In England it is not uncommon for people to name their houses. This custom started with gentry naming their castles and manors. Later the common folk would adopt the practice. Rye is close to the sea, so words related to ships and the ocean are popular to use. These are just some of the house signs in Rye.

One way people may name their house is by what is on the property or near the house. This one is close to Landgate in Rye so hence the name.

This house may have been named after the Arbella that was one of the first ships that carried about 20,000 English to New England between 1630 and 1640. The Arbella traveled from Southhampton, England to Salem between March 22 and June 12, 1630. The ship was named for a prominent puritan,Β Lady Arabella Johnson, who was on the ship traveling with her husband.


Smuggler’s Cottage may have been the site of a smuggling operation or it could just be a name that was picked years ago.

Some houses are named after what the former purpose of the building was. This one is named Old Stable so it may have been a stable converted into a house. The name Stables is in the top 50 names of houses in England with 549 houses using that name.

This house was most likely old meeting house of the quakers. The Old Rectory, The Old Vicarage are two of the top 50 names in England of houses.
Are there any of these names or signs you like the best? Would you name your house if you had the option to do so?
The Smugglers Cottage is my favourite… I grew up in a named house – Kirkchrist (named after the farm) but these days, I can’t ever see myself living in the kind of property you would name.
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Anyone can do this now. It does not have to be an estate or have historical significance. If you like flowers and grow roses on your property you can choose to name it Rose Cottage.
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It’s hard to pick a favorite.
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I know. The artist or artists for these signs is talented. Ones with historical references are especially interesting to me.
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Nice post. Fun tidbits.
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Land gate cottage is a favorite.
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It shows the nearby architecture!
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When we lived in Kingswood, Surrey the house we rented was called ‘Dorian’. It was on Doric Drive. The house name I liked the best in the community was The Wolery!
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Wolery: as in from Winnie the Pooh Chapter IX “In which Eeyore finds the Wolery and Owl moves into it”. Owls house blew down and they tried to find a new one?
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Yes, the Pooh story!
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Those are cute!
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They are. I love the names and the signs.
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Wow, what a lovely thing to do, to christen oneβs home. I wonder if they accompany the naming with a ceremony, as they do when launching a ship or when someone does a gender reveal. Ha, I wonder if there is a Shanty McShanty or similar name, as in Boaty McBoatface! π‘
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