The funniest street names and silliest addresses from around the world
These place names are sure to make you giggle
Who said that street signs need to be serious to be functional? Well, the authorities of these towns and cities around the world certainly threw out the rule book when it came to naming their roads!
From 'lost in translation' mix-ups to historic passageways that probably should be renamed, these amusing signs are sure to make you laugh out loud.
Click or scroll on to take a road trip and discover the funniest (and rudest) places in the world…
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No Name, Colorado, USA
No Name is a census-designated place (CPD) in Garfield County, Colorado with a population of around just 117 people. There is also a No Name Creek and No Name Canyon.
There are several theories as to how the area got its name. The most common is that the state sent out a questionnaire to residents about the town's name, to which the majority replied 'No Name' and apparently it stuck!
Strangely, there is also an equally unimaginative No Name Street in Kent, England.
Ticklemore Street, Devon, UK
Ticklemore Street can be found in the picturesque town of Totnes, Devon, in the southwest of England and is home to a traditional pub, coffee shop and numerous stone cottages. Plus, with a name like Ticklemore, how could you ever not have a smile on your face?
Twiggly Wiggly Road, British Columbia, Canada
The City of Nanaimo in British Columbia is known for its unusual street names and this one can be credited to its previous mayor, Frank Nay.
According to the news site Global News, this particular road was named after one of Ney's daughters, Twiggy – who in turn was nicknamed after the British supermodel – as she often squirmed in her car seat. How sweet!
Reindeer Road, Staffordshire, UK
While you may not want to live on Smellies Lane or Crotch Crescent, you probably wouldn't turn your nose up at the charmingly named Reindeer Road in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and you're not the only one.
Festive street names can have a surprising impact on house prices, according to chartered surveyors, Stokemont. Homes on roads with Reindeer, Snowball, Stocking, Carol and Christmas in their name all command a higher sale price than comparative properties in less jolly locales.
Christmas Pie Avenue, Surrey, UK
Another festive street name can be found in Surrey, England, and to be honest, it's making our mouths water! However you celebrate the holidays, there's usually some kind of delicious sweet or savoury pie on the table and we assume the residents of Christmas Pie Avenue do it better than most.
James Cracknell/Wikimedia Commons [CC-BY-SA 4.0]
Turkey Street, Enfield, UK
Sadly, the festive cheer doesn't spread to all the Christmas-inspired locations out there, with unpopular place names including Turkey – such as Turkey Street in Enfield, London –Rudolph, Nicholas, Mistletoe and Merry.
Windmill Images/Alamy Stock Photo
North Piddle, Worcestershire, UK
Experts believe that the word 'piddle' is an old English word for a small stream, but it's since become a rather more polite word for pee. So, the small parish of North Piddle was actually named after Piddle Brook, on which it stands in Worcestershire, UK.
PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo
Fanny Hands Lane, Lincolnshire, UK
Fanny Hands Lane, in Ludford, Lincolnshire, was named Britain's third rudest street in 2014 and some claim it's affecting property prices.
The story behind the name, however, is rather sweet and one example of how changing language has caused unintended amusement. It was named in the 19th century by John Hands, after his wife Frances – Fanny – Hands. Nothing rude about that after all!
Boring, Oregon, USA
Nothing to see here, move on! At least the residents of Boring have a sense of humour though – they sought out a location with an equally bland name and twinned with Dull in Scotland.
Mad Dog Lane, Yorkshire, UK
This road has a bit of an off-putting name. Located in East Riding of Yorkshire, UK, in a town called Hook, Mad Dog Lane doesn't exactly feel welcoming.
We can’t help but wonder what might have happened on this street for it to have been given such an unusual moniker...
Chris Whippet/Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED]
Ha-Ha Road, London, UK
This road in Greenwich, London, is sure to tickle your fancy. The story behind the street name is sadly not as humorous as you might think, however.
A Ha-Ha is just another word for a sunken ditch, although it's still unclear whether the phrase was taken from the noise a person made when falling or from those watching as someone tripped up.
Fabulous Texan Way, Arizona, USA
Located in Sedona, Arizona, is one of the state's best-named streets, Fabulous Texan Way. Yet this isn't the only humourous place name in the city. Fabulous Texan Way happens to be close by to Coffee Cup Drive and Pony Solider Road.
We think that whoever was in charge of street names in Sedona at the time, decided to have a little fun while on the job...
Robert Ashworth/Flickr [CC BY 2.0 DEED]
Bad Route Road, Montana, USA
If you find yourself driving through Montana, USA, you may stumble upon Bad Route Road. While the street name doesn't exactly fill us with confidence, it might not be quite as ominous as it initially appears.
In fact, the street is most likely named after Bad Route Creek, an idyllic offshoot of the Yellowstone River, which runs through the state. Having said that, Bad Route Road was the scene of a still-unsolved crime back in 1987, when the body of a road tripper was found at a rest stop.
Smellies Lane, Dundee, UK
Smellies Lane is one of several other Scottish streets to make the cut. The road can be found in the picturesque coastal city of Dundee, and rest assured, there's nothing to indicate the area has an odour that lives up to the name.
Jakec/Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 4.0]
Butt Street, Pennsylvania, USA
America definitely has its fair share of ridiculous and hilarious street names. This gem can be found in the Columbia County of Benton, Pennsylvania. Imagine giving this as your address!
Bruce Fingerhood/Flickr [CC BY 2.0 DEED]
Shedd Cemetery Drive, Oregon, USA
While it may not be everyone's idea of a fun road trip port of call, 'dead end' road Shedd Cemetery Drive certainly isn't afraid to advertise its status as a final destination.
