NEW YORK STATE - Whether you are taking a road trip up from Pennsylvania, crossing the border from New Jersey, or driving over from Connecticut, you will quickly discover that New York State is home to some incredibly bizarre and surprisingly "raunchy" town names. While the Empire State is famous for the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan, the breathtaking Adirondack Mountains, and its massive apple orchards, 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 accidentally inappropriate-sounding Dutch and Native American translations, here is a look at the most unusual, head-scratching, and raunchy-sounding town names you will find scattered across New York State.
1. Coxsackie (Greene County)
You cannot discuss ridiculous New York geography without starting with Coxsackie. Located in Greene County along the Hudson River, this town features a name that sounds exactly like a crude, anatomy-based insult a teenager might shout out a car window. Despite the guaranteed giggles and uncomfortable pronunciations from out-of-towners, the origin is a beautiful piece of indigenous history. The name is derived from the Algonquian Native American language—most likely translating to "Owl's Hoot" or "Place of Owls." Today, it is a quiet, historic riverside community that completely embraces its famously funny moniker.
2. Athol (Warren County)
Heading up into the scenic, rugged terrain of the Adirondack Mountains in Warren County, you will find the small hamlet of Athol. When spoken out loud, especially if you happen to speak with a slight lisp, the name sounds uncomfortably identical to a very common, highly aggressive curse word. However, the origin has absolutely nothing to do with foul language. Scottish immigrants settled the area in the late 18th century, and it was proudly named after the historic region of Atholl in the Scottish Highlands.
3. Climax (Greene County)
Just like its identically named sister cities in Virginia and North Carolina, the hamlet of Climax in Greene County features a name that immediately raises eyebrows. When read on a map, it sounds like a highly suggestive romantic destination or the peak of an exciting evening. The reality of its naming, however, is purely geographical and practical. Like many small rural outposts of the 19th century, it was given its exciting name simply because it was considered a literal "climax" or a high elevation point along a local travel route.
4. Butternuts (Otsego County)
Down in the rural, agricultural stretches of Otsego County sits Butternuts, a town with a name that practically guarantees a double-take from anyone driving past. While it sounds uncomfortably like a highly suggestive anatomical reference or crude playground slang, the town's history is entirely innocent and deeply rooted in nature. When early settlers arrived in the late 1700s, they discovered the area was heavily populated by a massive grove of white walnut trees, which are colloquially known as "butternut" trees. The name stuck, cementing a permanently amusing map designation.
5. Fishkill (Dutchess County)
While not exactly "raunchy," no list of bizarre New York municipalities is complete without Fishkill. Located in Dutchess County, it sounds like the site of a devastating environmental disaster, a violent aquatic massacre, or the plot of a gritty mafia movie. However, much like the strangely named towns in Delaware, this intimidating moniker is just a case of lost-in-translation Dutch history. In 17th-century Dutch, "vis" meant fish, and "kil" meant a creek or water channel. It translates literally as "Fish Creek," but the anglicized version has raised eyebrows among concerned tourists for centuries.
