What's in a name?

From Jedi knights to historic figures, valley street names come in all types

Jamie Metz, as Princess Leia, center, is joined by characters from "Star Wars" at a group of streets located in the neighborhood north of Russell Road between Sandhill Road and Mountain Vista Street named after the famous epics.Dale Dombrowski/View photo illustration by Dale Dombrowski and F. Andrew Taylor/ViewThe Force is with residents who live in this neighborhood near Sandhill and Russell roads. photo illustration by Dale Dombrowski and F. Andrew Taylor/ViewDevelopers often turn to themes as they try to come up with creative street names. This neighborhood near Pebble and Bermuda roads features of collection of streets with a water or beach theme. photo illustration by Dale Dombrowski and F. Andrew Taylor/ViewDevelopers often turn to themes as they try to come up with creative street names. This neighborhood near Pebble and Bermuda roads features of collection of streets with a water or beach theme. Advertisement

There's no doubt about it, Las Vegas keeps growing. Each year, about 1,600 new streets are added. One of note that came on board in 2007: Hanky Panky Street in the northwest part of the valley.

"You have to turn on Highway to Heaven to get there," said Maureen Cooper, owner of Official Street Guide at www.streetguide.com. "It's not so much the name, but you put the two together and it's kind of funny."

Old-time Las Vegans may recall two parallel streets in the southeast named for singer Jim Nabors' television character: Gomer and Pyle. Gomer since has been changed to Silverado Ranch Boulevard.

Also in the southeast, there are not only a number of flat-out unusual street names -- such as Voxna Street, named after an area of Sweden, and Xanthippe, which honors in some small way the woman Socrates married late in his life -- but there also are some that seem intentionally humorous, such as Livengood Drive.

Because of the Strip, there are a number of streets named after casinos, even those that are no longer with us. In that category, there is Hacienda Avenue, Stardust Road, Sands Avenue, Desert Inn Road and Debbie Reynolds Drive. One could argue that the last on that list honors the actress, but its location next to the Greek Isles Casino, which at one time was the Debbie Reynolds Casino, makes it clear that the street is named after the casino, which was named after the actress and short-lived casino owner.

Newer street names such as that are fairly easy to sort out. Older roads, such as Oquendo Road, are often less willing to reveal their origins. Historian Mark Hall-Patton, administrator of the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum at McCarran International Airport, has spent years trying to track down the story behind that one.

"I tried to find a famous Oquendo or one who had some connection to Las Vegas history," Hall-Patton said. "But I could only find one person with that surname, Rudy L. Oquendo, but no reason why he would have a street named after him."

Finally, Hall-Patton talked to an old-timer who told him the street was named after a bartender who was one of its first residents. Hall-Patton learned that the bartender's first name was Rudy.

When it comes to naming streets, the task falls to developers. They submit a list to the Las Vegas Fire Department, which then approves or denies names following the criteria laid out by the Pink Book -- a supplement to Title 13 of the municipal code. Names then go on a temporary map and are approved by the planning commission. Names still might be changed at this point, such as if it sounds similar to an existing street.

"You want your emergency services to get to you," said Doug Rankin, planning supervisor for Las Vegas' planning and development department. "Since it's communication by radio, you don't want homonyms."

Likewise, the fire department is not allowed to correct misspellings. "We don't ask people why they spelled them the way they did," said Tim Syzmanski, public information officer for the fire department. "We figure they spelled them that way for a reason. We're not spell checkers."

Mobster Bugsy Siegel has his own street, but it's misspelled: Bugsy Siegal Circle. So was Saphire Stone. In the spirit of anything goes, Comanche is spelled two different ways, and Paiute, three.

There is an entire section of town named for musical terms, including Trio Way, Finale Lane, Recital Way and Operetta Way. Mixed in the neighborhood of names that mostly recall classical music is Ray Charles Lane. Another section includes 11 streets that all begin with Silver. Appropriately enough, the easiest way to reach this neighborhood is by turning north off Silverado Ranch Boulevard.

Off Paradise Road, there are streets named after dances, including Fandango Court. At the time the neighborhood was built, the movie ticket company Fandango had not yet been created. "No one has ever called here looking for movie tickets," assured Fandango Court resident Steve Pierce.

UNUSUAL STREET NAMES

1. Voxna Street

2. Xanthippe Lane

3. Count Wutzke Avenue

4. Magic Moment lane

5. Music streets (Finale Lane, Encore way, Duet Court and more)

6. Fandango Court

7. Livengood Drive

8. Timescape Court

9. Dodger Blue Avenue

10. Silver streets (Silver Knoll Avenue, Silver Frost Street, Silver Mine Street and more)

Naming inspirations

Developers look to various sources to inspire street names. Here are some that fill the valley:

n Actual places -- Beverly Hills, Nottingham, Notre Dame, Newport, Lake Ontario, Appian Way, Mount Vernon, Alaska, Versailles, Tower Bridge, Boca Raton and Windsor Castle.

n Real people -- Elvis Presley, Calamity Jane, Butch Cassidy, Buddy Holly, Sitting Bull, Frank Sinatra, Hugh Hefner, Wynn, Jimmy Buffett.

n Fictional people/places -- Merlin, Sergeant Pepper, Robin Hood, Jack Frost, Ali Baba.

n Wild West -- Navajo Point, Lodgepole, Lasso, Settlers Ridge, Mustang, Maverick, Bronco, Wigwam, Totem Pole, Gunslinger, Swift Arrow.

n Space -- Mission Control, Astronaut, Meteor Shower, Stargazer, Milky Way, Blue Zenith, Meteorite.