Marc Lewis/Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED]
Ladylawn, Somerset, UK
Tucked away in the village of Trull near Taunton in Somerset is the charming spot of Ladylawn. Somewhat ironically, the bush surrounding the road sign could do with a trim.
Chicken Dinner Road, Idaho, USA
Chicken Dinner Road is located in rural Canyon County in Idaho, USA. In 2019, the road name sparked criticism from animal rights organisation, PETA, who have protested to get the street name changed, branding it “distasteful". However, as far as we're aware, it remains the same.
Alexey Fedorenko/Shutterstock
Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate, Yorkshire, UK
Located in York, England, this is one street where its name is actually longer than the road. This song-sounding street is one of the smallest in the historic city, which has a plethora of silly names, including Goodramgate, Back Swinegate and The Shambles.
In 1505, this street was known as Whitnourwhatnourgate, which translates to ‘what a street’!
Alexandr Gray/Shutterstock
This, That & The Other Street, Nova Scotia, Canada
We can't help but think the authorities in Halifax, Nova Scotia, gave up a little when they were naming their streets. The city is known for many things, from its beautiful scenery to its abundance of outdoor activities, but Halifax has also become famous for its rather ridiculous signage.
As well as The Other Street and This Street, the city also boasts a That Street and a Little Jessus Lane. If that doesn't make you smile, we don't know what will!
Ben Sutherland/Flickr [CC BY 2.0 DEED]
Knightrider Street, London, UK
Fans of David Hasselhoff’s popular 1980s crime-fighting TV show will rejoice at this funny street, located in central London. Just round the corner from St Paul’s Cathedral, the street used to be a lot longer in the 14th and 15th centuries, since it was used by knights on their way to jousting tournaments.
A street in the city of Kent also shares this unforgettable moniker.
Bax Walker/Alamy Stock Photo
Squeeze Gut Alley, Kent, UK
Squeeze Gut Alley runs between Island Wall and Middle Wall in the seaside town of Whistable, Kent, and it does exactly what it says on the tin. If you're of a wider girth, you'll have to squeeze your belly in to fit through the passage.
Oddly for such a bizarre place name, there's also a Squeeze Guts Alley in Truro, Cornwall. It's seen on a map from 1842, but unnamed, and it's thought it was commonly known by this nickname. Eventually, the street's moniker became official and the passage even got its own sign. It's now something of a tourist attraction.
Crotch Crescent, Oxfordshire, UK
Residents in Crotch Crescent in Marston, Oxfordshire, have the dubious accolade of living in the fifth most embarrassingly named place in the UK, according to a 2014 survey. And while many think it's funny, some are worried about the effect of the name on property prices.
Timothy Johnson/Shutterstock
Why Worry Lane, Arizona, USA
Embodying the ethos of America's sunny southern states, this road name is guaranteed to make you smile as you pass – and perhaps encourage you to forget some of your troubles for just a few minutes.
Neil Setchfield/Alamy Stock Photo
Back Passage, London, UK
London has a ton of interesting names and Back Passage must be one of its most ludicrous. There's not much of a story here; the passage was simply the back way through to Smithfields, a popular market area of the city.
Silly Lane, Lancashire, UK
After that, how about one that's not at all rude, just a bit, er, silly? Silly Lane is in High Ivah, Lancaster, and is a popular thoroughfare to Lowgill.
Ugley, Essex, UK
Ugley in Essex is actually pronounced ‘Yews-ley’, with a soft ‘g’. Well, that’s what the locals say anyway. But thanks to the confusion, the Ugley Women’s Institute did change its name to the Women’s Institute of Ugley.
Dave Bonta/Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED]
Savage Gardens, London, UK
What came first, the Australian pop duo or the place? Well, actually the place but the two aren’t really linked. Savage Garden named their band after a phrase from The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice: "Beauty was a savage garden".
Meanwhile, the street is simply named after Sir Thomas Savage who owned a house here in the 17th century.
Marathon/Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 2.0]
Dumb Woman's Lane, East Sussex, UK
Another example of language changing. This lane in Winchelsea is thought to be named after a mute woman who dealt in traditional medicine and herbs in the area.
Or there's a more gruesome idea – that it was after a woman who stumbled upon smugglers and removed her tongue to keep her dumb (in the original sense of the word).
Roland Turner/Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED]
Grope Lane, Shropshire, UK
Grope Lane can be found in the quaint English town of Shrewsbury. Known for its historic Tudor centre and red-brick medieval castle, the town also happens to boast a few hilarious street names, including Grope Lane.
Some say that the passageway was once a red light district. Not the only funny street in the county, Shropshire is also home to Bogey Lane, Butts Road and Ice House Close.
George Rex Photography/Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED]
Shoulder of Mutton Alley, London, UK
This historical sign could either be a specific reference to a market or pub on this site near Canary Wharf in London, whose speciality was this cut of meat. Or mutton was an old slang term for ladies of the night, so it could have been called this for quite a different reason, lost in time.
Mark Dyball/Alamy Stock Photo
Frying Pan Alley, London, UK
Just outside the square mile in Shoreditch, London, is one for the chefs, Frying Pan Alley. It takes its name from a shop sign, common with ironmongers and braziers, and also used for taverns.
Grump Street, Warwickshire, UK
Despite its name, this street sign can't help but make us chuckle. Located in the village of Ilmington, Warwickshire, which is part of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Grump Street boasts traditional stone cottages surrounded by rolling green hills.
We fail to see how you could possibly stay in a bad mood if you lived here!
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