People who live in the Upper Midwest have a reputation for being a little reserved, so if we hear funny Minnesota town names, we may not react. That’s because we tend to keep our innermost thoughts to ourselves, and while we are welcoming to outsiders, it takes us a while to truly become friends. But that doesn’t mean that we Minnesotans are without a sense of humor. It is evident in some of our amusing street names and silly town names. Most such names have a backstory that explains just what the original settlers were thinking, but even so, these silly town names still remain to this day.
- Sleepy Eye
J. Stephen Conn/Flickr Sleepy Eye may seem like an odd name at first, but the town was named after the Native American Chief Sleepy Eye, who lived in the area during the early 19th century.
- Embarrass
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr Besides having a strange name, the town of Embarrass has another claim to fame - it is the coldest place in Minnesota. Maybe that’s what they’re so embarrassed about.
- Climax
Al/Flickr Despite what you may have heard, Climax is actually named after a chewing tobacco company, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. And it is from this company that the town took its name.
- Fertile
J. Stephen Conn/Flickr You’d think Fertile got its name from the abundant crops that were grown there when it was founded. But it was actually named after Fertile, Iowa. Early settlers once lived there and decided to give their new Minnesota home the same name. It’s easier to remember that way.
- Nimrod
Lorie Shaull/Flickr Today, the town’s moniker may come across as a bit rude, but Nimrod’s name actually has a wholesome origin. The town was named after a man named Nimrod in the Bible, said to be Noah’s great-grandson.
- Blue Earth
Michel Curi/Flickr Blue Earth may seem like a strange name until you look at the history of the town. The nearby Blue Earth River was originally called by its Dakota name, Mahka-to. This word refers to the blue-black clay in the river’s banks.
- Ball Club
Google Maps This tiny community is said to be named after the stick from a Native American sport similar to modern lacrosse.
- Pillager
Gretchen Ennis/Flickr Pillager is quite the opposite of what its name may lead you to believe. It is a quiet town with fewer than 500 residents, none of whom are doing any pillaging.
- Good Thunder
Bobak Ha’Eri/Flickr Like Sleepy Eye, the origin of this town’s name is not surprising once you look at the history of the area. Good Thunder is named after a Winnebago chief of the same name.
- Welcome
Al/Flickr How’s that for Minnesota Nice? We imagine not all who live in Welcome, Minnesota, are 100 percent welcoming, but the town’s name is so charming that we’d like to stop by anyway. The town was named for a farmer who once lived on the town’s southwestern side.
- Thief River Falls
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr Thief River Falls got its name from the river that runs through the town. It is a translation of an Ojibwe phrase that means “thieving-land river.” This came about when a band of Dakota maintained a secret camp on a bank of the river that had been claimed by the Ojibwe.
Have you visited any of the towns on this list, and what did you think? Do any of their names suit them particularly well? Do you know of any other funny Minnesota town names? Let us know in the comments below!
J. Stephen Conn/Flickr
Sleepy Eye may seem like an odd name at first, but the town was named after the Native American Chief Sleepy Eye, who lived in the area during the early 19th century.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr
Besides having a strange name, the town of Embarrass has another claim to fame - it is the coldest place in Minnesota. Maybe that’s what they’re so embarrassed about.
Al/Flickr
Despite what you may have heard, Climax is actually named after a chewing tobacco company, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. And it is from this company that the town took its name.
You’d think Fertile got its name from the abundant crops that were grown there when it was founded. But it was actually named after Fertile, Iowa. Early settlers once lived there and decided to give their new Minnesota home the same name. It’s easier to remember that way.
Lorie Shaull/Flickr
Today, the town’s moniker may come across as a bit rude, but Nimrod’s name actually has a wholesome origin. The town was named after a man named Nimrod in the Bible, said to be Noah’s great-grandson.
Michel Curi/Flickr
Blue Earth may seem like a strange name until you look at the history of the town. The nearby Blue Earth River was originally called by its Dakota name, Mahka-to. This word refers to the blue-black clay in the river’s banks.
Google Maps
This tiny community is said to be named after the stick from a Native American sport similar to modern lacrosse.
Gretchen Ennis/Flickr
Pillager is quite the opposite of what its name may lead you to believe. It is a quiet town with fewer than 500 residents, none of whom are doing any pillaging.
Bobak Ha’Eri/Flickr
Like Sleepy Eye, the origin of this town’s name is not surprising once you look at the history of the area. Good Thunder is named after a Winnebago chief of the same name.
