NEW YORK – Feb. 18, 2013 – Names were once reserved for upscale homes based on some physical trait or the family’s names. However, residences in lower price segments now also boast names, some of which are quirky and similar to vanity license plates.

Dan Lane, the owner of a six-bedroom house in Corolla, N.C. called “Jiggleitalittleitllopen,” says names are a way to differentiate oneself, and research shows they can also spur sales.

U.K.-based website Globrix surveyed 4,000 people last year and found that 40 percent would be more interested in touring a home if it had a name; and about 7 percent would pay more for a house with a name.

New York real estate broker Barbara Corcoran says named properties tied to old money or A-list celebrities can fetch 15 percent to 20 percent more, but she notes that the wrong moniker “can turn buyers off and seem embarrassingly new-money.”

These days, home names incorporate such terms as “villa,” “maison,” “crest,” “casa,” or even puns or the owner’s nickname.

Source: Wall Street Journal (02/16/13) P. M1; Keates, Nancy

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