The 40 Most Ridiculous Town Names In The United States

If someone invited you to Medical Lake, Washington, you might be a bit creeped out. But the town isn’t a site of some body of water where surgeries take place. In reality people used to think that the lake’s mineralized water had healing properties. They found out later that it didn’t, but the weird name stuck. 

All of us grown-ups should be drinking eight glasses of H2O each day, but, sometimes, we forget. That’s why Chugwater, Wyoming’s name is so handy to its 212 or more residents. They simply remember where they live, and they’re instantly reminded of their responsibility to hydrate their bodies. 

No one’s really sure why Nameless, Tennessee, earned such a strange moniker. But some say it’s all down to the U.S. Post Office, which considered an application for a location in the area. Whoever the applicant was left the town name section blank on the form. So the USPS approved the request and returned it with “Nameless” stamped onto the document. And the rest, as they say, was history… 

Just over 700 people live in Weiner, Arkansas, and it seems that none of them know the history of their town’s name. But calling a place “weiner” must mean that they have killer barbecues in the area. Or perhaps there are a lot of residents who keep dachshunds as pets. Some local websites claim it’s a lot more straightforward, mind you, and that it’s named after a railroad engineer who would stop by. 

You might think that your hometown is a bit blah, but it’s name probably doesn’t give that away. That is, unless you live in Boring, Oregon. Funnily enough, though, the locals in this community love their town’s moniker, and they play it up with their area’s slogan. It promises that Boring is “the most exciting place to live.” 

Difficult, Tennessee, apparently had a much more complicated moniker in the past. When locals applied to the post office, their application was returned with a note from officials. They found the town’s name – “too difficult” – err...too difficult to process. So it seems the community decided to make it easier with their next application by choosing a word that the USPS knew well.

If you drove into a place called Hazardville, you’d probably expect, well, a lot of hazards ahead of you. But this Connecticut district has moved away from a fiery past, when it used to be a hub for gunpowder manufacturers. That chapter closed in 1913, though, so you can make your way through without fear.  

Flapjacks weren’t on the mind of those who founded Pancake, West Virginia. Because it turns out it was the surname of a family who once lived in the area. But their moniker has lent itself to some pretty funny landmarks, such as Pancake Road, on which the community is located, and the now-defunct Pancake Post Office. 

Accident stands as one of Maryland’s earliest settlements on its western edge. As settlers began to survey – and lay claim – to the area, two friends started to outline their stakes. When they realized their borders had overlapped, they laughed it off as an Accident and, well, the name stuck. Or so it’s told anyway...

Bean Station, Tennessee, isn’t a place to go if you’re searching for fields full of legumes. The town gets its name not from an abundance of the fibrous pods, but from its founder, William Bean. Little did he know at the time – just after the Revolutionary War – that he gave his town a name that would also suit a 21st century coffee shop. 

You’ll find King of Prussia in Pennsylvania, miles away from the kingdom that inspired its name. Well, to be clear, there was an 18th-century tavern in the area called the King of Prussia Inn, which drew its moniker from King Frederick the Great of Prussia. It must have been a great bar because, now, the town and its massive mall are both called King of Prussia.

Beneath a thick of hop vines, Native Americans found the only clear water source in this part of Pennsylvania. And that’s why it’s still called Hop Bottom. It has unfortunately nothing to do with brewing beer, although it would be the great name for a craft IPA… 

Looking at Monkey’s Eyebrow, Kentucky, on a map might, well, raise your eyebrow. Some say that the town’s outline looks very similar to that part of a primate’s face. That applies to its appearance on a map or if you look at it from overhead. 

Bombs have nothing to do with why Atomic City, Idaho, got its explosive name. Because this town is actually the site of the world’s first-ever nuclear reactor, apparently. But there’s much less buzz here now, since most of the area’s residents are retired adults – not to say they’re boring, but they’re no longer adding to the town’s population. 

Once upon a time, Slapout, Oklahoma, was split down the middle, and each half had a different name. One side carried the town’s current moniker, while the other was called Nye at the behest of local business owner, Tom Lemmon. The story goes that a tornado spun through and ripped out the sign that designated half of the area as Nye. So Lemmon supposedly gave up on trying to differentiate his side.

Tightwad, Missouri, didn’t always have its one-of-a-kind name, but one stingy shop owner changed the course of the town’s history forever, it’s said. That’s because he reportedly charged a customer an extra 50 cents if he wanted a better watermelon. His miserly ways must have been a major talking point, since the area became known as Tightwad thereafter. 

You’ve heard of the Dinosaur National Monument, and you know it’s somewhere in Colorado. But you just can’t remember the name of the town in which you can find it. Well, the town changed its name in 1966 to make it very easy to figure out where in the Centennial State to find the prehistoric landmark. It’s in Dinosaur, of course. 

What Cheer, Iowa, has a decidedly happy name. The phrase “what cheer with you” used to be a greeting in old English. The story goes that when a miner, who happened to be Scottish, found a coal seam in the town’s surroundings, he shouted out the shortened vision “What Cheer.”

Imagine sitting down to eat at a restaurant and having an auto mechanic serve your meal. As he hands over the plate, you realize he’s smeared some oil onto it. In disgust, you declare the town should be called “Greasy Corner,” and, well, the rest of the residents agree. That’s what happened in Greasy Corner, Arkansas, as the story goes...

No Name Creek and No Name Canyon lent their name to No Name, Colorado. It’s unclear why all of them have a moniker that means they have no moniker. But it’s certainly creepy to drive by a sign that says “No Name” with an arrow directing you off of the highway. We’ll keep driving, but thanks. 

