If you want to take a trip that’s bound to confuse the living daylights out of you, then perhaps you can head over to Unalaska in Alaska. This is likely the place that takes after Alaska the least, or one could assume so by the name. This oddly named settlement is home to 4500 ‘Unalaskan’ residents and is actually the biggest town in the Aleutian Islands. The reason behind this bizarre name is due to a poorly translated blunder.
As it turns out, the town was initially named Agunalaskh, which suggests “around the peninsula.” That seems sensible enough, but when the town started to incorporate a Russian population in the late 1700s for trading fur, the town’s pronunciation changed from Ounalashka to Unalaska over time. Somehow, no one thought to point to the strange translation error, and today, Alaska has a town called Unalaska.
Why, Arizona
We aren't sure why anyone would want to visit a place called Why, but on the other hand, why not? The town apparently gets its name from a Y-shaped intersection of the two big highways that run through the town. As bleak as it may sound, this intersection is the highlight of the town — definitely not the best tourist attraction that a town has ever boasted.
The Y-shaped intersection is such a big deal in this little town that they wanted to honor it and almost initially called the town "Y."
Under the law of Arizona, however, the names of places have to at least contain a minimum of three letters and that's how they came up with Why. We aren't sure why they love this intersection so much to feel the need to name a whole town after it, but hey, each to their own.
Boring, Maryland
We feel really sorry for the people who are in charge of the tourist board in this little town. How are they supposed to make a place with a name like Boring sound interesting? This is the dilemma that the folks of Baltimore County in the State of Maryland have to face.
This town only contains about 40 homes, so being the small town that it is, the community's first postmaster, Mr. David J. Boring, gave it the name after himself. Later on, the residents got to vote for a name, and they all decided to be boring and keep it the same. So now you can go and visit Boring's little boring church and boring museum if you really want to.
Loveladies, New Jersey
If only we could tell you a story about how the folks of New Jersey loved their ladies or how a bunch of lovely ladies founded the town. Sadly, however, that's not the case, and this is just the family name of a bloke called Thomas Lovelady, who owned an island nearby.
Back in the good old days of the 1870s, Loveladies was a life-saving station on the Jersey seaside, and after it grew into a town-sized dwelling, it got named after one of the residents, Thomas. We really do hope that they are also big fans of their female residents, though.
Zigzag, Oregon
Zigzag is a little town located right in the center of a national forest called Mount Hood. When visiting this Zigzag town in Oregon, you can also visit Zigzag Canyon, Zigzag River, and Zigzag Glacier. They even have a volcanic mountain titled... You guessed right! Zigzag Mountain.
It's not too clear where the name is believed to be coming from, but allegedly, a guy named Joel Palmer wrote a guide on how to descend the tricky canyon in the area, and he included the word "zigzag" an awful lot of times. Clearly, this pioneer of the area's guide had an impact, and before everyone knew it the town's name was established.
Unalaska, Alaska
If you want to take a trip that's bound to confuse the living daylights out of you, then perhaps you can head over to Unalaska in Alaska. This is likely the place that takes after Alaska the least, or one could assume so by the name. This oddly named settlement is home to 4500 'Unalaskan' residents and is actually the biggest town in the Aleutian Islands. The reason behind this bizarre name is due to a poorly translated blunder.
As it turns out, the town was initially named Agunalaskh, which suggests "around the peninsula." That seems sensible enough, but when the town started to incorporate a Russian population in the late 1700s for trading fur, the town's pronunciation changed from Ounalashka to Unalaska over time. Somehow, no one thought to point to the strange translation error, and today, Alaska has a town called Unalaska.
Screamer, Alabama
We guess that strictly speaking, you could visit the town named Screamer, but be aware that it got its name for a reason, and when you hear what it is, you may want to avoid this town. Screamer is an unincorporated community in Alabama that got its name from the recurring screaming sounds that were heard by locals from a town nearby.
Apparently, Screamer is riddled with all sorts of strange creatures that are bound to make anyone scream, including wild cats, bears, and panthers. There is, however, also a legend that the name originates from a 19th-century tradition whereby the Native American inhabitants would scream and shout at white train travelers as they passed by the town.
Rough and Ready, California
Rough and Ready used to be one of the paramount towns in Nevada County, California. Yup, you heard that correctly. There is actually a place in California with this strange name. Luckily, this name is not a slur at the town's inhabitants. Instead, this name comes from the rough and ready stance of the town's forebearers who stood up for their rights. This town was, at one stage, home to a mining company called Rough and Ready, which is where it got its name.
The little town became renowned for being the first to attempt to leave the States to become its own little republic. Sadly, their attempt at independence failed, and they had to rejoin the US after three months. To this day, they are still pretty proud of their efforts and even have a dedicated day to celebrate this historical event of theirs.
No Name, Colorado
This town takes the prize for having one of the least inventive names anyone has ever seen. Based in Colorado, this town is home to only about 200 No-Name residents. This name was not actually a first choice for the administrators who named it back in the day, but when a turnoff in the area was created, and the town had no name yet, the temporary name that was put up was 'No Name.'
By the time the administrators got around to naming the town, the locals had already become so accustomed to the No Name name, so they kept it that way, along with the No Name hiking trails, creeks, and tunnels. We just hope that no one ever gets lost on those trails, as it may be a bit of a struggle for the rescue team to understand where they are.
Hazardville, Connecticut
Yes, this may sound like a fictional town name in a series like "South Park" or "Rick and Morty," but in actual fact, it's a legitimate town in Connecticut that was once upon a time very hazardous, hence the name. Back in the good old days of the early 19th century, this ludicrously named village was a hotspot for making gunpowder.
