Have you ever wondered who chooses the name of cities? Having bumped into some intriguing road signs on my travels or just on maps, I thought it would be interesting to share some of these weird names with you guys.

Boring Oregon

Some names are curious, others are simply rude. Some mean nothing in the local language, others make us think what on earth the local authorities were thinking when they accepted these names. So here we go.

1 – Nothing, Arizona – USA

Just south of the Grand Canyon, northeast of the town of Surprise and not far from Bullhead City, Nothing is one of those comunities you see often in Arizona: a couple of houses, some traillers and… Nothing else! Guess what you can do and see there?
2 – Cool, California – USA
Who wouldn’t like to live here?
3 – Kissing – Germany
Located not far from the city of Augsburg in Bavaria. Travelling by road from west to east, you pass here before getting to the next entry.
4 – Fucking – Austria
The inhabitants of this small Austrian town, located between Salzburg and Munich, were so tired of having their road signs stolen (mainly by British tourists), that they wanted to vote for a different name. An interesting details, below the town name on this road sign, it says “Please, not so fast”. Say no more…
5 – Dildo, Newfoundland – Canada
6 – Boring, Oregon – USA
The name called my attention when I was visiting the area a couple of years ago. This is where you’ll find Boring Park, Boring people. Twinned with the next entry.
7 – Dull – Scotland.
Twinned with the previous town in Oregon.
8 – Ugley – England
Curiously, a nice beautiful little town with romantic thatched houses.
9 – Tarzan, Texas – USA
10 – Hell, Michigan – USA
One of the theories for the name is that in 1830 some German travellers stepped out of a stage coach and said “So schön hell”, meaning “so beautifully bright”. Their comment was overheard by some locals and the name stuck. Whether it’s true or not, it would be cool to receive a postcard from Hell. And remember, Hell is near Detroit. Even more interesting, is Hell For Certain, in the state of Kentucky.

 

As you can see, some of these names are really hilarious. What about you, have you heard of any places with unusual names? Tell us!

Pedro has travelled to almost 120 countries and has made his nest in London. He has also lived in Spain, Australia, the US, Georgia and Turkey. A former hotel management professional, he loves exploring local cultures, is now learning his 8th language and has a soft spot for the Middle East and the CIS countries.