There are a number of theories as to why Hell, Michigan, earned its fiery moniker. Our favorite: local businessman George Reeves, who moved to the area in the 1830s, would trade farmers whiskey for their wheat. So during harvest time, many of the men would disappear and get drunk. And when asked their husbands’ whereabouts, the local women would reply, “He’s gone to Hell again” – and the name stuck.

The worst thing about Buttzville, New Jersey, is that it’s named after someone. Michael Robert Buttz founded the town in 1839, and he came up with the peachy moniker in honor of his son, Liam Oakes Buttz. We’re not sure that’s a gift anyone would want to receive, but hey… 

Whether you’re a woman or there’s a great one in your life, we can all agree that we Loveladies. This New Jersey community doesn’t get its name from a great adoration for the fairer sex. It was actually the surname of a man who owned an island in the bay adjacent to the town.  

Let’s say you’re on a long-haul drive across the country. You’d want to know if you were about to pass the final hotel for miles before you continued off into the night, right? That’s the courteous reason behind Last Chance, Idaho’s name: they wanted to let the world know that they had the only resort for the next 40 miles.

If we had to get stuck in any kind of major natural disaster, we’d choose a Cheesequake. This New Jersey community’s name doesn’t come from the Earth splitting open and revealing its hidden dairy stores, though. Turns out it’s derived from the Lenni Lenape native language from either the word for “upland” or another that means “land that has been cleared.”

Two eggs, any style: you’ve probably seen it on brunch menus every weekend. But you can also find Two Egg in Florida, a small community in the northern part of the state. Legend has it that during the Great Depression, people in the area would trade two eggs for the supplies they needed. Their bartering clearly left a mark.

As we’ve learned many times already, making mistakes on township applications has resulted in some weird-yet-official names. The residents who wanted to make their Texas hometown an officially recognized place hadn’t decided on its moniker. So, they wrote “Uncertain” in the blank for the town’s name. Clearly it was approved as the moniker has stuck since. 

Say what you will about a place called Bangs, but it’s story is not nearly as spicy as it seems. A man named Samuel Bangs received the land as a reward for his work as a printer during the Texas Revolution. He never lived on the territory, but it still carries his giggle-inducing last name. 

Who doesn’t want to go to a place named after the best breakfast meat out there? Bacon Level, Alabama, does actually get its moniker from the sizzling strips we all love so much. Some early 19th century pioneers reportedly got robbed in the area, and they heard that the outlaws were at “the level” part of the trail. When the wronged arrived there, they found their missing bacon – and, thusly, Bacon Level was born. 

A lot of discussion went into the naming of this North Carolina town. But every single person who presented an idea supposedly started the sentence with, “Why not…” before adding their name. Someone must have gotten tired of the repetition, because they suggested Why Not and, clearly, everyone agreed. 

It almost seems like there has to be a deeper meaning behind Lizard Lick, North Carolina. But no, it really is as simple as a few reptiles sticking out their tongues. Because someone passing through the area noticed an abundance of lizards who were sitting on a fence and licking themselves, according to a state historian. Charming!

It’s unclear why Colon, Michigan, has earned its anatomically referential name. But it might be even stranger to consider the town’s signage, which touts the destination as “The Magic Capital of the World.” When listing all of the globe’s most magical places, we probably wouldn’t put a Colon at the top… 

Nothing, Arizona, has – and had – quite literally nothing to offer you. Today it’s an uninhabited town in the Copper State, for one thing. And in the past there were supposedly enough drunks in town to lobby for the destination’s ridiculous names. So obviously, it hasn’t ever been a wonderful place to settle.

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, seems to have a name that almost threatens all who pass through. But the truth is far less sinister. You see, there used to be a radio show with the same name. And its host, Ralph Edwards, promised to broadcast from the first place in the country that legally changed its moniker to the title of his program. You can guess which locale won the contest. 

The moral of the story behind Knockemstiff, Ohio’s name? Never fight for a man who’s cheating – fight against him. At least that’s how one story goes: a woman asked her preacher for advice because her husband was stepping out on her. Ever a man of faith and forgiveness, the clergyman supposedly told her to “knock ‘em stiff.” 

Get your minds out of the gutter – this Georgia town isn’t named after what you think it is. Because it turns out that Climax used to have the highest set of railroad tracks between Savannah and the Chattahoochee River. It was that kind of high point.

Nimrod once had a far more positive origin-story, thanks to the Biblical character of the same name. He was a skilled hunter, so naming this Oregon town after him made sense, as many people came to the nearby McKenzie River to fish. Nowadays, though, the word is synonymous with dummy. And that’s why Nimrod has such a problem keeping its street signs: people think it’s such a funny town name that they steal them.

A mining company honored then-newly elected President Zachary Taylor by naming its business and town after him. Yes, the management called it Rough and Ready, which was his nickname on the battlefield. The Californian town then parted from the Union the following year to avoid paying taxes on its mining hauls. Imagine if the United States still had a small country called The Great Republic of Rough and Ready...

Funny that a town with a name like this actually has a religious explanation behind it. Or at least a story relating to religion. Because, apparently, Josiah Slickpoo was a man who assisted the famous Jesuit priest, Father Cataldo, as he worked to get the good word out to the masses of Idaho. Slickpoo found a site for Fr. Cataldo’s church, in fact. So forget the smelly connotations… if you can. 

It’s a suggestive name for sure. But Intercourse, Pennsylvania, came to be for much more innocent reasons. Experts think that, maybe, two important roads used to cross here, thus making the name useful for coach drivers looking to change directions. Or it could come from an older usage of the word – at one time, it meant friendship, which is much less aggressive than what we read it as today.