So, of course, it was a hazard just to be a resident living there. Strangely, though, this is not how the town got its title, but it was, in fact, named after a fella who purchased the place in 1837 and who coincidentally was named Colonel Augustus George Hazard. How's that for an appropriate namesake?
Climax, Georgia
Yes, this is most likely the funniest town name on this list, but the reason behind it all is actually quite dull. This little settlement that contains just over 300 residents in the Decatur Country of Georgia is placed on the highest point of a railroad and is wedged between the Chattahoochee River and Savannah. And that's all there is to it.
Back in the early 1800s, when the town was established, the word climax was simply referring to the 'highest point' of the hill that the town was perched on and certainly had no sexual connotations attached to it. Knowing people in the 21st century, it's probably highly likely that this town gets mocked for its name. You have to admit that mockery is simply inevitable.
Volcano, Hawaii
You can visit this place called Volcano at your own risk, but be aware that just as the name suggests, this town is a playground for many active volcanoes. It is located near Hilo in Hawaii, and it sits just across from an assemblage of volcanic hotspots. Despite this being a danger zone, the people of the town have actually managed to capitalize on this factor.
If you visit this town, you can be sure to see the historical site where the 1959 Kilauea Iki volcano erupted, visit a volcanic national park, go on volcanic hiking trails, and even grab a coffee at the Lava Rock Cafe. Now, that's certainly the best way to make the most of a town's circumstances.
Two Egg, Florida
Funny enough, Two Egg in Florida did not get its name from its traditional breakfast food. The tale behind the name actually goes way back to the 1930s when a bunch of youngsters traded two eggs for some sugar at the local shop. This was around the time of the Great Depression, and these fellas had no money, so they opted to trade some of their kitchen items to get what they needed.
The little shop became recognized for permitting transactions of trade like that one and hence got the name "Two Egg Store." The store then became so admired in the region that traveling salespeople who visited the store passed the name on to other towns, and ultimately, it became the official town name. One can't help but wonder how good the eggs from there actually are, though...
Sandwich, Illinois
If you love a good sandwich, then perhaps you've previously heard of the little town located in Illinois. As the name suggests, the town has definitely had the opportunity to capitalize on its name and be a hotspot for sandwiches. In the mid-1800s, the town was named Almon, which was the name of the man who founded it, but it was then renamed Sandwich by a train stop worker who was from a place also named Sandwich in New Hampshire.
Perhaps they were feeling homesick. That town in New Hampshire got its name from The Fourth Earl of Sandwich, John Montague, who is known for inventing the sandwich. Nowadays, the town uses its unique name to attract the masses to the Sandwich Festival that it hosts each year.
Slickpoo, Idaho
There's not really an amusing story behind this town's funny name, but it's so ridiculous that we just couldn't leave it out of this list. Slickpoo is so tiny that it's actually more a village than a town. It's placed near a town called Culdesac in Idaho, and a man named Josiah Slickpoo gifted the land to a Catholic group's mission back in the day.
The Christian folk then decided to name the town in Josiah's honor as a thank you to him for the blessing of the land. We aren't too sure if doing so was actually a bit of a disservice to the residents of the town, though. We certainly don't want to be known for coming from a place that's got a name like that!
Gas, Kansas
Gas has a pretty decent reason for recognition. This was, in fact, a region where natural gas was discovered for the first time in Northern America. The founding took place in the very late 1800s when a fortunate farmer named EK Taylor stumbled upon this goldmine and instantly sold his property.
Of the land, 60 acres were allocated for industrial activities, and the remaining land was assigned to the town Gas — hence the name. Nowadays, the town, which hosts a mere 500 residents, is best known for the peeps who pass by and crack the joke "Did you pass gas?" What were they hoping for with a name like that?
Santa Claus, Indiana
Just because this town goes by the name of Santa Claus does not mean that Father Christmas is always roaming the streets. And no, it's not a secret vacation spot in the North Pole, but rather, this little town in Indiana was named after the king of Christmas. Apparently, the town was initially titled Santa Fe, but when the town's officials wanted to make things official in 1896, they learned that there was already a popular city in New Mexico that claimed the name.
The town officials opted for Santa Claus instead because why not? At the time, it didn't occur to them that it would become America's so-called Christmas Hometown, and before they knew it, they received hundreds of Christmas wish lists from all over the country. As of now, that's become an annual tradition for this little festive town.
Peculiar, Missouri
With a name like this, you'd expect Peculiar to be home to some strange, unexplainable phenomena and mysterious happenings that arise every few years. (Un)fortunately, the reasoning behind this town's name is a bit more mundane. After a number of rejected name ideas, the frustrated postmaster of the town just wanted a different-sounding name, so submitted the name "Peculiar," which was approved.
The town's alternative folklore says that some early settlers were in the area, and one said "Well that's peculiar! It's the very place I saw in a vision back in Connecticut." So, yeah, the place was either named peculiar after a quirky postmaster or a prophetic vision.
Bugtussle, Kentucky
If the thought of bugs tussling is something that doesn't sit well with you, then maybe it's best that you stay away from this little town. Huddled on the boundary of Kentucky and Tennessee, this Kentuckian town is most well known for boasting a vast population of bugs and little critters.
Some of the residents living there today can even think of instances where farmers used to have to physically 'tussle' with the bugs because they are so massive.
Also, during the months of harvesting hay back in the day, the harvest was so plagued with doodlebugs that were so large that they pretty much got a whole town named after them. Definitely not the best story to tell the passersby, though.
