might consider Imladris. Isn’t that where the wise gathered and discussed matters before the last War of the Ring?
BTW- A sconce more generally is a basket for holding fire and casting light, which seems appropriate; it is also a small fortification or earthwork. I.e. “those damned rebels have ensconced themselves at the top of the pass!”
With regard to naming places, my father’s summer cottage was known as Willowbye; my current curtilege is known as Liberty Hollow, but I have not named the house as yet. Perhaps I shall call it the Soap Box…. The home my wife and I are constructing will be known as Winterview.
I’m not living there just yet, but I’ve been building “Beech-Spring-Hollow” for the past five years. I came up with the name because I have about 80% beech trees on my property along with an excellent spring with the best ice-cold drinking water; the Cabin itself sits in a small valley close to that spring (hereabouts called a “hollow”).
For your house I’d suggest “Casa de la Libertad”. Somehow the paint reminds me of the Spanish countryside.
Being in the PNW too, I think I wanna steal Casa Solana, especially with all this rain. Funny how I’ve recently been thinking of getting a sign out front of our house. Not so excited about a last name variety, but I would like my children to care about things they put their name on. Hmmmm…
There’s a special memorable intimacy, I think, to a one-word house name — such as Tara or Pemberley, to mention two literary examples. It seems to recognize a spirit of the place, almost as if the house were a living thing you could talk with.
For that reason, and because it’s a lovely word, I’m most partial to Adnamira so far. Solana is nice on its own, too.
Or what about Hobbyhole? Sort of a play on hobbit-hole and cubbyhole, and a nod to your crafty work there as well as your renovations.
Your color scheme reminds me of desert, adobe, and such. Maybe Casita Clara?
I’m with jed…I don’t name cars or houses or guns. They already have names!
TXCOMT
Bella casa
Freedoms view
Cottage de Clair
Casetta nel bosco (cottage in the woods)
My favorite, … “Home”
Alderaan?
I also like "Mo Saoirse" — Or given the amount of work you’ve put in, how about "Mo Daoirse"? Or perhaps combine the two with a fancy ligature?
Another variation: Saoirse feinrialaithe.
Something on this listmight also provide inspiration.
And of course, don’t forget these generics:
Villa _____
_____ Abbey
How bout “Wise Acres”???
or instead of “Sconce” how bout “Wellspring” or “Font”??? (Meh – I don’t like it much either.)
I am another who has never named any inanimate thing. But were I to name a home it would be something along the line of ‘Allmine’, or perhaps ‘Paidoff Cottage’.
Freedom’s Keep.
Apricot Stew
I don’t name things. Don’t know where I got that one.
I’m trying to remember what you named the first rescued table that you fixed up so stunningly. Doorway to the sun? Sun something? Seeing the yellow shining made me think of a local place called Dayspring.
Tarabithia
casa de vida libre
Okay. Several more interesting directions here! Also, I’m getting strong impressions of what I don’t want, which is just as helpful in its own way.
I don’t want to name the place after anybody else’s house or anything from a book or movie or anything implying battle or struggle or declaration, etc. Rock, strength, freedom, maybe. Fighting or defiance, no. Aiming for a place of peace.
Karen — Good memory on Doorway to the Sun. Pat came up with that, just as she came up with Mo Saoirse, one of my favorites so far.
Beth — Yes on what you say about the intimacy of a one-word name. I’ve been drawn to the one-word name, also, but you articulated the reason and I never could have.
FishOrMan — Feel free to steal; I assume Seibert wouldn’t mind. It’s a beautiful name, and this year anybody in the PNW could really use it.
http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-wettest-december-in-northwest.html
Yikes! We were supposed to have a more-or-less normalish year while El Nino-Godzilla sent buckets of rain south. Ha! We’re drowning while Califonia gets “normal” and the east gets sweater weather.
Historian — Thank you for the education on “sconce.” Winterview is lovely — but I wouldn’t want to live there. Give me Solana anytime!
Dana — I love the idea of the name of an ancient Irish anchorage. And Saoirse-Daoirse is so apropos and so very metaphysical. Or ironic. Or paradoxical Or something.
I am really enjoying and getting a lot out of this, thank you. Even the suggestions that don’t resonate with me are telling me something. And some of you are making me laugh.
Here’s a Welsh one for you, Caer Pistyll(waterfall fort) suitable for a pistol packing freedomista? Or if you prefer waterfall house replace the Caer with Ty!
My family home is Cadair Arth, bears stronghold! Named when there wrre still bears in Wales and they inhabited the caves behind us!
Inspired by Mr. Shawn, Karen, Seibert, and sort of by jed:
Casa del sole (Italian; House of the Sun)
Talo (Finnish; House of the Sun — one of my best neighbors here is Finnish)
Maison du soleil (French; probably a little too pretentious for me)
Roger — Nice to hear from you and from somebody who lives in a place where they take their house naming seriously. 🙂
Caer Pistyll … Hm. Ty Pistyll … Hm hm …
Frances Mayes, author of “Under The Tuscan Sun”, lives in a house named “Bramasole: from bramare, to yearn for, and sole, sun; something that yearns for the sun, and yes, I do..” That’s how she wrote it in her book.
We tend to name our houses/properties, but not so much the vehicles.
Our first house we named “Sagworthy”, because it had sagging floor joists. We moved ASAP.
Our current home we’ve named “Contentment”.
Tewsoonteshewt?
Ok, hold your fire, just kidding! :))
Flaxenhall
Shadowleaf
Erinhall
Concordianovus
P.P.S. Have you ever lived in a house that had a name? Or do you now?
