We will list some of the strangest town names we could find in the U.S. Don’t worry, only one of them is boring.
In America, you all are familiar with many town and city names. There are the towns we grew up in, cities you’ve traveled to and the places you see in the news, read about in books, or hear of through friends. But there are many places in the U.S., you may not be aware they even existed. Some of these places names are so strange you won’t believe they are real. But they are indeed genuine places with crazy names.
#1 Pig, Kentucky
Pig is a town located in Kentucky. It was so named after many disputes over what name to choose. It is reported that one of the town’s residents spotted a small hog on a road and then the name “Pig” was accepted. Goes to show that fighting benefits no-one.
#2 Chicken, Alaska
The town of Chicken, Alaska got it’s name from the prevalence of a medium sized gamebird there. The name of the bird, “ptarmigan”, was suggested as the official town name. However, the spelling of ptarmigan is challenging and so “chicken” was used to avoid embarrassment.
#3 Toad Suck, Arkansas
“The origin of the name Toad Suck is not clear. Some say it got its name when rivermen would gather at the local tavern and they would “suck on the bottle ’til they swell up like toads”. Others believe the name originated from a French phrase that means “a narrow channel in the river”. Either way, today the town of Toad Suck is pretty unique.
#3 Belchertown, Massachusetts
While the name Belchertown sounds like its name originated for an obvious reason, the real deal is that it’s named after Jonathan Belcher, a colonial governor of Massachusetts.
#5 Gas, Kansas
The name of this town allows for a lot of jokes! “You just passed Gas.” Gas got its name when, no surprise, natural gas was discovered in the area in 1898.
#6 Boring, Oregon
Whether or not it is a boring place is to be determined. But, Boring, Oregon sure does have a funny name. Boring is named after William Harrison Boring, a Union soldier and pioneer whose family first settled the area in 1856 in the Oregon Territory.
#7 Ding Dong, Texas
Ding Dong sounds like a doorbell but it is also the name of a town in central Texas. Ding Dong was named when two early settlers in the community, Zulis Bell, and Bert Bell, opened a store. The store’s sign depicted two bells on it with the initials of the Bell brothers. Underneath the bells were the words “Ding” and “Dong”. Over the years, because of this sign, this town became known as Ding Dong.
#8 What Cheer, Iowa
There are a few theories of where the name “What Cheer” came from. One is that a Scottish miner exclaimed “What cheer!” on discovering a coal seam near town. Another theory suggests that it comes from an ancient English greeting “what cheer with you”. Regardless of where the name came from, the people there must be very happy.
#9 Zzyzx, California
This town was formerly known as Soda Springs. American radio evangelist Curtis Howe Springer gave the made-up name Zzyzx to the area in 1944, claiming it to be the last word in the English language. He was known to be a con-artist. That would explain the strangeness of this town’s name.
#10 Two Egg, Florida
Two Egg, Florida, got its name during the Great Depression. According to local folklore, two young boys were so poor that they purchased sugar from a local store by giving them two eggs. Not only did this trade give way to naming the town but the term “two egg store” spread nationally.
#11 Oatmeal, Texas
One belief in this community’s name is an alteration of the name “Othneil” – a man with this name was the area’s first gristmill owner. Alternatively, Oatmeal could be a translation of the name German name Habermill (Haber meaning “oats”. Either way, this town sounds warm and wholesome.
#12 Booger Hole, West Virginia
While the name Booger Hole can’t help but make you laugh, this town was horribly subjected to a number of murders during a short period of time in the early 1900s. It’s community formed what they referred to as a “mob” who threatened to “get bloodhounds and detectives and run [the murderer] to the ends of the earth.” Although many think the name of this town is derived from this violence as in “boogieman”, others believe the town was named this already at the time of the murders. No matter why the town was named this, it is still a weird town name.
#13 Loafers Glory, North Carolina
Loafers Glory is located in North Carolina. Definitely sounds like you’d find a lot of shoes there. Actually, this town was named for the idle, or “loafing” men who commonplace at the town’s general store.
#14 Pee Pee, Ohio
The final strange town on our list is the town of Pee Pee. (hee hee) It took its name from Pee Pee Creek which was so named when an early settler carved his initials P. P. on a tree along its banks.