Hell, Michigan
Can we agree that this is probably the most bizarre town name that anyone has ever seen? As with a lot of these strange names, the origins are, of course, folk tales. This tiny town is only home to about 70-odd residents and actually has a few tales behind the origin of the town's strange name. Sources say that a questionable man named George Reeves settled there around the 1830s and was all about trading his homemade whiskey for the local farmers' homegrown grain.
This was all going down with the grain farmer's wives’ disapproval. As a result, the wives kept saying to their husbands that the man had "gone to hell again." Another tale claims that when Reeves was asked about what the town should be named, he replied, "I don't care. You can name it Hell for all I care." The town's name became official in 1841.
Hot Coffee, Mississippi
If you love a cup of hot coffee, then Hot Coffee has got your back. This small settlement is nestled between Mobile, Alabama, and Natchez, Mississippi, and was a hotspot destination for stocking up on supplies and grabbing a quick coffee when traveling between the two towns.
For this very reason, a bloke by the name of L.N Davis ended up building a conveniently located cafe in town with an exterior sign that read "the best coffee around." His brew was such a hit that he managed to get a whole town named after it. Although Davis’s coffee spot no longer exists, we can still assure you that the town is full of cute little coffee spots worth visiting today.
Nimrod, Minnesota
The name of this town is really no fault of the residents that live there because, sadly for them, the meaning of the word nimrod changed after they had already anointed it. Nimrod is a biblical name of somebody who was a mighty hunter, so that seemed like a pretty decent name for a town to begin with. Sadly, languages evolve, and so too did this word as it took on a more humorous meaning. By the time that the word had changed, it was too late to change the town's name to something else.
Nevertheless, of the 82 Nimrods that are locals there, one of them is a former professional baseball player by the name of Dick Stigman. He doesn't seem like a complete nimrod seeing as he has played for the Minnesota Twins. At least we know that not every single resident living there is a total nimrod.
Magnet, Nebraska
A settler called BE Smith founded this little settlement in Northeast Nebraska way back in 1893. He was so determined to name the town something that would attract flocks of people to come and live there. He thought that naming the town Magnet would be the best way to achieve this. What could possibly go wrong?
Unfortunately, though, it appears that a place needs a lot more than a nice name to attract residents to live there. As it stands today, this little town only has about 46 residents as of a census from 2020. And let's be real, there's no way that this number could have increased by much since then. Perhaps that magnetic field isn't quite strong enough.
Tightwad, Missouri
Surprisingly, this town has not been named after someone with an unfortunate name but rather after someone who was acting like a complete tightwad! According to a folklore story, one of the town's postmasters was guaranteed a fresh melon from a local farmer, but the farmer ended up selling the produce to another townie for 50 cents extra instead.
The postmaster was so furious that he decided to name a whole town after the tightwad that infuriated him. The whole story may seem a little farfetched, but it's all paid off as some people have even opened bank accounts in the town, just so that they can make payments signed from "Tightwad"!
Jiggs, Nevada
There might be a slight chance that you've heard of a once-popular children's comic strip by the name of 'Bringing Up Father', but we'll forgive you if you haven't since it started in the 1910s. Anyhow, it used to be a household name, and Jiggs was the name of the main guy who was obviously so revered that he got a town named after him.
Rumor has it that the town's chief chose this name from a selection of Jiggs, Mound Valley, and Skeleton. Probably the best one out of the lot. The admiration for this sketch went so far that a local ladies' club also named their club Maggie's Club, which was Jigg's wife. Now, that's a lot of loyalty for a comic strip.
Candy Kitchen, New Mexico
If you have a soft spot for sweet things, then this little town in New Mexico should be your next destination to visit. Candy Town is perched between two reservations in Western New Mexico, namely the Zuni and Navajo reservations. We are pretty sure that the townspeople have capitalized on their town name over the years by creating many little candy shops.
Apparently, it all started as a false front in the prohibition years. During that time, a moonshine manufacturer required sugar for his sneaky brews, so he opened a candy kitchen side gig as a cover-up for his forbidden boozy trades.
Neversink, New York
There is a lot of irony in this town's name because, technically, the settlement actually sunk 175ft below the water level. As history has it, several towns in the region along the Neversink Canal flooded during the 50s and, therefore, were made into water reservoirs to supply the Empire State with water.
Neversink, formerly known as Main Street, was included in these sinking towns. The townsfolk that were forced to relocate then settled on naming their sinking townlet after the lengthiest tributary in the Delaware River. Perhaps they named it so in hopes that Neversink would actually never sink again. Here's to hoping!
Cannonball, North Dakota
We don't blame you if you think this little town is the birthplace of cannonballs. Or perhaps you think there was an incident involving cannonballs that gave the place its name, but no. In fact, this little settlement is covered in what appears to look like tiny cannonballs.
Due to being a sweet spot for geological curiosities, the area hosts a ton (quite literally) of round cannonball-shaped rock concretions. Simply put, millions of years ago, the plant and shell material in the region was covered in sediment, and over millions of years, they formed into concretions that now look like cannonballs. Definitely worthy enough to name a town after!
Whynot, North Carolina
Why not visit Whynot if you don't know where to take your next vacation? You may wonder how a town in North Carolina got a name like this, and as with most of the names on this list, the story behind this town's name is a little vague. It all comes down to a heated argument in the 1860s that the Post Office representatives got into when attempting to come up with an official name for the town.
Most suggestions started with "Why not name the town..." In the end, one of them said, "Why not name it Whynot?" and that name remained for good. It does sound a little farfetched, but why not just believe the story in awe of Whynot?
