Toponymy - The Study of Unusual Place Names

Toponymy - The Study of Unusual Place Names

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 Will and Guy's favourite examples of toponymy, we hope that at least one makes you smile:

• Top 10 Funny Place Names
• Unusual Place Names Located in the USA
• More Funny Place Names - Toponyms in the UK
• Funny Place Names - Food for Thought

Top 10 Funny Place Names

Will and Guy's Top Ten Selection of Funny Place Names May Make You Laugh.....or at least smile.

1. Beersville, is a town in Pennsylvania, USA
2. Hell is in Michigan, USA
3. Ugley can be found in Essex, England
4. Boring, is in Oregon, USA
5. Slack Bottom is near Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, England
6. Puke is a real place in Albania
7. Wetwang in East Yorkshire, England
8. Middle Wallop is a small town in Hampshire, England
9. Woolloomooloo is a township in Australia
10. Twin the towns: Romeo in Michigan, USA with Joliet in Illinois, USA [Juliet].  Also Harrisburg PA, USA, with Chernobyl, Ukraine.

The coastal town of Piles in Spain ran these selections pretty close.

Unusual Place Names Located in the USA

• Paradox, strange as it may seem, is in New York.
• Crapo, unfortunately for them, it 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?].
• 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.
• Fleatown, is an itchy place in Ohio.
• Normal, in Illinois (easy to miss).
• Two Guns, famously in Arizona.
• Toad Suck, is a found in Arkansas.
• A Monkey's Eyebrow, is based in Arizona.
• Gnaw Bone located in Brown County Indiana.   (Kindly sent in by Joy, please send us your unusual place name)

More Funny Place Names - Toponyms in the UK

• Pratts Bottom in Kent [Even more so]
• Great Snoring in Norfolk
• Little Snoring in Norfolk [which would you prefer to live in?]
• Giggleswick in Yorkshire
• 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]
• 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.
• And a Lickey End near Bromsgrove Worcestershire.
• Lower Dicker and also, Upper Dicker both in East Sussex
• There is the tiny 'Slack Bottom' near Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire
• Pity Me in Durham [OK]
• Ugley in Essex [There is also an Ugley Women's Institute, and even an Ugley Landfill site!]**

** 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  Indeed, the Ugley Friendship Club meets there.  Thanks to Hannu Ylioja for the extra information on this toponym.

Update, A.N. reports there is an Ugley Landfill Site.  He points out the derivation of the word / village is from the Saxon description of Ugga's Meadow .

Here is a Sister of Toponymy - Aptonym (A name aptly suited to its owner)

• Henry Head, an English neurologist.
• Igor Judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.
• Chuck Long, former NFL quarterback for the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams.
• Chris Moneymaker, amateur winner of 2003 World Series of Poker, which earned him $2.5 million USD.
• Marc Rich, billionaire financier.

Funny Place Names - Food for Thought

• Eaton Bishop near Hereford
• Ramsbottom, Yorkshire
• Catbrain near Bristol
• Maggots End in Hertfordshire [Ugh]
• Burnt Corn, can be seen in Alabama
• Beer in Devon [Possible retirement place for Will?]
• To round it off: Puke in Albania

Footnote:
Please send us any good examples of funny place names (Toponyms) from your part of the world.

See examples of international jokes, humour and funny pictures ....

• Funny international jokes   • An Englishman, Irishman  • English jokes   • Engrish   • Sardarji jokes

• Speak Chinese   • Funny Chinese jokes   • Speak New Zealand   • Franglais examples  • French jokes

• Scottish humour   • Welsh tales   • Irish tall stories   • World-wide jokes   • Jewish jokes