From time to time, we will all pass a place or perhaps encounter a road with a name so wonderfully silly that we just have to stop and have our picture taken right next to it. We are all guilty of this innocent pleasure. What’s rude and, frankly, hilarious in one language and culture could not be moribund in another. But this doesn’t mean that simple and rather dull logic should prevent us from celebrating our world heritage in all its delightfully childish glory! This list was written in that spirit. So without any further ado, here are ten super funny place names from all around the world. Enjoy…

10

Wetwang, UK

Wetwang, UK
Wetwang, UK

A small and a quite painfully picturesque hamlet found in the UK. The 670-ish residents of Wetwang (sometimes called Wetwangers) are fiercely proud of both their village and its often smirked-over name. The village has existed for centuries and was around way before the latter syllable of the name was first used as a description for a certain extremity of the male, though feel free not to let this brief history lesson in any way dilute the inescapably amusing modern connotation.

9

Hell

Hell, Michigan
By SswonkOwn work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17097424

Say what you want about your own town and cast your own aspersions on those of others, but if there was ever a true Hell on Earth, it is to be found in Michigan. Quite literally in fact, with the historic town of Hell, which can be found just a stones-throw away from Ann Arbour. There are countless theories of how the name first came to be with most stating that poorly translated foreign language is the answer. Others claim the town’s founder was ridiculously uninterested in the name, telling the residents they could name it Hell as far as he was concerned. They must have had their reasons!

8

Tittybong

Tittybong, Australia
Tittybong, Australia

Seriously? Yes, very seriously indeed and the charming town of Tittybong can be found in Australia, albeit somewhat in the middle of nowhere – in true Australian style. Sadly, there aren’t many residents to proudly boast the name of their town to the rest of the world, with few over 10,000 people in total populating this quaint little slice of the Outback.

7

Accident

Accident - Town in Maryland
Accident, Maryland

The kind of place you stumble across without meaning to, or maybe somewhere you better have decent insurance before visiting? Or perhaps even a town that should never have come to be, were it not for the drunken backseat romp of two larger towns? Feel free to ponder on it to your heart’s content, but the Maryland town of Accident plays host to few more than 350 residents, who according to certain sources are rather proud to be known as “Accidentals”.

6

Butt Hole Road

Butt Hole Road
By Andy Leppard – originally posted to Flickr as Butt Hole Road, CC BY 2.0

Having grown up just yards from this particular street in all its glory, I can personally verify its authenticity. A childhood favorite and of truly legendary status across the schools of South Yorkshire, Butt Hole Road was a street to be found in Conisbrough in the north of England. Visitors from all four corners of the world used to slam on the brakes for a picture by the once proud roadside, though sadly in typical “British” style, the street has been reborn as Archers Way to prevent embarrassment. Give me a break…

3 COMMENTS

  1. I’m from Newfoundland, on Canada’s east coast. We’re the kings of odd place names: Joe Batt’s Arm, Come-By-Chance, and The Gut. And, of course, there’s our beloved… [youtube link]

  2. Hey,
    if you are going to post it – you should take the time to get it right – that is not a photo of Tittybong you have shown and it is not in the outback of Australia.
    Tittybong is a farming area in the Mallee fringe country of NW Victoria. There are many articles poking fun at the name and that is fine but at least they make sure the facts are right and don’t post fraudulent photo shopped pictures.

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