Gene Autry, Oklahoma
Previously known as Berwyn, this little settlement with around 200 residents is located in Carter County, Oklahoma. Legend has it that the previous ranch owner in the area got so excited that he went and renamed the little town after himself. The so-called star in question here is, of course, Gene Autry, who was known as the singing cowboy.
He was an aspiring actor, musician, and rodeo performer. The country music fanatic was so commemorated by the townsfolk that the town used his name to honor it. Even to this day, the town boasts a museum and an annual festival to keep Gene Autry's legacy alive.
Intercourse, Pennsylvania
To everyone's surprise, the comical name for this town was actually established after the meaning of the word 'intercourse' changed to what we know it to be today. Initially, intercourse simply translated to "the connections or relationships between people or groups of people" or "exchanging of thoughts or feelings between people." With that meaning, it actually turns out to be a very sweet name for a little Pennsylvanian town.
However, the word intercourse took on a more sexual meaning in the late 1800s. The folks of Intercourse, however, don't really mind, as their town's name is a great conversation starter. In all honesty, they're not wrong. This town is also not far away from the little town of Blue Ball — which could spark just as much conversation.
Knockemstiff, Ohio
These days, Knockemstiff is a pretty well-known spot, and that's not only due to its hysterical name. According to the town's Folklore, it's called Knockemstiff, thanks to a pastor who used to advise the wife of a cheater to "Knock ‘em stiff." Other tales include people drinking too much moonshine, so we're not sure which one to believe.
We do, however, know that an author that goes by Donald Pay Pollock from Knockemstiff wrote a book with the same title. The book is composed of several short stories about daily life in the Midwest. One of these tales has even been made into a movie called "The Devil All the Time," which was also filmed in Knockemstiff. Only in America!
Ketchuptown, South Carolina
If you're a ketchup fanatic, then we're afraid this town name may disappoint you. Despite the town name hinting at tomato sauce, this town actually has no connection to this household staple. Initially, the settlement was supposed to be called Catch Up Town, but somehow, things got a bit muddled up, and the name landed on Ketchuptown.
Legend has it that the town's name originates from a store that opened in the center of the town by a bloke named Herbert Small. His little cafe was a hotspot for townspeople to 'catch up' on the town's gossip and news. Somehow, the town ended up being named after this little cafe.
Difficult, Tennessee
It's difficult to think that someone would actually name a place Difficult, but as we've seen on this list, anything is possible in America. It all started with a command received from the US Postal Service, saying that it was going to be a 'difficult' undertaking, but in order for a town to get a postal service, it had to change its name.
The town was then thought to name their town in order to prove to the Post Office that they were on board. The townies got it all wrong, and in confusion, they named the town Difficult instead of realizing that the commanders meant that it was a difficult task. In any case, it's difficult to know if that's the real story behind how this town got its difficult name.
Mad Butte, South Dakota
This hilarious name stems from a mountain Butte located nearby. For those of you who don't know what a butte is, it's a steep little mountain with a relatively flat top. Where does the mad come from, though? That is apparently a reference to a mad regional rancher who used to live close by.
He would often be seen by locals throwing what he considered to be rocks off of the top of the butte. This earned him the nickname Mad. He later realized that what he was throwing was actually some sort of animal relics. He called the local museum, and they confirmed these strange objects to be T. Rex dinosaur skeleton bones in 1981. A mad story indeed!
Ding Dong, Texas
Ding Dong is probably one of the smallest settlements on this list. The tiny town only has about 22 residents and got its silly name from the Bell Family, who founded the place. We are not sure why they didn't just directly name it Bell Town, but we assume it's probably because Ding Dong just so happens to be in Bell County.
The Bell County region incidentally also happens to be named after the founder, Governor Peter Hansborough Bell. Strange enough, the two Bells from these unincorporated areas are not even related to one another, so it's just one big coincidence that gives this side of Texas its melodious ring.
Satan's Kingdom, Vermont
Funny enough, it's not only in the State of Vermont where satan chooses to take his vacation when traveling through the States. It's also Connecticut and Massachusetts that have regions named 'Satan's Kingdom'. Allegedly, the rationale behind these sinisterly named towns is that the first settlers were rather disgruntled when they found out that the land was a lot less fertile than what they were hoping for.
One of the locals of the New England devilish region even said once they were "expecting rolling hills of fertile land, but all they got was rocks and hills." And that is why New England's rocky and hilly region is called Satan's Kingdom.
Mexican Hat, Utah
Mexican Hat is one of the tiny towns on this list. It should, however, be noted that the small population of 31 locals doesn't actually live inside the famous hat. The prominent, dry, deserted landscape carries a lot of strange geological rock formations, and one of the formations happens to be a 60-foot structure that takes on the shape of a Mexican hat.
Located in the San Juan River, Mexican Hat has made quite a tourist attraction for itself, given its peculiar name. A lot of travelers make a stop here when traveling nearby to get pictures of the geological formation and also to capitalize on the two different climbing trails that can lead one to the top of the hat.
Chugwater, Wyoming
It may seem like Chugwater is the perfect place to quench one's thirst, but really, the "Chug" here refers to "a chug," which is the sound that a buffalo makes when it falls into the water or when it hits the ground. This area apparently used to belong to the native Mandan tribe of the Great Plains that would prey on buffalo.
They found that the easiest way to hunt the buffalo was to lead them off of the cliff edge and into a massive body of water. Therefore, the area became known as "water at the place where buffalo chug," after that "Chugwater Creek," and ultimately just "Chugwater." A weird story of how this town got its name!
