Top 20 US Cities With the Weirdest Names

People all around the nation raise heads when they give their children unusual names; it's not just celebrities. The people responsible for naming cities and towns are city planners and, honestly, whoever else is in charge of it. Few individuals ever question the origins of the names "Orlando" or "Newport Beach" when they are traveling or just writing that address on mail returns.

But then you find yourself in a small town with an odd, often eerie name, and you start to wonder just who was thinking and what, if anything, they were really thinking. Having said that, we've compiled a list of some of the most peculiar city names in the nation. Get ready for a very funny adventure.

Top 10 Weirdest US City Names

Top 20 Weirdest City Names In the US

1. Pee Pee, Ohio

Actually, there aren't any words. Who the hell on this earth not only proposed this as a possible town name? More importantly, who in the world actually decided to incorporate and officially adopt this name? We get the impression that this is the fault of some individuals, and we're just curious as to why. Tell us why you choose this silly, yet amusing, name if you are the one who came up with it.

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2. Hell, Michigan

Positively, ordering someone to go to hell now has a real significance. You could tell your obnoxious boss this, and then laugh it off with a, "Ha ha, no, really, you should go to hell," kind of attitude. Michigan is the location. They have the best barbecue I've ever had," you say, knowing full well that you both just said something completely improper but that nothing can be done about it. To be clear, we have no idea how delicious the BBQ in hell is. Even so, we assume it's warm.

3. Santa Claus, Arizona

You think of snow when you picture the large, cheerful, cookie-eating man who travels the world one night a year delivering toys to deserving children, hurdling down chimneys, and maybe even having a little B&E in houses with fires.

Santa does not play cards at the club, hit a few balls in the retirement community, or spend time in a warm climate. Unless you're a resident of this Arizonan city.

4. Okay, Oklahoma

It's not horrible, but not outstanding. While not terrible, it's also not outstanding. It's alright. It's alright, just alright. We really had no choice but to go there. The name seems to have been decided upon after much thought, as in whether or not to give the place a more interesting moniker.

In the end, Okay prevailed over the other possibilities, which were Not So Bad, Could be Better, Could be Worse, So-So, and Well, Okay. I'm kidding; it seems entertaining to act as though those are the other names that are being considered.

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5. Virgin, Utah

Utah is renowned for having a large Mormon population living in a community. As long as you are not harming anyone, you should be free to live your own life. I'm not making that up, mocking it, or passing judgment on other people's lifestyles.

However, it does seem a little strange to me that the state known as Virgin is one where so many people like having as many children as possible and many even practice multiple weddings (which, from what I hear, go by many different names depending on religious preferences). There actually aren't that many, I'll wager.

6. Money, Mississippi

This strange name kind of works with us. Mississippi, money. Alliteration usually sounds well together, therefore it even sounds good together. It might be auspicious. Maybe a lot of rich people live here in their big, elegant plantation homes built in the southern style, and they're living it up.

Or perhaps not, and someone reasoned that calling the place a different name would be tantamount to bringing in money. Or, as it were, the productivity of optimistic thought at work. In either case, it's good.

7. Hazard, Nebraska

It sounds risky, doesn't it? Is it a warning of sorts for anyone brave enough to enter this way? Is it possible that the residents of Hazard chose to give the town a warning moniker because living here is so dangerous that it makes people pause before entering? We're not sure who named Hazard or why, but the enigmatic name entices us to explore and learn more. Simply put, why?

8. Nothing, Arizona

What a strange way to start a conversation. "Where you do you live?" "Nothing," Okay, I was only attempting to be cordial. There's no need to act so impolitely." "Really, nothing at all. My home is nothing. "You're homeless, then? This is awkward. On second thought, this is most likely the most entertaining everyday conversation that folks in this Arizona city have. This was a line I would use often.

9. Bitter End, Tennessee

We want to imagine a lonely blues singer making up the lyrics to a song by this name and deciding to name his plot of land like this.

Sadly, nobody knows how this melancholic name came to be or whether a blues singer was involved.

Bitter End is located near Smoky Mountains National Park, so there's a chance it's not all bitterness in this town.

10. Embarrass, Minnesota

It's embarrassing that this is the best name someone could think of for this location. Of course, it's possible that recurring events that leave locals feeling more mortified than delighted are what gave rise to the term. We're not sure. Since it's not truly a name, all we know is that it's one of the strangest city names we've ever encountered. It's an emotion. We feel embarrassed and that this place isn't actually where we are.

11.Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Renowned quiz show host Ralph Edwards of NBC Radio urged American communities to rename themselves after him in 1950. Hot Spring, New Mexico quickly rose to the occasion and adopted the name Truth or Consequences. This implies that any citizen of the United States could awaken tomorrow and find themselves a resident of The Big Bang Theory or Game of Thrones. America, rest well. The most bizarre city names are still unaired.

12. Dinosaur, Colorado

The town was renamed Artesia in 1966 in an effort to capitalize on its close proximity to the Dinosaur National Monument. Willing to go to the extreme, they also gave numerous streets new names, such as Antrodemus Alley and Tyrannosaurus Trail. I wish to spend my retirement years here, in the big scheme of oddest city names.

13. Briny Breezes, Florida

We don’t know exactly how Briny Breezes got its name. All we know is that it would also be an exquisitely good name for a line of cleaning products, a perfume targeting grandmas or my drag queen alter ego.

14. Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

This spooky name of unknown origin could be the title of a metal record, a teenage horror movie or a scary video game. Let’s make that happen!

15. China, Texas

This Texas town, which is a little less populous than the other China, gets its name from the chinaberry bushes that grow nearby.

16. Popejoy, Iowa

Although the first thing that comes to mind is a synthetic drug engineered by the Catholic church, this town was actually named after former resident and landowner John Popejoy.

17. Speed, North Carolina

The name Speed was actually inspired by the town doctor Eugene Travis Speed Sr., who was regrettably not an action movie hero. It could be seen as a tribute to Jan de Bont's 1994 action masterpiece, which starred Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, or it could serve as a reminder of how quickly life is passing by.

18. Climax, Michigan

My hypothesis is that everything in this village is incredibly dramatic and sentimental, akin to a Christina Aguilera song.

Reality: Daniel B. Eldred, the village's first "Fence-Viewer and Pound-Master, District No. 1," came up with the moniker in 1838 and immortalized it with the phrase "This caps the climax!"

19. Atomic City, Idaho

The community was renamed "Midway" in 1950 due to its close proximity to the Idaho National Laboratory. Unfortunately, you won't get extra eyes or superpowers if you cross city limits.

20. Canadian, Texas

Our opinion is that the people in this Texas town have named Alanis Morissette their honorary mayor, refuse to carry guns, and don't lock their front doors.

Uninteresting fact: The town was called for the Canadian River, an Arkansas River tributary.

In Summary

There are communities in the US that are well-known for their famous namesakes. These varied towns are all named strangely, which unites them despite their differences in histories and accidents. Despite having strange postal names, places like Money, OK, Virgin are well-known for having a strong sense of character and community.

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