All of these quoted examples are from Algonquian languages. Seems like not a lot of love for Algonquian names around here. I’m quite fond of the Algonquian language family and have been studying up on it. But, come to think of it, I guess euphonious melody was not the primary feature that attracted me to it. They sure use a lot of consonants, especially /k/, and many of the names on the list have a lot of /k/ in them.
The suffix -nk occurs some of the examples above, and I suppose it can have a harsh ring to it. It’s the Algonquian locative suffix, meaning ‘the place where…’, which is why it turns up in so many place names. A variant pronunciation of the same suffix becomes -*ng *in some Lenape dialects (e.g. Kittanning, Ossining, Wyoming), and I notice none of these were called ugly. Something about -*ng *instead of -*nk *must have a better ring to people’s ears.
Spell it right if you’re gonna cite it!
It’s Wimauma. You did get the local pronunciation right on, though. I lived there for several years. Not that bad if you like migrant labor and Church of God Bible belters. Actually, I was in the suburbs about two miles south.
My gal pal diving buddy and I used to call Tarpon Springs “Tampon Strings.”
There are the villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter in the UK. Ironically, Upper Slaughter is a “thankful village”, one of a handful that lost no men during WW1. A few other candidates:
Liverpool
Puckeridge
Looe
Crapstone
Uckfield
Little Sodbury
Goonpiper
Eh, to each his own, I’m partial to Western New York indian-based names, although I think Cattaraugus and Conesus (wiki is ? on derivation) are more sonorous.
Although Depew does sound bad considering whenever I hear it I’m reminded of the stinky refineries we used to smell when travelling toward buffalo (even though they aren’t in Depew.)
Although I guess if you didn’t grow up with it Lackawanna does sound like an ED problem.
A few miles from my parents house is a hill called Brown Willy, the highest point in Cornwall. If we’re talking street names, many English towns in the middle ages had a Gropecunt Lane. Both links are, surprisingsly, safe for work.
I know this doesn’t count because it isn’t a real place, but one time my friend was trying to write a fantasy novel (seriously) and I jokingly suggested as names for cities Troth’l’dar and Yarglulth.
