Small Towns With Strange Names
By Alice Henry
@IreneVincent (15962)
United States
March 12, 2016 11:57am CST
Do you live in a town or near a town with an interesting name?
I found some interesting names by looking at state maps. Here are a few that I found.
Accident, Maryland
Soso, Mississippi
Left Hand, West Virginia
I’ve known about this town for a long time, since I was born and raised in West Virginia.
Whynot, North Carolina. I have driven through this town several times going to Fayetteville from Winston-Salem.
There are also towns named Looneyville, in Minnesota, New York, Texas and West Virginia
How about:
Two Egg, Florida
Yum Yum, Tennessee
Zigzag, Oregon
Ding Dong, Texas
These were just a few I found. Do you know of any near you? I wonder how these towns ended up with these names. They each should have an interesting story behind the name.
What do you think?
35 people like this
30 responses
@FourWalls (62096)
• United States
12 Mar 16
There's a town in New Mexico called Truth or Consequences. They apparently renamed the town after the game show on a dare from the producers of the show.
In Kentucky, we have Paint Lick. Who licks paint? And why celebrate it by naming a town after it?? 
8 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
12 Mar 16
There is also a town in Virginia named Lick Skillet. I'll have to add Paint Lick to my list. I do know that a "Lick" is a word used for either a small creek, or hollow. I'm going to look up that word.
3 people like this
@GrannyGee (3517)
• Louisburg, North Carolina
12 Mar 16
Lizard Lick, NC :) I haven't heard of the other towns, but ... that's amazing, interesting.
5 people like this
@RasmaSandra (73368)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
13 Mar 16
@IreneVincent I have always been fascinated by towns with strange names. I once did a couple of articles about different states and the strange town names. Will have to take a look if I have saved any of these articles.
4 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@RasmaSandra Yes, do that and add to our FUN here. This has been quite interesting. I hope you find your articles and share them with us.
4 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
13 Mar 16
Lizard Lick is a good weird name. I'm still researching the word "Lick". I think it can refer to a creek or hollow up in the hills. I'm pretty sure I've heard that before.
3 people like this
@FourWalls (62096)
• United States
13 Mar 16
As Harvey Korman said in Blazing Saddles, "Kinky."
3 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
12 Mar 16
Texas has several odd ones, what I want to know is where the name came from!
4 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
13 Mar 16
I know. It would probably be fun to research a few of these names and see if we can find out the history of the name. I just might do that this week, if I have some time. And I'll pass along the info if I find anything.
3 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
13 Mar 16
@IreneVincent I could see some interesting postings based on that
3 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@Jessicalynnt Yes, that's what I was thinking too. I'm going to start the ball rolling and perhaps all of us can get involved. We need a way to tag everyone or let everyone know what we find.
3 people like this
@akalinus (40440)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@IreneVincent You wonder how these places get their names. Pinch Gut Hollow is pretty funny.
3 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@akalinus I was shocked when I asked her for her home address on email. I wanted to send her some photographs of our family members. She had told me that a lot of their family photos had been lost when her parents had to move. She was never able to find them. And I had some that I knew she would want so I made copies and I needed her address.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
Yes, there are many Indian names all over this country. My cousin lives on Pinch Gut Hollow Road in West Virginia.
3 people like this
@DEADLYKITTENS (66)
• Democratic Republic Of The Congo
13 Mar 16
surely some of these town names have been made up by you??
4 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
13 Mar 16
NOPE. They are definitely on the state maps. Check it out. Funny though, aren't they?
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@Berniezeitler Yes, they are all VERY REAL. I am going to look them up to get more information myself.
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
12 Mar 16
The towns you mention sure do have queer names and I'm sure that each one has a story behind it.
I live in a village called Cherry Hinton. It used to be just 'Hinton', which may mean 'the enclosure on the hill' - there was an Iron Age hill-fort overlooking what is now the village. The 'Cherry' part seems to have been added in the 16th Century because of the abundance of wild cherry trees and to distinguish it from other Hintons.
4 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
13 Mar 16
You are probably right. I'm hoping to be able to research a few of these ODD names and see if I can find out where the names originated. I 'm sure each one has a story behind it. No doubt in my mind.
3 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
13 Mar 16
I have a friend that lives in Turtletown, Tennessee.
4 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
There must be a lot of Turtles in Turtletown. LOL That's a good one for our list.
2 people like this
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
13 Mar 16
@IreneVincent
It is an appropriate name as it really is out in the desert with nothing else around for miles.
3 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
13 Mar 16
Maybe its an appropriate name for such a place. I guess .
