It’s no surprise that Florida is a strange place, with odd headlines about the Sunshine State popping up virtually every day.
And when it comes to the different places you can visit in Florida, some of those names can be just as weird.
Below are 33 places in Florida that have some of the strangest names around.
Ave Maria (Collier County)
This planned community got its name from the Ave Maria Development Company, which founded the community in 2005.
The company is a partnership including the Ave Maria Foundation, led by Roman-Catholic philanthropist Tom Managhan — who also happens to be the founder of the Ave Maria Catholic Church and Domino’s Pizza.
“Ave Maria” is a term that means “Hail, Mary,” and it’s commonly used in prayers during Catholic worship.
Much of the area is built around Roman Catholic ideology, as Managhan reportedly wanted to establish a community that would be attractive to Catholics.
Beer Can Island (Hillsborough County)
This 9-acre island is actually Pine Key — though after becoming a hotspot for local boaters to go party, it earned the de facto moniker “Beer Can Island.”
It was created in the 1940s via dredging, though entrepreneur Russell Loomis and three of his friends purchased the island in 2017 and turn it into an official party hotspot. When cleaning the island, though, they removed hundreds of beer cans, so the label was apparently fitting.
Bowling Green (Hardee County)
This Florida town gets its name from the town of Bowling Green, Kentucky, after one of its residents moved to Florida in 1883.
Going back even further, the Kentucky town got its name from Bowling Green Square in New York City, which is where rebels in the American Revolution tore down a statue of King George to make lead bullets. The square was called “Bowling Green” because it was a park where people could go to bowl in the early 1700s.
Christmas (Orange County)
Appropriately enough, this historic Florida town started off as a supply fort built on Christmas Day in 1837 during the Second Seminole War.
While the fort never saw battle, the name stuck, and it’s become known for its myriad of holiday features — including a U.S. Post Office with a “Santa box” where children can drop off their letters to the big man up north.
Cockroach Bay (Hillsborough County)
Don’t worry. It’s not what you think.
Cockroach Bay is a wilderness preserve and state park in Tampa Bay, but its name is actually thanks to the abundance of horseshoe crabs in the area.
According to state officials, there used to be so many horseshoe crabs in the bay that Spanish explorers mistook them for seafaring cousins to actual cockroaches.
Croom-A-Coochee (Sumter County)
While there aren’t many records online about this community, its name appears to be a portmanteau of the adjacent Croom Wildlife Management Area and the Withlacoochee State Forest.
Croom was also the name of a nearby ghost town that’s located within the Withlacoochee State Forest. Meanwhile, Lacoochee (named for the Withlacoochee River) is a community situated a short ways away in Pasco County.
Dildo Key (Monroe County)
Don’t laugh.
This small island is located in Florida Bay and is considered part of the Everglades National Park.
While its name might indicate something less-than-prurient, it’s actually named after the Dildo Cactus, which is a native species in the Sunshine State.
Dogtown (Gadsden County)
Unfortunately, this small community isn’t filled to the brim with puppies.
Instead, the name comes from the two mines that were situated in the area. “Dogtown” is actually a term that refers to miner camps with poor living conditions, so the label has been applied to plenty of communities across the U.S.
Egypt Lake-Leto (Hillsborough County)
As the name might imply, this area is named after the local Egypt Lake, which itself was called “Hagin Lake” until having its name changed to fit with the fraternal Egypt Temple Shriners in the 1930s.
In the 2000s, Egypt Lake combined with the adjacent town of Leto, which got its handle from Ateo Phillip Leto, who used to be a well-known educator in Tampa.
Estiffanulga (Liberty County)
This small community and boat ramp is reportedly named after a Creek Native American phrase, which means “all peoples bones.”
Fort Lonesome (Hillsborough County)
Contrary to its name, there was never a fort at Fort Lonesome. Instead, the name seems to come from an infestation of Mediterranean fruit flies in 1929.
The larvae of this species burrowed into the fruits of citrus trees, which destroyed the fruit in the process. To prevent these flies from spreading to other areas, the state implemented a program to inspect all vehicles traveling into and out of the affected area.
At one inspection station, traffic through the area had slowed to a crawl, causing one of the inspectors to hang up a sign reading “Fort Lonesome,” leading to the area’s modern name.
