A Story of Tradition
It was in the mid-19th century that villas in the South and on the West coast of France were first given names. The name chosen often reflected the villa’s character or location: people were identified by their home, and they bore its name.
Later, the trend was reversed: family names began to adorn the dwellings. Another fashion, influenced by colonial times, added a touch of exoticism to the names of our homes. Thus, it became common to find houses decorated with inscriptions like "The Bamboos" or "The Oasis."
Today, many families continue this practice. Whether owners of grand residences or small cottages, they perpetuate the tradition. Often, in small villages, addresses are still identified by the house name (in hamlets or localities). Your dedicated postman, therefore, will not navigate by house numbers or even street names, but by the name of your home.
Why name your house?
We name our homes to catch the passerby’s eye and offer an invitation into the secrets of our dwelling. A house name reveals deep emotional anchors: an attachment to one’s children or cultural roots, or a sense of belonging to a tribe or a region. It speaks of life’s journey, fulfilled dreams, future plans, or aspirations.
Because this initiative is private yet shared with the public, it requires, like any stage setting, a thousand intimate decisions—whether experienced alone, as a couple, or as a family. It is within the folds of these choices that humor, wordplay, and the surprising effect of unexpected names emerge—crafted according to secret rules that bewilder and delight the passerby for a fleeting moment.
Naming your family home or your vacation house is also a way to immortalize the memories that will be born in this magical place of gathering.
What to Name Your House?
First names
First names, whether real, imagined, or derived, are the most common names given to houses. They are most often created by:
- Combining syllables from several first names: Villa Misgy (Marion, Isabelle, Sandra, Gabriel, and Yves).
- Merging first names: Margeanic, Malylette, Mad Jac, CatPat, Martyann, Lu-Tine.
- Emphasizing a sense of emotional belonging through nicknames: Ninon Cottage, Ker Ninette, Franouche.
In France, many female names are preceded by "Sainte" (Saint), while in Brittany, many male names are preceded by "Ker" (home/place).
French Humor and wordplay
La Rose d'Evan, Bicoque de Choc, L'Abri Cotier, Mer sea, Villa Choisy, Villa Sansouci, La Baraca Pots, Le coup de Roulis, La Gare des Etoiles, Le Palet des Gateries, La Vent DN, Le Cat Étoile, Kelven, Sen Zepate, Qui Lu Dit, Picsous, 36 Chants d’Ailes, La Villa Geoise, Pink Floyd, Tu m’Plais La Dolce Farnente, La barakamer, La Maison des ZAMI, Happy ZEN, La Guillerette, La Petite Folie
The Hearth
The Fold, The Nest, Our Little Home, The Quiet Little Enclosure, Beauty of the Fields, The Blue Shutters, Dream Nest, Beautiful Shelter, My Desire, My Ideal, The Den, Beloved Home, Little Manor, The Little Trianon, My Retreat, Villa Bellevue, My Cottage, A Little Slice of Heaven, The Mill, The Pavilion
Happiness
My Ideal, The Joy of Living, Laughing Valley (or Val Riant), The Welcome, "Dégemer Mad" (the Breton word for welcome), Gaiety, The Cheerful Pines, Cheerful Cottage, The Bright Hours, Bright Dwelling, Between Heaven and Earth, The Bohemian Life
The Family,
The Toddlers, The Wind of Angels, The Molehill, The Bonbonniere, The Candy Box, The Little Ones, The Little Tots, The Street Urchins (or Les Poulbots).
Lovers
My Beautiful Abode, My Castle, Villa Bellevue, The Little Folly, The Secret One, Our Dream, Just the Two of Us, You and Me, Intimacy, Beauty Spot, The Fountain of Love.
The Sea
Beachside, The Shell, The Ocean One, White Foam, The Big Coast, West Coast, Sand Rose, The Rolling, The Seaweed, The Rocks, Thalassa, Cliff, Ocean Chalet, The Buoys, The White Sails, Sea Breeze, The Seagull, The Albatross, The Sea Spray, The Sailors, Echo of the Waves, Flowers of the Sands, Grain of Coral, Coast and Sea, The Stopover, The Getaway, Marie Galante.
The Flowers, The Plants
Daisy, Bellis, Mimosa, The Fig Trees, The Heather, Flowery Cottage, The Rose Garden, The Palm Trees, The Mimosas, The Fir Grove, The Green Havens, The Golden Broom, The Golden Firs, The Rose Villa, Flowering Broom, Acacia Flowers, Lily of the Valley, The Jasmines, The Pansy, The Magnolias, The Cornflowers, The Undergrowth, Wood Moss, Echo of the Woods, The Wisteria, The Green Grove, The Sleeping Beauty, The Beauty in the Woods, The Olive Grove Hamlet
The Birds, The Animals
The Seagulls, Seagull Rock, Warbler, The Albatross, The Bird Garden, The Bird Ark,
The Docile Lion, The Fox Den, The Cicada, The Ant, The Sheepfold.
The Tales and the Music
Cinderella, Puss in Boots, Snow White, The Golden Glitter (or Golden Sequins), The Golden Broom, The Golden Firs, The Golden Sheaf, Golden Grain, Golden Sun, Do-Re-Mi, The Symphony, Neptune, Nereus, Morpheus.
The Winds and The Mineral
Aeolus, The Four Winds, Gust of Wind, The Island Wind, Wind Sweeper (or Mowing the Wind), The Trade Wind, The Mistral,
My Diamond, The Emerald, The Cliff, The Sapphire, The Turquoise.
Romanticism
Charm, My Pleasure, Hope, Favorite or Crush, Surprise, Cousins (male and female), Summer Song, By Moonlight, Rainbow, Daintiness, Delicacy, Without Pretension, Casually, Liberty, Here I Am Here I Stay, Let Them Talk, Not Without Effort, Frivolity, Caprice, The Mascot, The Warblers, The Getaway, Chanteclair, Villa of Endless Pleasure, The Manor House, At the Girls', The Truancy, Dreams from Above.