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It's a common practice in England to name your cottage or house. The custom began with the gentry naming their manors, halls, and castles, which gradually spread to everyday folk naming their homes. This started before the days of street numbers and rural addresses. It's only considered pretentious if you name your little bungalow something like "Oak Manor" or "Stag Lodge."

Beach houses and cabins have names in the United States, too. Owners will sometimes "brand" their vacation rentals with a cute name, to make it more appealing on Airbnb. Which sounds very American and practical.  

Well, we have no plans to ever rent our house, but I still wanted a nice sign at the front door. No offense to the family surname, but Welcome to "you-know-what" House doesn't have the right ring.

Most cabin welcome signs feature bears or deer. I took a chance and ordered this metal one, and I think the deer are perfect since they practically own the place. Won't John be excited— one more thing to hang up on a wall in Twisp.