Four Corners (Lake County)
Four Corners is a distinct area of Central Florida, as it’s comprised of land in four separate counties: Lake, Orange, Osceola and Polk.
The census-designated area is also a hotspot for thunderstorms, being considered the nation’s lightning capital just last year.
Goodland (Collier County)
This village in Collier County has its roots in the 1800s, when founder Johnny Roberts allegedly named the area “Goodland Point” thanks to the 40-acre shell mound left behind by the Calusa Native Americans, which made the land good for farming.
Hog Valley (Marion County)
According to Ocala Style, there are several stories about how this community got its moniker.
One resident posited that residents used to let their hogs run loose, leading to a growing hog population in the area. Another legend says that a pet hog named Petunia was the mascot for a local bar — until some of the customers got drunk and decided on a barbecue.
Other accounts claim the Florida Barge Canal project caused flooding in a nearby swamp, which forced hogs to migrate to a part of the forest where pine seedlings had just been planted. As a result, the hogs rooted up and destroyed the newly planted seedlings.
Regardless, the community still embraces plenty of hog-themed traditions, including an annual Christmas parade led by “Miss Piggy.”
Howey-in-the-Hills (Lake County)
Fittingly enough, this city was named “Howey” after its founder — William John Howey — in 1925.
Around two years later, its name changed to “Howey-in-the-Hills” thanks to the nearby “rolling hills.”
Intercession City (Osceola County)
According to the Orlando Sentinel, this area of Osceola County was originally planned to be a resort that would link the Atlantic and Gulf coasts — appropriately dubbed “Interocean City.” However, that project ran out of money by the 1920s.
Instead, Bishop Osie England of the Household of Faith — a denomination of Methodism — purchased the area around a decade later with plans to start an orphanage (though state regulatory burdens forced her to instead build up a school for needy children).
A contest was offered to find a better name for the city, and the winner suggested “Intercession City” due to the Household of Faith’s incessant prayers.
Kalamazoo (Volusia County)
According to the Daytona Beach Journal, this small community got its name thanks to the high number of residents who moved from Michigan, where there just so happens to be a river, city, and county by the same name.
Historians claim that “Kalamazoo” in Michigan was allegedly born from the Native American term for the river, “Ke-kanamazoo,” which translates out to “the boiling pot.”
Lorida (Highlands County)
Yep, that’s right. This town is named after the state — sans the “F.”
A train station was established in the town in the early 1900s, bearing the name “Lake Istokpoga.” However, it was often mistaken for the “Istokpoga” station on the other side of the lake.
With mail and other goods brought by train getting mixed up, one resident — Mary Stokes, who fell in love with Florida’s epithetical Spanish roots — suggested renaming the town “Lorida.” With other residents agreeing, the rail station followed suit and adopted the new moniker.
Lulu (Columbia County)
State historians say that this small town was originally named “Hagan,” though it was forced to rename in 1891 due to confusion with a similarly named town down south.
One story goes that the postmaster at the time had a girlfriend named “Lulu,” though another story tells it that a visitor to the town named “Lulu Brown” was the first person to step off the nearby train once the town decided to change its name.
Man Key/Woman Key (Monroe County)
These two islands in the Florida keys are situated right next to each other, though not much information is available about where their names come from.
However, Sea Seek claims that Woman Key got its name on account of a group of prostitutes who allegedly washed ashore after a Spanish shipwreck.
Meanwhile, the sailors were apparently stranded on the other island, which is now called Man Key.
Masaryktown (Hernando County)
This town was first conceived of by the editor of a Czechoslovakian newspaper in New York, and it was named in honor of Thomas Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia.
The editor and other Czechoslovakians purchased 24,000 acres of land in the area to develop the town, naming the local streets after former U.S. presidents.
Mayo (Lafayette County)
No, this town isn’t named after a condiment.
Instead, the seat of Lafayette County was named in honor of Col. James M. Mayo, a Confederate soldier and father of Nathan Mayo, who was the state commissioner of agriculture in the early 1900s.
New York (Santa Rosa County)
According to the Pensacola News Journal, this quiet little community got its moniker from a local country store by the same name.
However, no information is available about whether there was any connection between that store and the Big Apple.