Humptulips, Washington
It's not even certain that you can find any tulips in this former wood-logging juncture, but surprisingly, the flower wasn't even the influence behind the settlement's name. As a matter of fact, Humptulips is a Native American phrase for 'hard to pole.' So, as the title suggests, the Humptulips River is difficult to raft down with poles, as the Native populations realized whenever they tried to make their way down the river.
Today, the name, as well as the origin, has brought the settlement enough notoriety to get mentioned in books like "The Long World" by Sir Terry Pratchett and "Another Popular Roadside Attraction" by Tom Robbins. These citations have brought the tiny little town some highly essential tourism.
Bosstown, Wisconsin
Bosstown must be an epic place to live in since you get to wake up every day feeling like a boss in Bosstown. The town was actually named after "The Boss," but by that, we don't mean Bruce Springsteen, who is referred to as The Boss by his band members. Here, by The Boss, we mean Henry Dosch, who is a far more obscure boss of Richland County in Wisconsin.
Legend has it that Dosch was a highly authoritative, bossy dude, and since the time that he set up his own little shop and livestock enterprise, he became the boss of the town. We assume that, as the town's boss, he has some power in naming the town, and that's how we got a Bosstown in Wisconsin.
Accident, Maryland
Legend of Maryland holds that this little town got its name during the era of land speculation, where land speculators would guess the value and size of large pieces of land to be sold off for investments and such. Risky business! Somehow, this area was accidentally marked as an Accident.
Nevertheless, it's probably best to avoid the Accident region if you're a superstitious person. You wouldn't want to take any risks of suffering a freak accident while spending time in Accident. You would then need to bear your friends making a joke about you having an accident in Accident for the rest of your life.
Bat Cave, North Carolina
This sounds like a place where Batman and Robin like to kick it, but in actual fact, this little unincorporated district got its name from a variety of bats that nest in the cave on Bluerock Mountain. This is not just any old bat cave but is known as North America's biggest granite fissure cave and is currently protected under a nature conservation act.
Officials have also banned public hiking in the region in order to prevent the white-nose syndrome from spreading from humans to native bats. Nonetheless, if you're in the area and keen to get a whacky photo-op, then this may be a place worth your time. Bat Cave is about 30 minutes drive from Asheville, North Carolina.
Bacon Level, Alabama
It really comes as no surprise that this place exists in Alabama. If there was a place you would expect a town name like Bacon Level, then it can only come from Alabama. We are not exactly even sure how the name Bacon Level came about, but we would like to think that it was taken word-for-word when the townspeople said they really loved high levels of bacon.
This tiny, unincorporated town is located just a few miles from Roanoke in Randolph County, near the Georgia border. The church-going locals are lucky enough to have their own little church called Bacon Level Baptist Church.
Earth, Texas
Welcome to Earth! No, this isn't a clever ruse to confuse alien visitors, this is just a humble rural city in Texas. Earth, the city, has been around since 1924 when it enjoyed a brief period being called "Fairlawn." Unfortunately, that was (somehow) a hot name and had already been snatched up elsewhere in Texas, so the citizens had to improvise.
After a number of suggestions by the townsfolk, the best choice they had was "Earth." Now, not to start any drama, but the suggester of the name "Earth" was the mother-in-law of the city's postmaster. So, do with that what you will.
Bigfoot, Texas
Despite what the name of this place may suggest, you probably won't be finding Bigfoot in this tiny Texan town. Instead, be sure to find a lot of monuments of the Texas ranger William Alexander Anderson Wallace, otherwise known as "Bigfoot." Wallace was a tall bloke and earned himself this nickname because we're guessing that he had massive feet.
He eventually passed this name on to the little town where he settled. Allegedly, Wallace came to this region after having been part of several forceful movements against Native residents and Mexicans. Sadly, he doesn't seem like the ideal gentleman to have a town named after him.
Booger Hole, West Virginia
Rumor has it that this town's name, Booger Hole, somehow evolved out of the term' boogieman.' In the early 1900s, this nickname was used to describe a creepy person who was liable for a series of murders and missing people. The weary townsfolk created the Clay County Mob and sent messages out in the form of newspapers and signs around town that they intended to put an end to the mayhem and murders in their little community.
One of these messages read: "We have pledged our lives to drive these people from our county or kill them… If before you leave, there is any stealing, killing, or burning, we will get the blood-hounds and detectives and run you to the ends of the earth." The brutality did indeed come to an end, but the town's name and the mysterious tales still remain today.
Burnout, Alabama
Does it feel like you're suffering from a bad bout of burnout? Well, then try living in a place where all the townies are reminded of this present-day ailment on a daily basis. The reason for this bizarre town name actually dates back to the Civil War.
Apparently, a party of Union Soldiers set up camp near a church and accidentally managed to knock a burning lamp over.
The church took on the name of "Burnout Church." Seeing as this was around the time that they had just battled in one of the bloodiest wars in US history, we forgive them for this little blunder.
Carefree, Arizona
If you're battling a bad bout of burnout, then perhaps relocating to Carefree in Arizona is just what you need. Initially, this little settlement in the far northeastern area of Phoenix was founded as a planned community in the 50s. There are no coincidences in the name of the town as it was intentionally named Carefree as a sort of marketing tactic to convince the masses to flock in.
With a population today of around 3600, one can't help but wonder if the ploy was actually a little bit successful. This region was the home of Southwestern Studios, where productions like "The Other Side of the Wind" by Orson Wells and "The Dick Van Dyke" show were filmed.
