naming of roads

[ali607]

Hi, i wondered if anyone knew who gives names to roads - I believe a road name could be connected to my family and have just stumbled accross it by chance.
Who could i contact?
thanks
Alison

[silvery]

I know that those who build the houses can, on, say, a new estate type place.

Councils too when they build them.

[old rowley]

Hi Alison,

Dependent on how old the road is, in so much that it would be part of a housing area/estate then I would expect that the local council would have it minuted within their records as the council do have a say in agreeing to names that are put forward (as did the post office, although this may have changed in the last few years ). Saying that if it is part of a village or hamlet then the name of the road could well be that of one that had been used over a period of time by the local's and eventually it has been adopted by the local authoirty which in turn would then make it offical. I think that your first port of call would be to the local history studies librarian at the nearest library to the area that you are looking at. They should be able to get some information on the road such as when it was opened or when houses that stand on it were built. This should then give you a stepping stone into looking at the local council minutes and hopefully a reference to when the name was agreed and, if you are really lucky why the name was chosen. You may even be lucky in finding that a local history society may have produced a booklet on local place/street/road names and that it may be deposited at the local library. Or you could put the details that you know on the relevant board here on rootschat and someone may even have the knowledge that you seek.......you never know.

old rowley

[Dancing Master]

There are numerous ways of naming roads,  one is from the ancient names that were in the area being adopted,  two, by famous people who once lived or were connected with the area.  three by by Developer of  estates built for private sale,  four the town council who named council estates usually after people who had served as Councillors for that area. fifth by the architects and planners involved in the making of the roads.

[jinks]

In addition to the above post names are often given
to developments with similar name Ruby,Emerald,Sapphire
OR Ash,Beech,Sycamore etc these are usually when they are
developed at the same time.

Often  if is was the main road to a place Bolton Road or
if a NEW road is erected Bolton New road, and the Bolton
Road could become Bolton Old Road.

Places near where I live werenamed after people that are
newsworthy at the time of the roads development
i.e. Mandela Way. (no connect to the town I come from)

Jinks

 

[Little Nell]

Contact the Local Studies Library for the area - they may have a book that would be useful to you - or the Local History Society.  Someone there is bound to know.

Our local paper has been running an item each week about the reason behind older road names in this area.

Nell

[Dancing Master]

We did a project on the Council Housing Estates and the naming of them, it was the most boring, tedious job, but I suppose someone will find it useful.

[Subaru]

My dad was a builder (retired now).  He named four estates he built on, and all the roads.

My claim to fame in our town is that he names two roads after me - Rosemary Close, and Elizabeth (my confirmation name) Crescent.  My sisters and brother don't really have names that you could name roads after.

The main road he named, Rannerdale Drive, was named after a battle in the Buttermere valley between the Cumbrians and the Norsemen.  The side roads leading off it are called Sycamore, Beech, Ash Grove and Alder Close. 

I don't know how he had them passed, I think he put them into the council, and if there were no objections, they went ahead.

Rosemary

[linmey]

Hi Alison,
I have a family member from the past who had a road named after him. I believe he was an Inspector of the Poor in a small town in the north of Scotland and presumably a good one!!

Linda.