How’s that for Minnesota Nice? We imagine not all who live in Welcome, Minnesota, are 100 percent welcoming, but the town’s name is so charming that we’d like to stop by anyway. The town was named for a farmer who once lived on the town’s southwestern side.
Thief River Falls got its name from the river that runs through the town. It is a translation of an Ojibwe phrase that means “thieving-land river.” This came about when a band of Dakota maintained a secret camp on a bank of the river that had been claimed by the Ojibwe.
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The OIYS Visitor Center
Funny Minnesota Town Names January 06, 2023 Trent Jonas Other Weird Minnesota Town Names In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, you’ll find plenty of funny, silly, odd, or just downright weird Minnesota town names. Whether they seem out of place - like Twig or Cotton - or they appear unpronounceable, there are plenty of municipalities that have nonresidents scratching their heads. For example, Savage, a suburb in the southern part of the Twin Cities metro is a pretty unusual name for a town. It sounds quite fierce. Should we be worried? Then you’ve got towns that seem to have been squished together, like Elko New Market, Norwood Young America, and Nowthen. There are a few burgs that seem to be competing with each other, as well, like Lake City and Big Lake City. Or The Lakes versus Fifty Lakes. Others seem a little aspirational, such as Cambridge and Princeton - neither of which are college towns, by the way. Does anyone know how to pronounce Wayzata? Mahtomedi? Kabetogama? Kandiyohi? Edina? (Hint: They’re not spelled as they sound). What exactly is a Dundas? To be clear, Pine Island is not an island, there are no mountains within hundreds of miles of Mountain Lake, and Eden Valley is not a low spot adjacent to Eden Prairie. Le Sueur sounds like it must be the route between Kiester and Clearwater. If it gets plugged, call Plummer or Remer to clear it. Be sure to keep Pillager away from Golden Valley. Welcome is nice, though. If we were in Echo, we’d say it again.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Funny Minnesota Town Names
January 06, 2023
Trent Jonas
Other Weird Minnesota Town Names In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, you’ll find plenty of funny, silly, odd, or just downright weird Minnesota town names. Whether they seem out of place - like Twig or Cotton - or they appear unpronounceable, there are plenty of municipalities that have nonresidents scratching their heads. For example, Savage, a suburb in the southern part of the Twin Cities metro is a pretty unusual name for a town. It sounds quite fierce. Should we be worried? Then you’ve got towns that seem to have been squished together, like Elko New Market, Norwood Young America, and Nowthen. There are a few burgs that seem to be competing with each other, as well, like Lake City and Big Lake City. Or The Lakes versus Fifty Lakes. Others seem a little aspirational, such as Cambridge and Princeton - neither of which are college towns, by the way. Does anyone know how to pronounce Wayzata? Mahtomedi? Kabetogama? Kandiyohi? Edina? (Hint: They’re not spelled as they sound). What exactly is a Dundas? To be clear, Pine Island is not an island, there are no mountains within hundreds of miles of Mountain Lake, and Eden Valley is not a low spot adjacent to Eden Prairie. Le Sueur sounds like it must be the route between Kiester and Clearwater. If it gets plugged, call Plummer or Remer to clear it. Be sure to keep Pillager away from Golden Valley. Welcome is nice, though. If we were in Echo, we’d say it again.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, you’ll find plenty of funny, silly, odd, or just downright weird Minnesota town names. Whether they seem out of place - like Twig or Cotton - or they appear unpronounceable, there are plenty of municipalities that have nonresidents scratching their heads.
For example, Savage, a suburb in the southern part of the Twin Cities metro is a pretty unusual name for a town. It sounds quite fierce. Should we be worried? Then you’ve got towns that seem to have been squished together, like Elko New Market, Norwood Young America, and Nowthen.
There are a few burgs that seem to be competing with each other, as well, like Lake City and Big Lake City. Or The Lakes versus Fifty Lakes.
Others seem a little aspirational, such as Cambridge and Princeton - neither of which are college towns, by the way.
Does anyone know how to pronounce Wayzata? Mahtomedi? Kabetogama? Kandiyohi? Edina? (Hint: They’re not spelled as they sound).
What exactly is a Dundas?
To be clear, Pine Island is not an island, there are no mountains within hundreds of miles of Mountain Lake, and Eden Valley is not a low spot adjacent to Eden Prairie.
Le Sueur sounds like it must be the route between Kiester and Clearwater. If it gets plugged, call Plummer or Remer to clear it.
Be sure to keep Pillager away from Golden Valley.
Welcome is nice, though. If we were in Echo, we’d say it again.
