This is a static archive of our old OpenStreetMap Help Site. Please post any new questions and answers at community.osm.org.

What is the best practice for house names?

I'm new to OpenStreetMap and I'm trying to work out what the best practice is for adding addresses to the map. I know several houses in my area have a name instead of a house number (this is quite common in some areas of the UK), I would like the house name to appear on the map like house numbers do. I assumed that you would do this by using "addr:housename" tag but thought I'd take a look at what others have done first. Looking at the map it seems some people use only the "name" tag for house names, while others use only the "addr:housename" tag, and some people put the same information in both the "name" and "addr:housename" tags.

Is either of these three options considered the best practice, or is it down to personal preference / the situation?

Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

address tagging addrhousename

asked 24 Jun '22, 23:57

Al3x25
36●2●2●6
accept rate: 0%

2 Answers:

Please use addr:housename not name. Name can be used if the building is occupied by a named business where the building name may be different: Acme Ltd in Acme House would be name=Acme[ Ltd], addr:housename=Acme House. Hotels, pubs, schools and similar amenities in single buildings may lack addr:housename when it would be the same as name=*, but this should probably be explicit. For instance a tool to show UK addresses as they might appear on an envelope will not show this part of the address.Pubs converted to residential use are fairly good examples of how the name=* disappears but the addr:housename stays.

answered 25 Jun '22, 16:49

SK53 ♦
28.1k●48●268●433
accept rate: 22%

Just to follow up on this. If I see residential houses using the "name" tag should I replace it with the "addr:housename" tag?

(30 Jun '22, 07:25) Al3x25

1	I am probably not a good person to answer as house names are not used where I am. That said, my reading of the wiki would lead me to use the addr:housename tag for house names. answered 25 Jun '22, 04:02 n76 10.8k●10●82●172 accept rate: 17%