Most Unusual Town Names in Florida
Every state has its unique names, culture, attractions, and quirks. Florida, of course, is known for being a little (or a lot) on the quirky side. It’s no wonder, then, that Florida also boasts some pretty unusual town names.
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From food to outer space to Native American words, Florida’s weird city names bring a bit of laughter, and sometimes some head-scratching. If you’ve wanted to visit bizarre places in Florida, take a look at this list. If nothing else, the names of these Florida towns make them worth visiting.
Sunny Town Names in Florida
Let’s get started with what the Sunshine State is known for: sun!
- Sun City Center, FL
- Sunny Isles Beach, FL
- Sunrise, FL
Food as Florida Town Names
Want something to eat? Start with:
Clearwater, FL
Of course, you have to have dessert before the meal:
Cocoa, FL
Cocoa Beach, FL
And don’t forget the fruit, veggies, and staples:
- Coconut Creek, FL
- Fruitland Park, FL
- Mayo, FL
- Orange City, FL
- Orange Park, FL
- Port Orange, FL
- Spuds, FL
- Two Egg, FL
And top it off with:
Sweetwater, FL
Duplicate Town Names in Florida
Why travel to other cities when you can go to the Florida version?
- Belleair, FL
- Beverly Hills, FL
- Bowling Green, FL
- Greensboro, FL
- Hollywood, FL
- Lake Placid, FL
- San Antonio, FL
- South Pasadena, FL
- Springfield, FL
- Trenton, FL
- Virginia Gardens, FL
Or perhaps you feel like traveling outside of the country but can’t. No problem! Just visit here in Florida.
- Baghdad, FL
- Bristol, FL
- Dundee, FL
- Dunedin, FL
- Freeport, FL
- Havana, FL
- Inverness, FL
- Lake Wales, FL
- Melbourne, FL
- Melbourne Beach, FL
- Melbourne Village, FL
- Mexico Beach, FL
- Naples, FL
- Panama City, FL
- Panama City Beach, FL
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Venice, FL
- Wellington, FL
- West Melbourne, FL
We even have a city named after our own state. Two, actually.
- Florida City, FL
- Floridatown, FL
A Mixed Bag of Weird Florida Town Names
Cold?
Frostproof, FL
Need a dictionary?
Webster, FL
Like to read about history?
- Indian Creek, FL
- Indian Harbour Beach, FL
- Indian River Shores, FL
- Indian Rocks Beach, FL
- Indian Shores, FL
- Lee, FL
- Leesburg, FL
- Midway, FL
- Monticello, FL
- Ponce de Leon, FL
- Seminole, FL
- St. Augustine, FL
How about mythology?
- Arcadia, FL
- Atlantis, FL
- Juno Beach, FL
Want to go into outer space?
- Cape Canaveral, FL
- Jupiter, FL
- Jupiter Beach, FL
- Neptune Beach, FL
- Satellite Beach, FL
For the sports fans:
- Archer, FL
- Golf, FL
- LaCrosse, FL
- Marathon, FL
- Surfside, FL
For the gardeners…
- Greenacres, FL
- Groveland, FL
- Hawthorne, FL
- Lantana, FL
- Live Oak, FL
- Mulberry, FL
- Orchid, FL
- Palm Beach, FL
- Palmetto, FL
- Parkland, FL
- Pinecrest, FL
- Plant City, FL
- Plantation, FL
- Winter Garden, FL
Spanish anyone?
- Aventura, FL (adventure)
- Boca Ciega, FL (blind mouth)
- Boca Raton, FL (mouse’s mouth)
- El Portal, FL (the portal)
- Esto, FL (this)
- Islamorada, FL (purple island)
- Lake Buena Vista, FL (lake good view)
- Largo, FL (long)
- Miramar, FL (see ocean)
- Punta Gorda, FL (fat point)
Native American Names in Florida Towns
Last, and certainly not least in this state, the Native American names which were kept or put back in use. These names show the history of the state and importance of our native tribes.
- Abacoa, FL (a village name)
- Alachua, FL (sink)
- Apalachicola, FL (tribe name derived from the Hitchiti words apalahchi, meaning “on the other side”, and okli, meaning “people”.)
- Apopka, FL (potato-eating place)
- Aripeka, FL (Indian name of Chief Sam Jones)
- Bithlo, FL (from pilo, canoe)
- Chattahoochee, FL (painted rock)
- Homosassa Springs, FL (place of many peppers)
- Hialeah, FL (upland prairie)
- Immokalee, FL (his/her home)
- Kissimmee, FL (unknown etymology, possibly “long river”)
- Loxahatchee, FL (unknown etymology)
- Manalapan, FL (covered swamp of edible roots)
- Miami, FL (downstream person; also, the name of a tribe)
- Micanopy, FL (Seminole chief during the Second Seminole War)
- Miccosukee, FL (chief of the hogs)
- Minneola, FL (many waters)
- Ocala, FL (big hammock)
- Ocoee, FL (wild apricot)
- Okahumpka, FL (deep waters)
- Okeechobee, FL (big water)
- Opa Locka, FL (big swamp)
- Pahokee, FL (grassy waters)
- Palatka, FL (from Pilo-taikita, meaning “crossing over”)
- Panasofkee, FL (deep valley)
- Pensacola, FL (from the tribe Panzacola)
- Sarasota, FL (point of rocks)
- Suwanee, FL (echo river)
- Tallahassee, FL (old city)
- Tampa, FL (sticks of fire)
- Tequesta, FL (tribe name)
- Thonotosassa, FL (place of valuable flint)
- Wauchula, FL (call of the sandhill crane)
- Wausau, FL (noise like thunder)
- Weeki Wachee, FL (little spring or winding river)
- Wewahitchka, FL (water eyes)
Other Florida Town Names
Hope these other town names put a smile on your face. They certainly must be fun for residents to explain, especially over the phone.
- Christmas, FL
- Couch, FL
- Dogtown, FL
- Festus, FL
- Holiday, FL
- Needmore, FL
- Niceville, FL
- Picnic, FL
- Yankeetown, FL
And, finally, where’s Waldo? In Florida, of course!
Waldo, FL
There you have it – unusual and funny town names in Florida. My favorites among these are the Native American names because I love the history behind them. And my other favorites are the ones also found in other countries. I think visiting each of those would make a remarkably fun road trip!
Now that you’ve learned about the most unusual town names in Florida, learn about the oldest cities in Florida. Or read about all the things Florida is famous for. I bet some of those will surprise you!
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