The name of a place is usually based on its history; however, many places across the U.S. have strange, even creepy, names that one wonders how they got their name. In the spirit of Halloween, Silicon Valley Realtors researched the origin of scary names of some places listed by realtor.com and other sources, including the Farmer's Almanac and housebeautiful.com.
The names on this list are spooky, but that doesn't mean they're scary places to live; in fact, Seven Devils, NC, is a year-round resort destination.
Bad Axe, MI - This unusual name is said to originate from surveyors who found an old, rusted, badly damaged axe left at the campsite by hunters.
Cape Fear, NC - It's said the city's name comes from the 1585 expedition of Sir Richard Grenville to Roanoke Island, whose ship got stuck behind the cape. The crew feared the ship would capsize.
Dead Women Crossing, OK - The community supposedly got its name from the unsolved murder of a local woman. The murder details remain unclear.
Death Valley, CA - This desert valley is said to be "the hottest place on Earth during summer." The highest temperature this summer was 129.2° F! According to the National Park Service, between 2007 and 2023, the park had 62 deaths, mainly due to motor vehicle accidents and environmental conditions.
Frankenstein, MO - The town was named to honor Gottfried Franken, who donated land.
Gnaw Bone, IN - Some historians say the original French settlement was named "Narbone," which to English settlers sounded like "Gnaw Bone."
Hell, MI - One theory is the name comes from "hell-like" conditions early explorers suffered due to mosquitoes and the difficult wetland. Other sources say someone asked George Reeves, who helped settle the town, what to name it, and Reeves said, "I don't care. You can name it 'Hell' if you want to."
Kill Devil Hills, NC - Supposedly, ships carrying rum from Virginia would sink along the banks. The rum was so potent, the locals said it would "kill the devil."
Screamer, AL – A Cherokee legend refers to screams of the Native Americans, panthers and wildcats living there in the 1800s. Another origin story refers to sounds of the steamboat whistles.
Seven Devils, NC - Some say the town was named after seven brothers who always fought, so locals named them "seven devils"; however, according to the town's official site, there were seven founders and seven distinct peaks that viewed the area, and locals would say, "The wind blows like the devil up there in the wintertime."
Skull Valley, AZ – It's popular belief the name originated from settlers who first surveyed the area and found human remains.
Slaughter Beach, DE - Local legend states the town got its scary name from an 18th century massacre of its original settlers, while Slaughter, LA was named after brothers Will and Joe Slaughter, the owners of the land.
Sleepy Hollow, NY - Dutch settlers who colonized the area in the mid-1600s named the town Slapershaven or Sleepers' Haven, later Anglicized to Sleepy Hollow. It's also known for Washington Irving's 1820 short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."
Tombstone, AZ - One source says former Army Scout Al Sieber told his friend, U.S. Army Scout Ed Schieffelin, who was searching for ore, "The only rock you will find out there will be your own tombstone."
Here are other places whose weird names have interesting origins: Gun Barrel City, TX;Scarville, IA; Bat Cave, NC; Devils Lake, ND; Hazardville, CT; Kill Devil Hills, NC; Red Devil, AL; Devil's Den WY; Vulture City, AZ; Satan's Kingdom, MA.
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Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.
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