This article describes how to name your home and what goes into naming your home.
↖️ Return to "💡 Resources" category of articles
Article Table of Contents
Additional Resources
Background on Naming Homes
The Basics
How does VSL work? Our brand name is Vanderburgh Sober Living (or VSL), but your homes will have their own name. You can choose to have a generic name and focus on your home as a Vanderburgh Sober Living home, or you can choose to place more of the emphasis on your unique home name(s). It's up to you!
What's the "right" name? In most cases, there is no “right” or “wrong” name for a home. It should be something that is meaningful to you, relevant to what you are trying to do, or memorable. Some examples of home names include:
-
Germain Sober House, named after the street on which the home is located
-
New Hope Community, named after one of the Operator’s core values
-
Matt's Place, named after an Operator’s loved one
Is my home's name the same as my business or LLC name? Not at all! At least, it doesn't have to be. What you name your LLC, and what you name your home, can be totally different. Or they can be the same. It doesn't matter at all, and you don't have to file any special paperwork in order to name your home something different than your business.
Unacceptable names: Here is where one of the few restrictions come into play. To ensure a positive environment, minimize legal risk, and be fair to other operators, we have a few examples of names that we would object to, including but not limited to the list below:
-
Profanity
-
Any statements guaranteeing any type of result
-
Copywritten or otherwise legally disallowed names or content
-
Home names that are the same as, or similar to, other VSL homes
VSL reserves the right to strongly recommend avoiding a particular name. In rare instances, we may reject a particular name for the reasons mentioned above.
What if my home name is similar to another close by? In some cases, we will ask you not to name a home similar to another home in the area, even if the other home is not a Vanderburgh House home, to avoid confusion and any copyright claims.
Home Name Building Blocks
- Home Name: The name of the home. This is where you can get creative!
- Search Term: This is the term that is most used to describe sober living in your community, for example: "Sober House"; "Recovery Residence"; or "Sober Living Home". Go to https://trends.google.com/ and see what search terms are being used in your area. This will be helpful information as we build marketing materials.
- Gender Served: It's a good idea to include the gender in longer forms of the name of your home. For example, on a directory page, it makes a lot of sense to put what gender is served by the home.
Naming Conventions
Home names follow a few different formats, but all require the same basic information: Home Name (discussed above); Gender; City. Home names require different formatting depending on the circumstance.
Vanderburgh House Website
The naming convention for the Vanderburgh Sober Living website is below. This structure is created to optimize search terms to drive traffic to the page from Google or other search engines.
Preferred: <Name> <Search Term> │ Sober Living for <Gender> in <City, State>
- e.g. Germain Sober House │ Sober Living for Women in Worcester, Massachusetts
Optional: <Name> | Sober Living for <Gender> in <City, State>
- e.g. New Hope Community │ Sober Living for Men in North Providence, Rhode Island
- You are free to shorten the full name of the state to the two-letter abbreviation if desired.
Directory Listing Pages
The naming convention we recommend for directory listings (certification listings, Yelp, etc.) is below.
<Name> <Gender> <Search Term>: Vanderburgh Sober Living
For example, Germain Women’s Sober House: Vanderburgh Sober Living
Sober House Directory
<Name> <Gender> <Search Term> │ Vanderburgh Sober Living in <City, State>
For example, Germain Women’s Sober House │ Vanderburgh Sober Living in Worcester, Massachusetts
Legal Requirements when Naming a Home After Someone
Key considerations
Naming a recovery home after someone is a meaningful way to honor a loved one, but it’s important to take a few legal, ethical, and reputational factors into account before doing so. Whether the person is living or deceased, here are key considerations:
- If the person is alive: Always obtain written consent from the individual. Even if they’re a family member or close friend, it’s critical to document their permission to use their name in a public way.
- If the person is not alive: Consent should be sought from the next of kin or legal representative (such as the executor of the estate). While not always legally required, it is best practice and can help avoid future conflicts.
- Avoid using names that could be confused with public figures or well-known individuals, especially if you don’t have a connection or permission. This could result in legal claims or cease-and-desist letters.
- Consider how the name may be perceived by the local community, especially if the person being honored had a complicated legacy.
- Be mindful of how residents, neighbors, and referral partners may interpret the name—especially in recovery housing, where trust and reputation matter.
"Rights of publicity"
The Right of Publicity is a legal concept that gives individuals (and in some cases, their estates) control over how their name, image, likeness, and other aspects of their identity are used for commercial or public purposes. It’s most commonly associated with celebrities and public figures, but in many states, this right applies to everyone—not just famous people.
Think of it like this: a person owns their name and face the same way they own a piece of property. You generally need permission to use it, especially in a way that could be seen as promotional or identifying.
This right may extend beyond death in some jurisdictions, meaning permission could still be needed from the estate even after the individual has passed away. These include:
- California (up to 70 years)
- Indiana (100 years)
- Tennessee (rights survive for a long time)
- Massachusetts and Rhode Island don’t have clear posthumous publicity laws, but civil claims like false endorsement or misappropriation could still apply.
That’s why it’s best practice to get permission from the estate or next of kin when naming a home after someone who has passed away.