Niceville (Okaloosa County)
Niceville wasn’t always so nice.
The town was originally named “Boggy” on account of the nearby Boggy Bayou. But the U.S. Post Office’s mail boat kept getting confused about which of the many bayous was called Boggy, leading to a name change.
The former postmaster’s daughter suggested “Niceville,” and the option resonated with locals, leading to the town’s current name.
Okahumpka (Lake County)
“Okahumpka” is derived from the name of an early Native American village called “Okahumpkee,” which means “deep water” or “lonely water.”
This is likely in reference to the nearby Bugg Spring, which stretches over 170 feet deep.
Sopchoppy (Wakulla County)
It’s another phrase derived from Native American languages.
In this case, “Sopchoppy” refers to a Creek Native American term that means “long and twisted river,” which likely references the nearby Sopchoppy River.
Spuds (St. Johns County)
Boil them. Mash them. Stick them in a stew.
It turns out that certain parts of Florida have a history of potato farming, and this town was no exception.
The potato industry in this area bloomed in the early 1900s, and with so many potato-farming families living there, the community decided to adopt the name “Spuds.”
Taintsville (Seminole County)
While the name might sound crass, it actually stems from an old adage in the area: “We ‘tain’t in Chuluota and it ‘tain’t in Oviedo, either!”
The area was situated between Chuluota and Oviedo, causing locals to push for their own slice of the county to be formally recognized with its own name. And after discussing the issue at a local meeting, residents decided to give it the comedic label of “Taintsville.”
Tate’s Hell (Franklin County)
It turns out Hell can be found right here in the Sunshine State. But it’s not all bad.
Tate’s Hell State Forest can be found in the panhandle near the Apalachicola River, and it gets its moniker from Seab Tate, a farmer and trapper who got lost in the area back in the 1870s.
While there are different legends about what happened to Tate, but accounts generally agree that between the insects, predators and harsh landscape, he didn’t have a great time.
Around 10 days after he first got lost, Tate finally wandered out of the forest near Carrabelle, where he happened across a couple of local passersby. The strangers reported seeing Tate covered in mud and scratches, with his hair turned white. When asked where he’d been, Tate only had two words to say before he collapsed dead at their feet.
“In Hell!”
Two Egg (Jackson County)
The origins of this small town’s name are obscure, though local historian Dale Cox provides a likely theory courtesy of a long-time resident.
During the Great Depression, many small communities were unable to get or use cash, so bartering with farm commodities became a common practice for many.
In this area of Florida, two boys would reportedly visit a local store to trade for two eggs’ worth of sugar. And it happened often enough that that store was eventually dubbed “Two Egg Store.”
From there, the nickname snowballed until the entire town was labelled “Two Egg” on highway maps.
Weeki Wachee (Hernando County)
Like many other places on this list, “Weeki Wachee” actually stems from a Native American phrase.
In this case, the area was named by Seminole Native Americans, with the term meaning “little spring” or “winding river.” This is likely due to the nearby spring and river, the latter of which leads over 10 miles to the Gulf of Mexico.
In 2020, the city of Weeki Wachee was abolished, so the land has since become an unincorporated area within Hernando County.
Yeehaw Junction (Osceola County)
There are plenty of legends about how Yeehaw Junction got its name, though historian Jason Byrne says that only one is correct.
In this case, the origin of “Yeehaw” stems from a Seminole term “eyaha” or “yah-hah,” which means “wolf” or “to howl.” Wolves were once native to Florida, though they went extinct around a century ago.
Meanwhile, “Junction” wasn’t added until much later when the Florida Turnpike was built. Before then, it would often be called by other names, like “Yeehaw Crossing” or “Yeehaw Crossroads.”
Zolfo Springs (Hardee County)
During the early 1800s, a crew of Italian and Spanish men came through the Peace River to collect phosphate, but upon arriving at the nearby springs, the stench of sulphur soured the air.
As a result, the Italians nicknamed the region “Zolfo” (meaning “sulphur”), and the name stuck.
Meanwhile, the “Springs” part of the name was tacked on later in 1909 after the town was more developed.
Were there any we missed? If so, drop a comment below to let us know!
Alternatively, you can message atalcott@wkmg.com.
We might just use your suggestions in a future story.
Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