Chicken, Alaska
This little town in Alaska remains one of the few gold rush towns in the States and was founded in the late 19th century. At first, it was going to be named Ptarmigan, which is a bird found in the region resembling a chicken. This later became the bird of the State. The problem with naming a city after this bird, though, is that no one can spell or pronounce Ptarmigan at first, so they opted for Chicken instead.
Despite having a postal service, gift shop, bar, and cafe, this little town has no power, phones, or internet. Probably the reason why you won't find too many locals in this little town, as the last census in 2010 only listed seven residents. It is only in the summertime that the miners flock to this region because one can only imagine how hard it must be to withstand the winters.
French Lick, Indiana
This town name makes us think of either a weird twist to the French kiss or a horrendous hairstyle that requires a ton of wax or gel. In fact, this town actually got its name for something pretty adorable and normal compared to other stories on this list.
The town had a French trading post, which had a spot with a salt lick nearby where animals could go for a good lick of salt to get some minerals and electrolytes into their systems.
The little town also has some natural features like a sulfur spring, and we would have probably gone with "French Springs" instead of the bizarre name they went with, but hey, we guess different strokes for different folks.
Hygiene, Colorado
You would think that this little town got its name because the townsfolk got a little too deep into 'germ theory' and got so carried away with it that they decided that naming a town Hygiene would be a good idea. It's either that or they just somehow managed to pick the oddest name for their little town.
Is Hygiene in Colorado more hygienic than most towns in the States? Most accounts lead to this town's name being a little bit too deceptive. But hey, at least this name is a lot more appealing than the other towns on this list.
Coke County, Texas
Sometimes, the names of towns simply don't age gracefully, and here we have the perfect example of that. This county was named after Governor Richard Coke in 1889, and not one person batted an eye at the time. In the early 20th century, jokes may have been far more innocent since Coke was just the name of a widespread beverage.
Sadly, though, in modern times, this little town stands no chance of evading ridicule. We are by no means condoning all the endless mockery that must be made about this settlement, but let's face it — it is inevitable with a name like that.
DISH, Texas
Texas takes the cake for having the most bizarre town names, and this town is only one example. We are not sure what any given town would do to get a free TV satellite, but for this Texan town, the price to get a dish was taking on this name.
This town was initially called Clark, but they made a deal with Dish Network to change the town's name to DISH (all capital letters) in exchange for a free satellite in 2005. We would just love to know if the townies still think this was a fair exchange since, just ten years after the deal, streaming networks would overthrow TV satellites completely.
Frankenstein, Missouri
Just in case you forgot, Frankenstein was the scientist, not the monster. The last name Franken, which is derived from a family name, is actually not very unusual in Germany. In the year 1890, a bloke by the name of Godfried Franken gifted a portion of his land in order to build a new little town.
Later on, this town was named after him to honor his generosity. Nonetheless, the "Frankenstein" novel written by Mary Shelley was published in 1818, and seeing as it's such a classic, we'd like to believe that this novel had something to do with the naming of the town!
Center of the World, Ohio
Don't you just love it when a place thinks it's the center of the world when really it's not? Despite Ecuador and Turkey laying claim to this title, the world is rather spherical, so really, there is no real center of the world. We think it's safe to say that nowhere in Ohio is the center of the world, let alone the center of America, no matter how you approach this.
The name of the town came about when the aspirational founder Randall Wilmot named it that so that it could hopefully become the center of commerce. Clearly, his plan didn't pan out as he had hoped. Rather, this name comes across as geographically ignorant or just plainly pretentious. Oops!
Good Grief, Idaho
Good grief, we never thought we'd see a town with this name! This tiny settlement is nestled near the Canadian border. Its one moment of glory came around when it got a tribute on "Hee Haw," a vintage TV series for "having a population of three with two dogs and one old grouch."
As the folklore goes, there used to be a basic shop which the whole town revolved around. A local resident, Paul Springs, purchased the store in the 1950s, to which a local lady yelled "Good grief!" when she heard the news. This story may be a tad mundane, but at least it gave this town a hilarious name!
Greasy Corner, Arkansas
As comical and quirky as this town's name may be, the story behind how it got it is even more bizarre. The town was formerly named Mack's Corner after McCollum, a businessman in the region. This fella owned several enterprises in the same building, including an auto shop and an eatery.
Not to anyone's surprise, the two shops within such close proximity and management did not host the cleanest environment. One day, a customer ordered some food and got a car grease stain on his dish. He sarcastically joked that the town should be titled "Greasy Corner" instead. Somehow, the idea was taken seriously, and today, the town is named after that fateful greasy plate.
Half Hell, North Carolina
This is not the only hell-themed place on this list. Half Hell from North Carolina obviously has a good story. One of the tales about how this town got its distinctive name is that the townies couldn't seem to get past one of the area's dense and treacherous marshy swamplands.
The struggle was so real that they couldn't get out and decided to settle there and build their shelters in this place that was supposedly "half hell." This is not the most farfetched story on this list, but we can't help but wonder why the name stayed the same all these years.
Funk, Nebraska
It would be epic if this town got its name from the general air of funk that simply cannot be tamed in the town, but the reality is a bit of a different story. Sadly, the story behind the town's origin is a lot less interesting since it simply got its name from a former settler by the name of Phillip C. Funk.
Nevertheless, one can only hope that the local townies, or shall we say, 'Funkers 'of this town, have a lot of funk in them and that they like to jive to songs like "Funky Town" or "Uptown Funk" or any funky song for that matter!
Hurt, Virginia
If you have to go through an unfortunate time in your life because of a bad heartbreak where it's so tough that you can't eat or sleep, then perhaps paying a visit to this little town in Virginia will be the best thing to externalize all your feelings. Since "Virginia is for Lovers", though, it could make the heartache more bittersweet.
