There are currently about 800,000 streets in the UK.
The oldest (Vicar’s Close, Somerset) is nearly 700 years old.
This means it was made around Chaucer’s lifetime (1348 – 1400). The English language has changed a lot since then.
This means you’ll occasionally find a confusing or funny street name…
Examples of funny street names in the UK
With many regional dialects and a rich cultural history, the UK has many funny street names.
(It also has a rich history of estate agents and property transactions.)
For example, Bottom, Butt, Spank, and Dick all feature in road names across the country. The following words appear in the following number of streets:
- Butt: 150
- Bottom: 40
- Bush: 59
- Beaver: 54.
In addition to (now) risqué words, there are other more wholesome ones:
- Bleak Place
- All Alone Road
- Christmaspie Avenue.
Can a funny street name increase house value?
| Street Name | Average Property Price for the Street | Average Property Price for the Postcode | Percentage Difference |
| Dick Place, Edinburgh | £1,680,000 | £442,290 | +116% |
| Twatling Road, Birmingham | £787,500 | £329,879 | +81% |
| Willey Lane, Nottinghamshire | £356,500 | £193,974 | +59% |
| All Alone Road, West Yorkshire | £231,750 | £198,723 | +15% |
| Christmaspie Avenue, Surrey | £723,000 | £636,855 | +12% |
| Bleak Place, Staffordshire | £109,000 | £131,127 | -18% |
| Slack Bottom, West Yorkshire | £158,000 | £238,152 | -40% |
| Fanny Street, Cardiff | £126,500 | £211,424 | -50% |
| Cumming Street, North London | £447,000 | £905,211 | -67% |
| Backside Lane, South Yorkshire | £93,000 | £187,265 | -67% |
Sometimes, a street with a funny name can perform above the postcode average for house prices.
It’s unclear whether prices are higher because of the street name or despite the street name (i.e. it’s a coincidence and has simply had no effect).
- Dick Place, in Edinburgh, has an average house value of £760,000, according to Rightmove. The average house price in the entire postcode is £468,290, demonstrating that the street name hasn’t impacted value.
- Properties in Butt Hill Road, Manchester, have an average value of £466,667. The wider M25 postcode typical price is £309,399.
Can a funny street name decrease house value?
It’s more common for a funny street name to decrease rather than increase house value.
However, as shown above, there are exceptions.
Some of the times when a funny street name has a lower price than the postcode average are outlined below.
- Christmaspie Avenue, in Guildford, has an average house price of around £550,000. Whereas the postcode’s average price is £628,028.
- House prices in Hooker Road, Norwich, are £227,500 on average. But the wider postcode’s typical price is £281,762.
- In Slag Lane, Chesire, the average house price is £212,500. This is in the postcode WA3, which has a typical house price of £258,374.
Can I get a funny street name changed?
Yes, it’s possible to change the name of a funny street. You’ll need to follow a few key steps.
Keep in mind that changing your street name isn’t guaranteed to have an effect on house values. It could make no difference at all.
The market is fickle, so it’ll be difficult for anyone to give you a conclusive answer about the change it’ll make.
First, you should get a petition signed with the other people on your street.
This will demonstrate the overwhelming desire of homeowners to get it changed.
You should then submit this to your local council.
Your council will then consider your application to change it. They may do so if you argue that the current name is offensive or causes confusion or ridicule.
However, if it has local historic significance (especially in a protected area) they may insist on it remaining.
You could speak to a solicitor for more guidance on giving yourselves the best chance of successfully changing it.
Below is the full list of the funny street names we found and their average property prices.
