To-Be Parents Find Inspiration in Lago Mar Street Name

Tim and Sammie McBride didn’t have to look far for inspiration when selecting a name for their baby. 

It was right there on a street sign, just above their heads. 

“Kelson Cove” is a few blocks away from their home. 

“There’s just something about it,” Tim said. “It’s not a name you hear all the time.”

The McBrides agreed that if they ever had a son, they would name him after the street. Now it’s official. The couple announced the news on Facebook — Kelson Phillip McBride is due in March. 

The McBrides moved into Lago Mar, one of the nation’s 50 top-selling master-planned communities, last June. While looking to buy their first home, the couple fell in love with the Texas City development. 

“We really liked that there were several different builders out there,” McBride said. “There were a lot of choices.”

They were also drawn to the amenity package, which includes a resort-style pool and a playground, as well as a 3,000-square foot clubhouse complete with workout room, catering kitchen and business center. And just announced is a 70-acre mixed-use entertainment destination in Lago Mar that will include a 12-acre Crystal Clear Lagoon — the largest in Texas.

The McBrides settled on a design by Anglia Homes. They were among the first to move in on the street. 

“We would walk the neighborhood,” Tim said. “There were no houses. It was just streets and stop signs.”

That’s when they really took notice of the street names. 

Sherri McElwee and Daniel Valdez, with land planners Jones and Carter, are the creative duo behind the titles. They have named the streets in a number of developments in Galveston and Harris counties. 

“It’s fun, and at the same time, it’s daunting,” Valdez said. “There are so many names you have to come up with for a subdivision.”

They usually pick a theme and do a lot of research to spark ideas. 

“For Lago Mar, Daniel and I were trying to keep with a nautical theme,” McElwee said. “We’d go back and forth about what sounds good.”

She explained that there are a number of “coves” in the development’s street names. 

A “kelson” is a structure that runs in the center of a ship, connecting the floor to the keel below it. 

Valdez thought that Kelson would make a great first name, so the title stuck. 

Now the creatives are thrilled to have inspired a child’s name from their streets. 

“I like driving through the neighborhood and thinking that before it was just land, and now it’s where people will raise their children,” McElwee said.

Valdez agreed. “It’s not just a street name,” he said. “It affects people’s lives. They put down roots here, and it becomes a part of their every day life.”

The McBrides are looking forward to their next chapter with their new baby boy.

They were friends for about 11 years before Cupid strung his bow. Tim proposed on Enchanted Rock, and they got married in Galveston last May. 

“We got pregnant right away,” Tim said. “Once they said it was a boy, we knew we’d name him Kelson and Phillip, for my wife’s father.”

They’ve been watching more and more families move to Lago Mar. Their street has filled with homes, and the neighbors have already started gathering for holidays. 

“It’s grown into a street that everyone wants to live on,” Tim said. 

Lago Mar is a Land Tejas development. Upon completion, the 2,033-acre master-planned community will be home to about 14,000 residents.