
Sign for Two Egg, Florida. (Ebyabe/CC BY-SA 3.0)
From Lorida to Two Egg, these 15 Florida town names will surely bring a smile to your face.
From a city named after the mouth of a rat to one named after a popular breakfast dish, the names of these towns in Florida are sure to elicit a laugh. Here, we count down the 15 most unusual town names in the state and give some history about each one.
1. Boca Raton
To non-Spanish speakers, this may sound like an exotic name. But the city in Palm Beach County’s moniker doesn’t allude to swaying palm trees or lovely seashores. “Boca de ratones” means “rats’ mouth” in Spanish, a term used by seamen to describe a potentially dangerous hidden rock.
2. Dogtown
Dogtown, in Gadsden County, sounds like the right kind of town for animal lovers … or postmen. But Dogtown was simply a common name for mining towns around the country. In fact, it is named after the sight of holes—the kind doggies like to make!—everywhere at a mine.
3. Weeki Wachee
Weeki Wachee is a small—very small—community in Hernando County that, as of the 2020 census, has a total population of 16. Yes, you read that right. Talk about an easy commute! The town is known for its mermaid shows at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.
4. Lorida
This Highlands County town could have been named by someone who wanted to get the “F” out of Florida. Located south of Sebring, it originally went by the Seminole name Istokpoga, but in 1937, the Postal Service asked city officials to change it because there was already a Lake Istokpoga in the state.
5. Niceville
Niceville is a city in Okaloosa County. When mail service began in 1868, it was known as Boggy. In 1910, it was officially changed to Niceville, a name selected by the postmaster’s daughter.
6. Lulu
Lulu, in Columbia County, is a small community that still resides in what is mostly a ghost town. The town’s name is said to have originated from the Lulu family, who were early settlers in the area. Other lore says that this North Florida town was named in the 1890s after the postmaster’s girlfriend, Lula. Just think: If she had been short of stature, the name could very well have been Little Lulu!
7. Sopchoppy
Sopchoppy is a city in Wakulla County that is home to the annual Worm Grunting Festival. It originally had a very difficult name to pronounce: Lockchoppe, from a Muskogee word. But perhaps seeking something easier on the tongue (not really!), the name was changed to Sopchoppy, which means “twisted or crooked river.” Located in Wakulla County, this small town has a population of just over 500 Sopchoppians.
8. Two Egg
Two Egg is an unincorporated community in Jackson County said to have gotten its name during the Great Depression, when residents didn’t have money, but would often trade for “two eggs.” Demographically oriented eggheads say this small town has a population of just over 100.
9. Scrambletown
Scrambletown, a town near Silver Springs in Marion County, is the perfect place to follow Two Egg, don’t you agree? The place began as Cedar Creek, but as moonshine became a growth industry in the area in the 1930s, it got the name Scrambletown after the way everyone scrambled when the revenue agents showed up.
10. Ocheese
Ocheesee, which is located in the Apalachicola River in the northeastern corner of Calhoun County, was the site of the longest action of the Seminole War. It now provides the perfect name for the Ocheesee Creamery. Legend has it that when taking a picture, some residents may be heard mouthing “Ocheesee!”
11. Picnic
Picnic, a small town with a population of just over 100 located in southeastern Hillsborough County, is a popular hangout for ants. Just kidding! Best known as the home of Alafia River State Park, the place got its unusual name from the fact that, in the early 1900s, it was a popular spot for picnics.
12. Christmas
Christmas, a charming small town with a name that makes you feel festive year-round, is located in unincorporated Orange County. Every holiday season, the town sends a large amount of mail from its post office from people who mail letters from the town so they can have the “Christmas” postmark stamped on their holiday cards.
13. Couch
Couch is the name of the city where couch potatoes go to find lots of loose change. Just kidding (again)! Fun fact: The city, which is located along U.S. 231 north of Youngstown in the Panhandle, is not unique to the Sunshine State. There are Couches in Alabama, Missouri, and West Virginia.
14. Frostproof
Frostproof got its unusual name because it was the only place in the Sunshine State that didn’t freeze during the winter of 1894-1895. So the locals decided to boast about it. Located in Polk County, this sunny small town has a population of just over 3,000.
15. Howey-in-the-Hills
Howey-in-the-Hills begs the questions: Who is Howie? And why in the world is he in the hills? Luckily, these are easy to answer: The city was named after its founder, William John Howey, a citrus grower and real-estate developer. Located in Lake County, it was originally named just Howey, but they later added the rest to reflect the hills, which are an unusual feature in the very flat Sunshine State.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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