What’s In A Name?

by Suki | Jun 11, 2010

I have come across some weird city names around the world in my days. But I think the good, ol’ U.S. of A has the weirdest city names by far.

One day Rob and I were looking at the map of Texas and found ‘Texarkana’ and ‘Arkadelphia’…I was like “Oh come on, that is just lazy. You can’t come up with anything so you just borrow from the states around you?”

So I decided to do some research and boy did I come up with some strangely named cities!

Here are just a few:

1. They Just Didn’t Try

There are names of cities where you just have to wonder: ‘what the heck where they thinking?’ Or ‘Are they really that lazy?’

Like, for example, No Name, Colorado. No Name? Really? Wow.

Here is a little info from Wikipedia about No Name, Colorado:

No Name is an unincorporated community in Colorado. It is located east of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, off exit 119 of Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon. It is named for No Name Creek and No Name Canyon. The No Name Tunnel of I-70 is nearby.

The exit sign for No Name is visible in passing in the film Vanishing Point.

Another name that is just lazy:

Okay, Arkansas

You can just imagine the conversation:

“Now come on Billy, what are we here gonna call this city?”

“Okay.”

“Naw, I asked, what are we gonna call it?”

“Call it, Okay.”

“I ain’t gonna call it, you call it.”

“Okay.”

“Okay, call it!”

“I did! Okay!”

“Alright now you got me hoppin’ mad! You come up with the name, I’m gonna go cool off by the river.”

“Okay.”

One that is just as funny is Boring, Maryland. Obviously the people that came up with the name had no intention of living there or were trying to warn the people that would be living there “yo this place is useless and boring, don’t even bother man.”

But Wikipedia has proven me wrong. Check it out:

An important stop on the Western Maryland Railroad, it is very small, consisting of about 40 houses, the Boring Methodist Church, Boring Volunteer Fire Company organized in 1907, and the Boring Post Office (ZIP Code: 21020). It is known for its unusual name, which wasn’t named for the pace of life, but for postmaster David Boring.

Wow David Boring. What a name.

2. Are You On Crack?

There are some city names where you just have to wonder ‘was the person on crack when they came up with this name?’ What would compel someone to come up with names like these?

Chicken, Alaska
Burnt Corn, Alabama
Frying Pan, California (maybe frying pan and chicken could get together for a town hall meeting)
Hooker, California (you want ’em, we got ’em)
Wimp, California
Weedpatch, California (right on, dude)
You Bet, California
Last Chance, Colorado
Between, Georgia
Beer Bottle Crossing, Idaho (try not to hit our drunk pedestrians)
Roachtown, Illinois
What Cheer, Idaho (I believe this one is my favorite. It really gives me a chuckle)
ALL of these cities in Kentucky: Beaver Lick, Bugtussle, Chicken Gizzard, Crummies, Do Stop, Monkeys Elbow, Mousie, Mud Lick, Oddville, Ogle, Spring Lick, Rabbit Hash, Typo. (TYPO? Seriously?? Chicken Gizzard?? I am cracking up.)
Chunky, Mississippi (the home of Chunky Soup)
Sanatorium, Mississippi (send us your crazies)
Love Ladies, New Jersey (only in Jersey!)
ALL these cities in Texas: Cut-n-Shoot, Dime Box, Ding Dong, Frognot, Gun Barrel City, Hoop and Holler, Leaky, Loco, Looneyville, Muleshoe, Notrees, Pointblank, Possum Kingdom, Run and Shoot, Tarzan, Trophy Club, Turkey, Twitty, Uncertain.
Why Not, North Carolina
Idiotville, Oregon
ALL of these cities in New Mexico (seriously crack is wack): Elephant Butte, Tingle, Truth or Consequences.