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That very iconic line is spoken by Juliet as she was pining for her newfound love, Romeo. The complete line is “What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

While she wasn’t wrong about the smell of a rose, we do put a lot of focus and importance on names, especially in our built environment. Community names, road names, plan names, even room names all play a part in setting the stage for the places we call home.

Community Names

The name of a community can set the tone and expectations for the entire neighborhood. The theme of the names can vary as much as the names themselves.

Geographic Feature Names

Some community names like RiverTown, Seaside (both in FL), Red Rock Ranch (in AZ and NV), Blue Ridge Crossing (NC), or The Cliffs (SC & NC) are great examples of community names inspired by geographic features.

Vegetation Inspired Names

Coastal Oaks and Sawgrass in Florida evoke a certain type of vegetation. In the case of The Woodlands, (Texas) there is reference an ample amount of vegetation.

Names that Evoke Emotions

Still other communities are named to evoke a lifestyle or emotion. Celebration, Harmony, Daybreak, Ovation, or Watercolor come to mind.

Regionally Inspired Names

Some communities have regional names like Summer’s Corner (Summerville, SC) or Georgetown Village (MD) or Durham Farms (Durham, NC).

Inspirational Community Names

Here in Jacksonville Florida, a new master plan community had each village named after a famous inventor so there are names like Edison, Newton, Kettering, Marconi, and Nobel. Can you name what each invented? Some are easier than others.

Signature Community Names

Lastly, some communities have names that have become signature names like Latitude Margaritaville or The Villages.

Street Names

Once inside the community, the street names can continue the theming and emotional appeal. Some of my favorites include Tranquil Cove, Whisperings Pines, Sunset Boulevard, Twilight Court, or Solstice Park. But finding a unique and emotionally charged name has to be cleared by the US Postal service, which can be a challenge. One local Jacksonville developer bought a legacy family property and named the streets after the landowner’s daughters, so you had names like Mabel Drive, Annie Mae Place, and Ella Jane Drive.

The name of that community was Old Still, named after the former turpentine still that used to be on the property. We used to live there, and I affectionately referred to it as Still Old.

Some street names are head scratchers – who would want to live on Red Bug Lake Road, Rattlesnake Trail, or Moccasin Slough? Other quirky names include Booger Branch Road or Pee Wee Street. Do you really want to drive down a street called Needmore Road? I think that should be the new name for Interstate 95 – especially at rush hour!

House Names

Builders love to name their floor plans. Often, they will pick a theme to name all their homes. Perhaps each plan carried the name of a tree like Laurel Oak, Red Maple, or Loblolly Pine. Floral names are popular and might include Rose or Tulip. One South Carolina Builder named his plans after the icon holes at the Master’s golf course in Augusta, GA. Names included Tea Olive, Camelia, Yellow Jasmine, Azalea, and Pink Dogwood.

How about artists like Rembrandt, Renoir, Raphael and Botticelli? Regardless of the theme, house names should be memorable and evoke positive emotions.

Room Names

The names of the rooms in our houses have changed over the years. It used to be common practice to have a living room and a dining room. But over the years, buyers have been looking for a more casual lifestyle. As such, “Living Room” was replaced by “Gathering Room”, “Great Room”, or “Grand Room”. Instead of “Dining Room”, I prefer to say “Café”.

We are all familiar with the bedroom that used to be considered the “Master Bedroom”, which gave way to the “Owner’s Suite”, followed by the “Primary Bedroom” or simply “Suite”. Is it a Back Porch, Lanai or Outdoor Living Room? Do you call it a Wet Bar, or do you prefer Beverage Center? I like the play on words for a Messy Kitchen, but many prefer to call that space a Scullery.

Of course, one name has endured over time because it evokes such strong and positive emotions. It is the place we call Home! I am proud every day to design the places that people want to call Home!