11 Unusual and Bizarre Place Names From All Over the World

Shakespeare was right when he said a rose would smell just as sweet by any other name. But if these places had different names, they might not have made this list (or even made international news, in a few cases). Read on to explore the captivating stories behind Tasmania’s Eggs and Bacon Bay, the Disappointment Islands of French Polynesia, and other intriguingly named spots from every corner of the globe.

1. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Wales

This small Welsh village on Anglesey Island holds the title of Europe’s longest place name, with 58 characters. In English, it describes the town’s position: Saint Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio of the red cave. As reported by Atlas Obscura, the town has been around for centuries, but in 1880, a publicity-savvy tailor gave it its current name to draw in tourists. Thankfully, Llanfairpwll is still a valid nickname, as is Llanfair PG. Hear weather reporter Liam Dutton pronounce it flawlessly here.

2. Batman, Turkey

Both a province and its capital city in Turkey are named after the nearby Batman River. The name Batman could either stem from an ancient unit of measurement (equivalent to 16.96 pounds), or it might be a shortened version of the nearby Bati Raman mountains. In 2008, the city was thrust into controversy when its mayor, Huseyin Kalkan, threatened to sue Warner Bros. and director Christopher Nolan for using the name in the Dark Knight trilogy. (No lawsuit was filed.) Some residents have pushed to strengthen the connection to the superhero—over 26,000 people signed a petition to reshape the province’s borders into a bat symbol.

3. Eggs and Bacon Bay, Tasmania

Tasmania’s Eggs and Bacon Bay was named after a regional wildflower known as eggs and bacon, whose petals blend the bright yellow of egg yolks with the rich red of bacon. The bay gained national attention in 2016 when PETA petitioned to rename it to the more animal-friendly “Apple and Cherry Bay,” but the proposal failed. The idea never reached a vote in the local council, and officials weren't supportive of it. Huon Valley deputy mayor Ian Paul told The Guardian that the suggestion was “ludicrous,” adding, “I feel pretty strongly about it. This is our heritage, it is our history.”

4. Wonowon, British Columbia

It’s no coincidence that this Canadian town, pronounced “one-oh-one,” is located on Mile 101 of the Alaska Highway, where a U.S. Army 24-hour checkpoint was stationed during World War II. Originally named Blueberry after the nearby Blueberry River, the town’s name was changed to Wonowon to avoid confusion with another Blueberry in southeastern Kootenay. The exact date of the name change is unclear, but a 1956 issue of the Northern Sentinel mentions that the Post Office recognized it as Wonowon, though the locals still called it Blueberry. Why Blueberry? Probably because British Columbia produces 96 percent of Canada’s cultivated blueberries.

5. Spa, Belgium

Spa, Belgium, evokes a sense of relaxation—and for good reason. The name spa is derived from this eastern Belgian town, renowned for its healing mineral springs that have been attracting visitors since the 16th century, even being referenced by Pliny the Elder. The name Spa could be based on espa, the Walloon term for 'spring' or 'fountain,' or the Latin word spagere, meaning 'to scatter, sprinkle, moisten.' Alternatively, it might stand for the Latin phrase sanitas per aquas, which aptly translates to 'health through water.'

6. Westward Ho!, England

In 1855, Charles Kingsley released a novel titled Westward Ho!, which tells the story of a young man from Bideford, England, who embarks on a seafaring adventure under the guidance of the legendary explorer Sir Francis Drake. The book became a sensation, and in 1863, a group of entrepreneurs founded the Northam Burrows Hotel and Villa Building Company to capitalize on its popularity. They began by constructing the Westward Ho! Hotel and continued to develop the area by adding terraces, lodges, bathhouses, stables, and a golf club. As the development grew, the village surrounding the hotel also took on the name Westward Ho!

7. The Office Girls, Antarctica

The Office Girls are two glacial islands, or nunataks, situated about seven miles from Welcome Mountain near Antarctica’s Southern Ocean coast. Due to the vast number of small landmasses in Antarctica, the U.S. has an Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names to handle the naming process. In 1970, they chose the name 'The Office Girls' as a tribute to the administrative staff who supported the missions from the U.S. mainland.

8. Punkeydoodles Corners, Ontario

The origin of this quaint hamlet’s name has sparked debates for years. Some suggest it originated from a German tavern keeper’s slurred version of “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” while others believe Punkeydoodle was an insult hurled at local pumpkin-grower John Burbrigg by an angry neighbor, and the name stuck to his plot of land, which became known as “Punkeydoodle’s Corners.” This Canadian town also has a quirky history involving crime: mischievous locals frequently stole the town’s sign, prompting residents to replace it with a nearly one-ton concrete monument on Canada Day in 1982.

9. Malpelo Island, Colombia

The name mal pelo in Spanish means “bad hair,” which gives the impression that this island might be a nightmare for extravagant hairstyles. However, the name likely originated from a game of telephone that lasted centuries and crossed continents. It could have evolved from the Latin word malveolus, which means “inhospitable” or “spiteful,” eventually transforming into malbolo and then mal pelo [PDF]. Additionally, in 1550, a world map referenced the island as ye mallabry, likely derived from malabrigo, which was used by Spanish cartographers to label islands or bays that were “shelterless.” Interestingly, malabrigo and mal pelo sound similar, especially when shouted across the island’s vast expanse.

10. Hotazel, South Africa

Hotazel, South Africa, earned its name in 1915 when a group of land surveyors, assessing a farm, decided to call the area “Hot As Hell.” The name, now spelled “Hotazel,” reflects their experience of the extreme heat on that particular day. In reality, the climate is far more temperate, with summer temperatures sometimes reaching the 90s (Fahrenheit) and winter dipping into the 30s.

11. Disappointment Islands, French Polynesia

In 1765, John Byron, the grandfather of the famed poet Lord Byron, was navigating around the southern tip of South America when he stumbled upon a small island on the horizon. What initially appeared to be a tropical paradise quickly turned into a letdown for Byron and his ailing crew, as the high waves and coral reefs made it impossible to dock. To make matters worse, spear-wielding locals guarded the shore, dashing their hopes completely. As a result, Byron named the island and its nearby sister landmass the Islands of Disappointment. Although this name may have deterred future explorers for centuries, the islands, as BBC Travel’s Andrew Evans puts it, are actually "timeless."