Just as in real life, the name of a fantasy house can say a lot about its history and inhabitants before you cross the threshold. Choosing intriguing names is also an excellent way to build a sense of the surroundings, in terms of both the landscape and the stories contained within each building.
Good House Names
What makes a good name for your fantasy dwelling will be largely dependent on the type of house you have in mind. What works for a decadent manor may not suit a woodland cottage, but you can also get creative with more abstract options that hint at what’s within.
- The Mind Palace
- Rebel’s Refuge
- Castle of the Charlatan
- Crooked Nook
- Mountview Estate
- Honeysuckle Cottage
- Bolthole Byre
- Faerie’s Rest
The Werehouse
By day, this dusty building by the docks seems like any other storage facility. Only under the light of the moon does it come alive with music and merrymaking, as all of the city’s buskers and outcasts come home to roost.
- The Empty Nest
- Weeping Willow Way
- Leafy Lodge
- Springview Cottage
- Place of Rest
The Pigpen
This affectionately-named residence spills out into the fields a little more each year, as new generations add towers of tin and ramshackle lean-tos. Though the whole edifice sways in the breeze, it never topples over due to a little elbow grease (and no small amount of enchantment).
- Hole in the Wall
- Topsy Turvy Towers
- Candy Cane Cottage
- Woodcutter’s Lodge
- The Flown Coop
Beach House Names
What could be more dreamy than a cottage on golden sands? Or perilous than a clifftop shack? These names help to paint a picture of the many kinds of life that could exist at the edge of your imagined lands.
- Sunsoak Shack
- Oceanview
- Driftwood Domain
- Starfish Lodge
- Captain’s Rest
- Salty Breeze
- Land’s End
- Sandy Shores
New Horizons
This charming whitewashed cottage is home to a storied ship’s captain, whose last voyage is long behind him. Young sailors can often be found gathered around the hearth, drinking in the captain’s tales and grog before they set sail for the first time.
- Wavewatch
- The Hull
- Riptide Residence
- The Surf Turf
- Starboard Manor
Tempest Towers
Jutting out from the limestone cliffs at an improbable angle, this rocky spire takes a daily battering from sky and sea. Its calm and dry interior acts as proof that the mages within are worth their salt, and plenty of coin too.
- Crabview Castle
- Edge of the World
- Watchtower of the Sailor’s Wife
- Rigger’s Roost
- Smuggler’s Retreat
Haunted House Names
Thanks to the popularity of the haunted house genre, it can be hard to choose a name that hasn’t already been done a thousand times. To come up with something unique, decide what horrors may manifest within before choosing a name. That way you’ll already have a colorful picture of what you want the name to convey.
- Manor of the Maze
- The Endless Estate
- Toppled Towers
- All Hallows House
- The Vespiary
- Silent Spires
- Nowhere Manor
- Reaper’s Roost
The Empty Halls
Elaborate chandeliers suspended from vaulted ceilings are the last vestiges of this manor’s former glory. Those brave enough to enter are met with an unsettling silence, telling nothing of the violent delights that once rang through the halls.
- Final Resting Place
- Forgotten Cottage
- The Twisted Tower
- Desecrated Grounds
- Candlewick Manor
Liar’s Lair
Here is the exit. Or perhaps it’s over there? Finding your way out of this labyrinthine structure could take hours. Or years, judging by the crumbled remains that litter the corridors.
- The Devil’s Depths
- Macabre Manor
- Ghasthold
- Halls of the Undying
- The Unlighthouse
Lake House Names
Lake houses are typically associated with restful retreats and family fun, which are sometimes sorely lacking from fantasy realms. You can break the mold by adding these in, or opt for something a little spookier beside a misty shore.
- Huntsman’s Hearth
- Sleepy Cove
- Angler’s Rest
- Clearwater Cabin
- Rippleview Retreat
- Portside Place
- The Lookout
- Cedar Shores
Birdsong Bay
An oasis of calm for the weary traveler, where sunlight streams through the windows and lush greenery wreaths the doors. Responsibilities seem to drift from memory, replaced by the enchanting song of the lake’s birds.
- Lakeview Lodge
- Fisherman’s Retreat
- Restful Ridge
- Nessie Watch Cottage
- Serenity
Cosy Cove
The residents of this shady dwelling were some of the first to choose a life in hiding over the dangers of the surface. Unlike temporary shelters strewn across the barren lands, the cove has established itself as a real home, complete with comforts of the old world.
- Freshwater Haven
- Grizzly Bear Point
- Cabin of Calm
- Twitcher’s Tower
- Gentle Glades
- Creekside Cottage
Dreaming up all of these houses has got me inspired to populate a new village! Let me know what you’ve chosen for your next house in the comments, and please share this with any fellow fantasy homemakers.
