Because Motonobu referred to himself as 'Echizen no kami' in his later life, he was given a priestly rank called 'Hogen' however, for posterity he has been referred to as 'Kohogen' or 'Echizen Hogen.'
元信は晩年には「越前守」を名乗り、また「法眼（ほうげん）」という僧位を与えられたことから、後世には「古法眼」「越前法眼」などと称されている。