NEW JERSEY - Whether you are taking a road trip down from New York, crossing the Delaware River from Pennsylvania, or just exploring the coast up from Maryland, you will quickly discover that New Jersey is home to some incredibly bizarre and surprisingly "raunchy" town names. While the Garden State is famous for its beautiful shorelines, diners, and rich history, whoever was in charge of naming its local municipalities clearly had a unique, and sometimes entirely unintentional, sense of humor.
From hilarious double entendres to slightly uncomfortable anatomical references, here is a look at the most unusual, head-scratching, and raunchy-sounding town names you will find scattered across New Jersey.
1. Buttzville (Warren County)
You cannot discuss raunchy New Jersey geography without starting with Buttzville. Located in Warren County, this small unincorporated community has been the punchline of elementary school jokes for generations. Despite the highly amusing and slightly inappropriate-sounding name, the origin is completely innocent. The town was founded in 1839 and named after its first postmaster and local tavern owner, Michael Robert Buttz. Today, it is best known as the home of the famous roadside stand Hot Dog Johnny's, adding even more unintentional humor to the area's local map.
2. Loveladies (Ocean County)
Heading down to the beautiful beaches of Long Beach Island (LBI), you will eventually hit Loveladies. While the name sounds like a cheeky reference to a coastal red-light district or a rural gentlemen's club, the reality is far more mundane. The area was named after Thomas Lovelady, an early settler and hunter who owned a small island in the bay. Today, instead of scandalous nightlife, you will find one of the wealthiest, quietest, and most exclusive residential communities on the entire Jersey Shore.
3. Succasunna (Morris County)
Located in Morris County, Succasunna features a name that, when spoken out loud, sounds like a highly suggestive double entendre. However, like many unusual geographic names in the region, it is deeply rooted in Native American history rather than crude humor. The name is derived from the Lenape language—roughly translating to "place of black rock." This was a direct reference to the rich iron ore deposits historically found and mined in the area. However, modern travelers still inevitably do a double-take when passing the highway signs.
4. Pilesgrove (Salem County)
Down in the rural, agricultural heart of Salem County sits Pilesgrove, a township with a name that sounds uncomfortably like a painful medical condition. While "piles" is an old-school slang term for hemorrhoids—making the idea of a "grove" of them sound particularly awful—the township's actual history is quite dignified. Originally formed in the early 1700s, it was named after Thomas Piles, an early English settler and prominent local landowner.
5. Cheesequake (Middlesex County)
While not exactly "raunchy," no list of bizarre New Jersey municipalities is complete without the unincorporated community of Cheesequake. It sounds like an absolutely absurd, lactose-heavy natural disaster or a novelty fast-food menu item. However, the origin has absolutely nothing to do with dairy or seismic activity. It is another anglicized translation of the Lenape word "Cheseh-oh-ke," meaning "upland" or "upland village." Today, the bizarre name proudly lives on through the local community and the popular Cheesequake State Park.
