Alaska is a large state, but much of the territory is undeveloped wilderness. Some towns have thousands of residents but it’s interesting to hear about some of the lesser known ones with much smaller populations. See if you’ve been to any of these seven small towns with strange names in Alaska.

1) Hoonah
"The inner harbor of Hoonah" by Commander John Bortniak, NOAA Corps - [1] http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/bigs/corp2025.jpg. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
The name is a little odd but the meaning holds it's weight. Hoonah in Tlingit language means, "Villiage by the cliff," or "place protected from the North Wind." This is one of the most unique towns in Alaska, and you can learn more about this great town on their website here.
2) Tanana
"PostcardTananaAlaska1910" by Web page titled Penny Postcards from Alaska. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
This town was previously known as Hohudodetlaatl Denh, which means "where the area has been chopped." Check out this unbelievable video of the extremely rural road to Tanana!
3) Deadhorse
"Deadhorse Alaska aerial view" by United States Navy, photographer not specified - Navy NewsStand Photo ID: 070312-N-7179R-001Navy NewsStand Home. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Yes, this town has a creepy name, but it is mostly home to workers on the North Slope. The actual population of the town sits roughly around 35 people! If you want to learn more about Deadhorse, this website gives you a list of facts about the town and surrounding area.

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4) Nenana
"Nenana Alaska" by JKBrooks85 - Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Nenana was once known as Tortella for the indian word Toghotthele, meaning "mountain that parallels the river." Read more about this history of this town on the George Parks Highway.
5) Unalakleet
"Unalakleet aerial 2010" by Dr. John Cloud, NOAA Central Library - NOAA Photo Library [1]. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Unalakeleet is known for it's beautiful setting but it is also the first checkpoint on the Norton Sound for the Iditarod Sled Race after it's starting point in Anchorage. That's almost 900 miles! Read about the wild and scenic Unalakeleet River and its designated status as a National Wild River.
6) Iditarod
"Iditarod AK 1911" by Lomen Bros., commercial photographers - http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cdmg21&CISOPTR=11448&REC=13. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
The town of Iditarod is one of Alaska's ghost towns! It was abandoned after all the gold was removed from the Iditarod River. Wikipedia has more information about this once booming gold town.
7) Unalaska
"UnalaskaAlaska" by Wanetta Ayers - http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/byways/photos/65168. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Unalaska is quite possibly one of the more interesting town names in Alaska because, well, it's Unalaska! Though the name might seem tricky it's actually translated from Aleut as Ounalashka, meaning "Near the Peninsula." More interestingly, it’s also sometimes referred to as Dutch Harbor. The city of Unalaska has a fascinating explanation to why this town has two names.

Are there any towns with strange names in Alaska that you would add to this list? Do you think these are the strangest names you’ve heard in Alaska? Let us know in the comments below!

If you want to learn more about some of the tiny towns in our great state, Here Are The Most Beautiful, Charming Small Towns In Alaska!

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Towns With Strange Names In Alaska

Megan McDonald | October 09, 2020

Why does Alaska have so many interesting and unusual town names?

The wonderful names for many of our small towns and places harkens back to the original Alaska Native words that were used for these areas. Many of the names today are a direct descendent of the local languages that fill our state. Sometimes the names have been altered in slight ways through the years. In other cases, like the town of Utqiagvik, residents have reclaimed the original names and spellings of towns after they had been altered to more English sounding names. Our state is filled with so much beautiful and amazing cultural history, and the names are a great reflection of our wonderful diversity.

How many Alaska Native languages are there in the state?

There are 20 recognized Alaska Native languages in our great state. They belong to four distinct language families, the Inuit-Yupik-Unangan, Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian language families. In fact, Alaska is home to two of world’s major language families: Eskimo-Aleut and Athabascan-Eyak-Tlingit. This means you can use these two languages to reconstruct ancestral language using established linguistic methods.  

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