Yes. Yes, I have.
I’ve been threatened with shooting by one of those crazy gun nuts we hear so much about, so I’ll keep Wolf’s Hall to myself and never hint that I thought of it.
How’s Claireshall? Or if you want to get more obscure and doggy, Avashall?
“Did you put a time capsule in the cornerstone?”
No capsule. (The cornerstone wasn’t my idea, either)
Hope, or Hope House. Howzat?
How about Islandia, from the book of the same name?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islandia_%28novel%29
There’s one virtual reality you can claim as your own – so Hardyville Hotel (assuming you like guests)? Note I did not suggest the Hog Trough….
Casa Added-on
Bag End. People can make of that whatever they want!
My beach cottage has a name, “The Showboat.” I didn’t name it; that’s been its name for 100 years. But we like it. https://www.dropbox.com/s/asoy5f3whpvmsnd/Showboat.jpg?dl=0
Laird — Your cottage looks like a showboat. Cool. All it needs is a paddlewheel on it.
“Casa Added-on”
LOL, more like Casa Torn-Off, given that I’ve destroyed three bits totaling about 1/4 of the house while so far not adding anything. Ah, but sometime in the future …
Chris — Hardyville Hotel — Motto “Hermits Only. By Invitation Only. Now Go Away.”
Walker10 — Nope, book or movie names just don’t do it for me; sorry. But thanks for the interesting book trivia. I don’t think I ever heard of Islandia before.
Joel — “Yes. Yes, I have.” Wiseass. I should have asked if anybody OTHER THAN JOEL lived in a named house. That said, Secret Lair is a great, and oh-so-accurate appellation.
Bob — “Hope, or Hope House. Howzat?”
I love the connotations, but I’m far, far too cynical and pessimistic for that name.
Vince —
Flaxenhall
Shadowleaf
Erinhall
Concordianovus
Oh my. Somebody here either should be writing or already does write fantasy novels. Those, especially the first three, are gorgeous. And the last one is Deep. My place is more cottage than hall, but those are truly lovely names.
I like the name you mentioned before you listed names: Pocket View Place.
I had to scroll down to write this before I read the ideas of all the other readers. Will be curious to learn what you decide upon.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Lady Locust. And thank you.
This thread is getting to be a lot to read through, I know. Pocket View Place? Pocket Palace? Pocket in the Cedars? Hm…
Okay, after seeing it in print and reading the other posts, Pocketview ?
That’s cute. I don’t know if it’s The One, but it’s different and adorable. I like that it’s not like anything else.
Chrysallis ?
I’m another “I don’t name inanimate objects” types with the exception of an older Chevy truck I named Beulah Belle for reasons unknown. [shrug]
A Happy Holiday Season to All.
Be safe Claire.
capn [gooch]
Freedom’s Light? 2 words, yeah. Well, you could render it in German, and make it one word – they like to do that, ya know. Or render it in Gaelic or Irish.
Coronal Mass Ejection of Liberty seems a bit wordy.
You know, I meant to add that I really like Pat’s Saorse suggestion.
And it occurs to me that a house with a one-word name is most like a friend.
What sort of qualities do you want your name to express? Whimsy? Freedom? Toughness? Coziness? Connection to the natural world? Exotic feel? Pinpointing those qualities might help you reach a right name for you.
And as a riff on someone’s suggestion above…how about Hardyvilla? (Or some spelling variation thereof…)
Since moving to the great Northwet, we’re learning the pleasure and value of a good, hot soup.
How about “Potage Cottage”?
Coastalrica;
All the pics posted here or in the mag seem to have been taken on sunny days.
Sunnydays.
Sunpeace.
Sunray.
Sorry. That’s all I’ve got.
Blessings and peace this Christmas.
-Us.
“…I’m far, far too cynical and pessimistic for that name.”
OK – Eeyore.
“It never hurts to keep looking for sunshine.” – Eeyore
(snicker)
Yes, I have been associated with two homes that had names, both in Virginia. My grandparents home was called “Wynyard”, my great grandparents home was named “Moldavia”. I suggest you simply call your home “Freedom”…
I currently live in what friends call the beach house I once lived in the hole and yes it was as nice as it sounds. Reading about your house in bhm and here I would just call it progress
Transcendental Crib. The mix and match or complimentary color scheme, the layered add-ons, the misty setting, and the artist inhabitant all lead in the direction of Transcendental, a spiritual hideaway. Crib updates from 19th century cottage. The artist is forward looking, with it, and doesn’t brook trespass or personal invasion of her space, her crib. Crib as slang also implies armed refuge.
Hmm…Like a few other posters here, I never really named ‘objects’. However, to perhaps give you a few names to rule out 🙂 I’ll join in
Allwynds
Cadby
Canowindra
Grianan
Highfield
Nestledown
Tabulum
Anyhow, I hope you have had a good year and a better one to come.
TJ Madison — What lovely, evocative names. Not ruling them out, nope. Not out of hand, anyhow. What I think I’ll do next is go through this whole comment thread and make a list of the 10 or 12 names that seem most right for this place. Then there will have to be some way, as yet unknown, to winnow the list down to The One.
Update, I was just going through this thread again and realized I’d completely missed several good comments and a very appropriate suggestion or two, including one from capn and another from Vince that just made my favorites list.
Apologies!
Will post my favorites soon.
I liked a couple from Vince, too, and Chrysalis from capn is most apropo.
[OT: Gooch, is that you? My bolt box is doing its job well.]