Names/Renaming a street

Renaming a street (official rename)

This guideline describes best practice for renaming a street in OpenStreetMap after an official name change.

After the rename is officially communicated

Once a street rename has been officially announced by the responsible authority (e.g. municipal decision, press release):

• Create a public OSM Note at the location of the street.
• Include a reference to the official announcement (municipal website, press release, etc.).
• Use the note to inform and coordinate with the local mapping community.

After the new signs are unveiled

Only once the new street signs are installed and visible on the ground, update the OpenStreetMap data:

• Update the street name using name=*
  • Preserve the previous name using old_name=*
• Update related name metadata if applicable:
  • name:etymology=*
  • name:etymology:wikidata=*
  • wikidata=*
• Update all associated addresses using addr:street=New street name (and, if necessary, new addr:housenumber=*, if these have changed)
  • Preserve the previous name using old_addr:street=* (and, if necessary, old_addr:housenumber=*)
  • Use the search function in OSM editors or tools such as OverpassTurbo to find all relevant house numbers (also check for points of interest/shops, etc.).