Jokes aside, the town's name actually comes from a former homesteader who went by the name of Colonel John R. Hurt. It seems like nobody will ever know why so many former pioneers with strange family names chose to call towns after themselves.
Monkey's Eyebrow, Kentucky
As the story goes, this little unincorporated village got its name because people claimed that from a bird's eye view, Ballard County took after the head of a monkey, and this region was where the eyebrow would be found. A different theory proposes that the settlement resembles a monkey's eyebrow from a view of a nearby hill.
Regardless of how the name came about, this name is bound to bring a lot of laughs from locals and visitors alike. In terms of distance, this town is about a 30-minute drive from the city of Paducah. Just like Texas, Kentucky is also a gold mine of strangely named towns.
Cut and Shoot, Texas
Does it even get more Texas than this town name? This tiny Texan town is in eastern Montgomery County, just slightly north of Houston. According to one Folklore, Cut and Shoot got its name after a heated argument broke out outside of the only church in town in 1912.
A local kid, probably following the example of the adults, claimed that he was going to "cut around the corner and shoot through the bushes." This statement stayed in the minds of the townies, so much so that it was ultimately adopted as the official name of the town. This town's name has frequently made it onto Wikipedia's list of 'Place Names Considered Unusual.'
Normal, Illinois
One could say that this town in Illinois is pretty normal, but you can't help but wonder if a place that goes as far as to label itself normal is actually normal or plainly just trying too hard to be normal. The not-so-normal name of this town was derived from the Illinois State Normal University, which later had the cheek to change its name to Illinois State University.
The university acted like that one friend who convinced you to get a weird friendship tattoo and then ended up getting it removed a few years later without telling you about it.
Slaughterville, Oklahoma
Luckily, the story behind this town has nothing in common with the Texas Chainsaw massacre. There were no slayings in Slaughterville, and we're sorry to disappoint you, but there's not much interesting about the origin of this town's name. There used to be a grocery store in the heart of the town, and it was run by a fella named James Slaughter.
We don't know why the fascination with naming its little towns after shop owners. At least we can say that sometimes the outcomes make one stop and wonder, especially here where the town is called Slaughterville. Funny enough, PETA (the animal organization) has actually attempted to change the town's name to "Veggieville." Sadly, they did not succeed. Now, we can only hope that this town will become the set for an incredible upcoming horror movie.
Romance, Arkansas
If you're a hopeless romantic, then perhaps this is the place to be! Arkansas undoubtedly boasts a lot of natural scenic beauty in its surrounding regions. Perhaps it's this factor that led a school teacher to give the town the name "Romance." Local residents have definitely not shied away from capitalizing on their town's name, and the town gets a lot of attention each year on the day of love — Valentine's Day.
Some travelers also visit the town to get married in Romance, while others send wedding invitations from the post office in Romance so invitees can see that the invitations are coming from a place of love. We love this little town's name and rate it one of the most charming names on this list!
Aladdin, Wyoming
Aladdin is sneaking its way onto this list in that it's not a town. It's not even a village. It's officially a hamlet, which is the name for a very small settlement. It's so small, in fact, that the population is just 15. At its peak, it only sat around 200, though some reports say 500. So, what's the story for this exotic-sounding hamlet?
Well, the folks who first settled there were hopping on the coal-mining gravy train and they were hoping to strike it rich, just like Aladdin in "Arabian Nights." To their credit, the town did pretty well for itself back in the day, and they even had a baseball team. But, many years have passed since Aladdin's glory days, and the town was put up for sale in 2014. Luckily, an Aladdin native bought it and is doing his best to maintain it.
Nothing, Arizona
Everybody has at least once in their life met somebody with a peculiar name and thought to themselves, how could their parents be so carelessly mean? That somewhat resembles the way we feel about this little town's sad name. The pioneers of the region clearly did not have their thinking caps on when they named this little town.
In all honesty, Nothing in Arizona really has nothing going for it, as it's a lonely little barren ghost town. According to the local lore, the town was so named by a bunch of drunkards passing by, who thought that naming the abandoned town Nothing would be amusing.
Success, Missouri
This little unincorporated community in Missouri lies just 12 miles northeast of Houston. One would like to think that Success is a great success at everything it does since the name would imply such. But the real reason behind this town's 'supposed inspiring' name is not that.
Apparently, the town's founders named it Success so that they could hopefully attract tourists to what was probably the only mineral spa in the region at the time. The founders probably hoped that people bathing in the spring would think that it would bring them a whole lot of success. Sadly, we cannot confirm the success of this story.
Yum Yum, Tennessee
It's pretty obvious that this settlement's name is either describing something delicious or just something downright creepy. Yum Yum got its title from a former senator who was either too lazy to think of something better or just lacked all sense of creativity. We're going to go with both of these scenarios.
In the 19th century, Yum Yum was actually a popular type of candy. Senator Kenneth McKellas was asked what the town's name should be, and he stated that Yum Yum would be the most original name. The moral of the story: never give the job of naming a town to a politician!
Cookietown, Oklahoma
Oh yeah, this sounds like the type of place that would lure kids in too easily. It would be nice to hear that this place was the birthplace of cookies, that chocolate chips rained from the sky there, and that the houses are made of gingerbread. But believe it or not, that's not the case.
Still, the origin of the name is cute. This small town had a general store where the owner was known to hand out cookies to the town kids. So, when the townsfolk were deciding on a name, they thought "Cookietown" sounded accurate. It makes you wonder just how free-handed the storeowner had to be with the cookies to make such an impact that they named the whole area after him.
