Two Midwest Towns Named Funniest and Strangest in America

What's in a town name? Sometimes not much. A new list from 24/7 Tempo is highlighting some of the strangest town names in America, and two of them are basically our neighbors.

Why 24/7 Tempo Picked Normal, Illinois

In Illinois, Normal, according to 24/7 Tempo, "because the new state university opened there in 1861, which was described as a normal school (an old name for a teacher's college)."

READ MORE: Galena, Illinois — One of the Most Charming Small Towns in Illinois & Wisconsin

Stranger Illinois Town Names That Didn’t Make the List

I'm a little confused how Normal is considered the strangest town name in Illinois when these towns in Illinois also exist:

• Goofy Ridge
• Chicken Bristle
• Bone Gap
• Oblong
• Joy
• Equality
• Boody
• Muddy
• Industry
• Ransom

Embarrass, Wisconsin and Its Unexpected Origin Story

Meanwhile, just a few hours north of us, French-Canadian lumberjacks bestowed Embarrass, Wisconsin, its name because of its river, according to 24/7 Tempo:

The word is said to have been attached to this place by French-Canadian lumberjacks who found the nearby river almost impassable.

More Wisconsin Town Names That Might Be Even Stranger

Embarrass is fine and all, but there are a few others that might be a bit more strange in Wisconsin, including:

• Disco
• Spread Eagle
• Footville
• Ubet
• Breed
• Pound
• Bluff Siding
• Tichigan

READ MORE: No Surprise: Wisconsin Is Named The Most Beer-Loving State

Are These Really the Funniest Town Names in America?

There are nearly 30,000 town names in America and these are the two that 24/7 Tempo chose for their national "funniest and strangest" list and I am not entirely sure it tracks. We drive around strange town names in Wisconsin and Illinois all the time.

So now I need to know, what is the weirdest town name you've ever seen around Illinois or Wisconsin?