Weirdest city names in Europe

 Weirdest city names in Europe

Europe is full of villages with cute and poetic names. But sometimes things go a bit wrong and once translated into English, the village names take on a very strange meaning. Sometimes there is not even a need to translate these names: it’s just awkward. Discover our weirdest city names in Europe.

Batman, Turkey

Coolest city name. Ever. This city is found in the Batman and is home to the Batman river. You can even go to Batman university. Batman the city was named after it’s river, but the origin of the name is unclear. It’s possible it’s a shortened version of the name of the 1,228-metre tall Bati Raman mountain located nearby or it could refer to the unit of weight used in the Ottoman Empire.

Bra, Italy

A town found Northwest of Piedmont, we’re not sure Italian speakers would find this name as funny as English speakers. Coincidentally, feminist writer Adriana Cavarero comes from this town.

Angers, France

Around 400 AD the city was first called civitas Andecavorum, and over the next millennium the name eventually transformed into how it is known today. Seems to be filled with nice people.

(rare footage of two Angers inhabitants greeting each others)

Los Infiernos, Spain (Translation: Hell)

Found in Murcia, Spain, we have to guess the name has something to do with the warm temperatures year round.

Ogre, Latvia

Of course in Latvian, the name is not so funny as it simply meant to originate from the river full of eels running through the town. Found in the Ogre district we have to wonder if any of the inhabitants have a green tint to their skin…

Gebergte, Netherland (Mountain Range in English)

The name of this area sounds totally normal, until you realise there is no mountain here. In fact, this place could not be more flat. Because, you know, it’s the Netherlands.

Drama, Greece

No, it’s not home to a bunch of drama queens. This name comes from the Greek word Dyrama  which means ‘rich in water’. It was a notable place of worship for many Gods of classical Greek mythology.

Rottenegg, Austria

Despite the name, we can’t imagine the air would be anything but fresh in Rottenegg given its in the alps. The town gets its name from the Rottenegg Castle just outside the village.

Monster, Netherlands

This town is not as great a place to spend Halloween as it sounds. The name is thought to have come from the Latin word monasterium which means monastery.

Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch, Wales

Longest city name in Europe. It must have taken some training time for this weatherman to pronounce it correctly.

Condom, France

Maybe this city is extra protected? Nope, apparently the name has nothing to do with the English word. The name actually comes from the Gaulish word Condatomagos which means ‘market or field of the confluence’.

Å, Norway

They’ve been racking their brains on this one.

Originally a two letter town (Aa), this city name is actually a word, meaning small river.

Beer, England

My new favourite city. Found in the west country of England, this town unfortunately doesn’t get it name from the beverage. Actually, the town name was first recorded in 1086, coming from the word bearu, meaning “grove” and referring to the forest that surrounded the village.

Christmas Pie, England

A tastier name than it is. This town can thank its interesting name to a property owned hundreds of years ago by a prominent local family named Christmas – coincidentally around the same time that Mince pies became a thing. The “Pie” comes from the Saxon word “pightel” which is defined as a small piece of fertile land.

Kill, Ireland

Trust no one there.

One of the creepiest of the weirdest city names, this town is less chilling than the name suggests, this town is located in County Kildare in the east of Ireland. It is actually the anglicized spelling of the Irish gaelic word an Chill which means the church.

Ugley, England

Although the origin of this town name is uncertain, we do have some amusing trivia about it. A group in this town once called the “The Ugley Women’s Institute” had to change its name to the Women’s Institute of Ugley because of all the jokes made about them.

Rugby, England

You can thank this town for the invention of the popular game that is now played by 9.6 million people across the globe.

What did you think of our weirdest city names in Europe? Sometimes we would like to meet the people who named these cities, and just ask them: WHY? (except for Batman, this is really the best city name ever).

And you? Do you know any other weird name, or have you ever been there? Tell us in the comment section!

If you want to travel and keep discovering other places, do not forget that you can find a job abroad here!

Europe Language Café

2 Comments

  • hahaha so cool!!!!!!!!!!!

  • In Latvia there is a name called Ogre 😀

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