Toponymy
The study of unusual place names is called Toponymy. Have you ever lived in a place with a strange name? What happens is that everyone who lives there becomes oblivious of the names amusing connotation. Another common occurrence is that people in the area refer to the place with a strange pronunciation. For example, I stayed for a while in charming village in Cornwall called Mousehole. Did the people who live nearby pronounce it Mouse Hole? No, they refer to it as ‘Mousle’, the aitch is silent.
Here are some examples Will and Guy researched, we hope they make you smile:
Funny Place Names Located in the USA
- Paradox, strange as it may seem, is in New York
- Crapo, unfortunately for them is in Maryland
- Boogertown, is happily in North Carolina
- Hellhole, is depressingly to be found in Idaho
- Purgatory, is sadly in Maine
- Volcano, an explosive place in Hawaii
- Needmore, is in the greedy state of Arkansas
- Hardup, is in the poor [you must be joking} state of Utah
- Rudeville, surprisingly perhaps is in New Jersey
- Boring, can be found in Oregon [I wonder if it is?]
- Hell, is in Michigan [Some other places too, I suspect]
- Hooker, can be found in California [And other places too]
- Virgin, is a place in Utah
- Dulls Corner, is in Maryland [Do they wear pointy hats there?]
- Bowlegs, is amusingly in Oklahoma
- Beersville, is a fine town in Pennsylvania
- Fleatown, is an itchy place in Ohio
- Burnt Corn, can be seen in Alabama
- Two Guns, famously in Arizona
- Toad Suck, is a found in Arkansas
- A Monkey’s Eyebrow, is based in Arizona
Funny Place Names – Toponymy in the UK
- Ugley in Essex [What a pity; is there an Ugley Women’s Institute or Working men’s Club, in the town?]**
- Pratts Bottom in Kent [Even more so]
- Great Snoring in Norfolk
- Little Snoring in Norfolk [which would you prefer to live in?]
- Beer in Devon [Possible retirement place for Will?]
- Giggleswick in Yorkshire
- Maggots End in Hertfordshire [Ugh]
- Great Cockup in Cumbria
- World’s End can be found in Berkshire and again near Birmingham [Lovely pub/restaurant in the place near Denmead, Hampshire]
- Blubberhouses in Yorkshire [Visited there once says Will]
- Catbrain near Bristol
- Crank in Merseyside [Probably more than one]
- Hole in the Wall near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire [Visited a pub named that in Caernarfon, North Wales, once or twice say Guy and Will]
- Idle near Bradford, Yorkshire [Fancy belonging to the Idle Men’s Working Club]
- Lilliput near Bournemouth, Dorset [Full of little people?]
- Mumps in the Greater Manchester area [Sounds painful]
- Piddlehinton in Dorset [There are several names like this based around The River Piddle – true].
There is also a Wyre Piddle in Worcestershire. - Pity Me in Durham [OK]
** Yes there is, they’re in the Essex Federation of Women’s Institute! I used to live nearby.
The village also has a newspaper, Ugley Village Magazine
Also, The Ugley Friendship Club meets there. Thanks to Hannu Ylioja for the extra information.
Please send us any good examples of Toponymy from your part of the world.