Turkey Scratch, Arkansas
The roots of this town's title are still up for discussion, as not even the few residents who reside there know where the strange name comes from. This leaves a lot of room for making up all sorts of crazy stories that could one day become brutal legends. For now, we can imagine that one of the town's settlers had a pet turkey that enjoyed an occasional scratch.
When the turkey passed away, it got buried in the owner's backyard, who then went and named the piece of land after his beloved animal. Rumor has it that the turkey's ghost wakes the townsfolk up from time to time to get a scratch. Hair raising!
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
Around the mid-1900s, there was a talk show called "Truth or Consequences" that was run from this area. Competitors had to answer general knowledge-type questions before a buzzer sound went off. If they got the answer wrong, then their punishment was to perform a crazy stunt.
The show's presenter said that the 10th anniversary of the show would be shot in whichever town renamed itself to the name of the show — Truth or Consequences. The officials from this region in New Mexico raced to say, "We will!" The town's name was reportedly changed to "Truth or Consequences" in the spring of 1950, and as such, the show's legacy lives on.
Random Lake, Wisconsin
Everybody has a rough day at work every once in a while. We get it, work sucks, and the day is long, and sometimes, it's okay if you are simply not feeling like yourself. If you are, however, in charge of naming places, then we cannot forgive you if you name a place "Random Lake." This name just screams a massive lack of creativity and effort, to say the least.
It's all well and good to want to get the whole task of naming places out of the way, but surely the former settlers could have thought of something a bit more inspiring, like "Dreamy Lake" or "Solitude Springs," just to name a couple of examples. Also, we find it kind of ridiculous that no one has gone and changed the area's name since it's such a ludicrous name that still rings in Wisconsin to this day.
Pfafftown, North Carolina
As the story goes, anytime anyone in this town attempts to say something, the local townies just respond to their silly propositions with a mocking "pfaff." We're just kidding, but that story sounds a lot more funny than the real story behind how this unpronounceable town name came about.
The historical account of how this town got its name was from one of the settlers, Peter Pfaff Sr, who passed it on to the town. Perhaps if enough people start believing our tale, then eventually, everyone will be spreading it, and that could become the legend that replaces the boring old truth behind the town's origin.
Poverty, Kentucky
If only someone could have a chat with the folk from this town and school them on the power of words and the manifestations they hold. Surely, they would have had the chance to change the name of the village to something a little more uplifting by now. This little unincorporated district resides in McLean County, Kentucky.
Legend has it that the town got its name from a local physician, William Short. Allegedly, his bitterness towards his snobby neighbors pushed him to the point of naming the town Poverty. It's a terrible name for any town or place but we have to admit that we love Short's pettiness in this story.
Scratch Ankle, Alabama
This little town only has about 200 residents and is stationed about 80 miles from Montgomery. The settlement got its name from the townsfolk who were constantly seen scratching their ankles from all the itching caused by bites from the fleas, mosquitoes, and other pests in the region.
The itchy ankles must have been so bad that the whole town was named after the phenomenon. Yikes! Several years back, one of the locals was quoted by a regional TV channel saying: "If you roll up your pants and sit out in the afternoon, you'd call it Scratch Ankle too."
Blue Ball, Pennsylvania
Blue Ball is a little unincorporated town in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, with a population that hovers around 1,000 people, so it is definitely not the smallest town we have seen on this list. This tale of how this town got its name may not be what you think, and no, it's got nothing to do with a medical condition. In the early 1700s, a fella, John Wallace, constructed a small inn in what was Earl Town in those days.
He hung an actual blue ball outside and called it "The Sign of Blue Ball." Soon enough, locals started calling the town Blue Ball, and in 1833, Earl Town formally got its name changed to Blue Ball. The inn had a name change in the prohibition years to Blue Ball Hotel but sadly got torn down in 1997.
Pie Town, New Mexico
This little unincorporated village is located in Carton County, New Mexico. Pie Town got its name in the 1920s from a former baker, Clyde Norman, who had a dried apple pie specialty. Norman settled here after WWI and started making pies for those traveling through the region. Of course, this little village of about 185 people has put their town's name to good use, as they host a "Pie Festival" each year on the second weekend of September.
According to the local legend, a red-headed Texan cowboy, Harmon L. Craig, purchased a Pie Town for $700 in 1924, but he got two cows and two calves thrown into the deal. Craig opened a gas station and a garage, and from there, a new town was born.
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone was founded in the late 1870s. The town grew largely due to the regional mines and became the largest silver producer in the Arizona district. It may very well be one of the most popular settlements on this list since it got its moment of glory in 1881 with the O.K. Corral gunfight. To this day, this is one of the most well-known gunfights in Old West American history.
This Wild West event has even been made into numerous films, including "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral," by Kirk Douglas in 1957, as well as the 1993 "Tombstone," which starred Kurt Russell. The name Tombstone is quite authentic, given its founding, and today, it helps to lure Old West tourism.
Top of the World, Arizona
The Arizonian town of 'Top of the World' is far off from its name's honor. This little town has a 4,528-foot elevation, which, let's face it, is a rather unremarkable altitude. Mount Everest is actually the real top of the world, with a hefty elevation of 29,029 feet. The name of the settlement stems from an overexaggerated and undelivered recreation space.
Nevertheless, Arizona hosts a stunning array of natural scenic sites, and even though it's not the top of the world, you'll definitely find some awe-inspiring canyons, hiking trails, and views, not to mention all the outdoorsy activities that one could dabble in.