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@Marcyaz Most town names have a history behind them, but I always wonder how it's voted on and why that particular name was chosen.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (62096)
• United States
13 Mar 16
One of the most famous towns in America has a really silly name: Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. It's where the Wright Brothers made their first flight.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
13 Mar 16
Yes, I'm very familiar with Kill Devil Hills. I've been there several times.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@lookatdesktop Yes, it seems to be a strange name to me also. But, it's very well known because of the flight of the Wright brothers. There's a monument there and people from all over visit Kill Devil Hills.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
13 Mar 16
That's a good one: Looking glass. Don't you wonder how these towns got their weird names???
2 people like this
@else34 (13517)
• New Delhi, India
13 Mar 16
@IreneVincent,Yes,I live in a small town that's near a village having a very strange name.The name of the village is a sentence in a dialect.It means,'Wait a bit,I am coming.'
2 people like this
@else34 (13517)
• New Delhi, India
14 Mar 16
@IreneVincent It's a dialect of our national language Hindi.The name of the village in that dialect is,'tain thhaare rah,main aawat hon.' In English it means,'Wait a bit,I am coming.'
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@else34 OK I will write that down. Thanks for the information. I'm learning a lot from this post.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
13 Mar 16
That is a strange name. What is the language? I know you can't use English letters to write it on here. There are many languages in India though.
2 people like this
@lookatdesktop (27129)
• Dallas, Texas
12 Mar 16
This was very much fun for me to read. As for Texas there is a city called Paris, and there is no resemblance to France here, lol. Oh here's one more, Texas City, Texas. Yes it's real. And of course, one of my faorites, Rhome, Texas, when in Rhome, do as the Rhoman's do, lol. There is also a Lost City, Oklahoma. Was that already mentioned?
How about Happy Hill Road, Dade City, Florida? Not a city but funny name for a road.
3 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Mar 16
@lookatdesktop I know. I remember as a kid growing up in London (the original one in the UK) one day at school covering other cities called London and being told the largest other London was that one in Canada and it not amounting to much having only a population of 20,000 and it would not amount to much. Today London Ontario is more than 350,000 in size. Hmmm.
3 people like this
@lookatdesktop (27129)
• Dallas, Texas
13 Mar 16
@pgiblett Wow! It looks like there's no getting away from the French influence or England and India.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
I'm sure that is the reason. It's what you get used to, I guess.
@besweet (9863)
• Ireland
14 Mar 16
@IreneVincent "Allagi" is the greek word, I would also like to know the story behind this town name but I couldn't find any information online. It could be a local story that's not widely known.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@besweet That would be great, if you can find it. Allagi, I'll write that down too. Thanks.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
What's the Greek word? Well, you probably can't write here in Greek script. But, thanks for the information. "Change" is a rather strange name for a town and I'm sure there is a story behind it.
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Mar 16
That is an interesting question because I have forgotten more than I remember. Close to where we live is "Smithville" which I find strange naming a town after the surname of it's founder, names that don't exist in Europe. In the UK is have seen some strange ones like "Upton Down" or "Middle Wallop".
I also came across a report about a town in Montana that changed it's name to "Joe" soon after the successes of Joe Montana in the NFL.
2 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
13 Mar 16
@IreneVincent tthe "Joe" story I gave never been able to confirm later, perhaps the name reverted.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
13 Mar 16
"Joe" hmmmmm. I hadn't heard that story. I was born in the town of Gypsy. My DAD told me that a wealthy coal baron, named several towns in West Virginia after his daughters. Idamay and Carolina were two more. I went to high school with children from these towns.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
13 Mar 16
Natutuwa akong makausap ka. Gandang Buhay. Kumusta ka? I have a friend who speaks Tagalog.
3 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
@cacay1 No, I have a friend who is from the Philippines and he taught me a few words. I would love to learn more. I'm trying to learn some "greetings" and short phrases in several different languages so I can use this knowledge on MyLot and for other reasons also.
There are many different languages spoken here in the USA, because people have moved here from many different countries.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20364)
• Fairfield, Texas
13 Mar 16
Boy, those are some whoppers @IreneVincent . It does make you wonder who comes up with these names.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
Yes, this list keeps getting longer. I am enjoying this interchange of information immensely and plan to do some more research on these names.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
Yes, every town has to choose a name and there HAS TO BE a story behind the name. I'm definitely going to do a little research on some of these names. I will be sharing what I find and hopefully others will do some searching too and share with us.
2 people like this
@just4him (305965)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
14 Mar 16
@IreneVincent It will be interesting to know how they got those names.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
14 Mar 16
So you LIVE in Bangalore. Wow! Now you know what the name means. You never know what you might learn here on MyLot, do you?
Welcome to our discussion of names of towns. Tell us more about Bangalore.
2 people like this
@divssri (971)
• Bangalore, India
15 Mar 16
@IreneVincent i am not living properly in banglore where i live its not so developed place.
1 person likes this
