Posted in New Mexico Attractions, Small Towns August 04, 2022 by

These 10 Towns In New Mexico Have The Strangest Names You’ll Ever See

There are towns in every state with weird names, the kind that makes you wonder if your map app is messing with you. While many New Mexican town names are unfamiliar because they’re in Spanish or because they have Native American origins, others are just bizarre. Here are some of our all-time favorite weird New Mexico town names – which ones have you heard of?

1. Mesilla
Flickr/Jasperdo
Although Mesilla rolls off the tongue in a pleasant way, its Spanish meaning is "small table" or "side table." Essentially, it’s like saying: "Welcome to Small Table, New Mexico!"
Mesilla, NM, USA
2. Gallup
Flickr/Allen
Admittedly, the spelling is different, but this city name sure sounds like "gallop" - fitting given the number of famous Westerns that were filmed here.
Gallup, NM, USA
3. Waterflow
Flickr/Kent Kanouse
This literal name probably stems from the nearby San Juan River, a tributary of the Colorado River. It’s certainly easier to pronounce than this local store name!
Waterflow, NM, USA
4. Truth or Consequences
Flickr/Kent Kanouse
The town of Hot Springs altered its name as an advertising stunt. When the host of popular radio show, "Truth or Consequences," wished that a town would change its name in honor of the show, Hot Springs, New Mexico, complied.
Truth or Consequences, NM, USA
5. Elephant Butte
Flickr/tom spinker
A "butte" is a kind of flat-topped, rocky hill, with steep sides. But, when preceded by the word "elephant," it tends to make people snicker under their breath.
Elephant Butte, NM, USA
6. Angel Fire
Flickr/Chase Cheviron
Heaven or hell? You decide.
Angel Fire, NM, USA
7. Wagon Mound
Flickr/Jack Sanderson
This town, on the Santa Fe Trail, got its name from a peak in the area that resembles a wagon, pulled by oxen.
Wagon Mound, NM 87752, USA
8. Tucumcari
Flickr/Russell Mondy
Established as a construction camp, this town evolved into a permanent settlement. Although Tucumcari is a fun name to say, it’s not as exciting as the camp’s original moniker, Six Shooter Siding, a reference to the lawlessness in these parts.
Tucumcari, NM 88401, USA
9. Ohkay Owingeh
Flickr/Larry Lamsa
This name may be tough to spell, but it has a good meaning in the Tewa language. It translates to "home of the strong ones."
Ohkay Owingeh, NM, USA
10. Hope
Flickr/Denver Gingerich
Once called Badgerville, Hope is certainly a more inspirational name, and a good note to end on.
Hope, NM 88250, USA

New Mexico also has a hamlet called House, which begs the question: just the one? Like, that one house specifically? Okay then…

Can you think of any other weird New Mexico town names? Share with us in the comments! Check out some more of our other articles based on fun facts in New Mexico!

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Weird New Mexico Town Names

August 08, 2022
Tori Jane

What are some delightfully weird town names in New Mexico?  

New Mexico is weirdly famous for its delightfully bizarre town names, in many cases. There are definitely more than just a handful, and it’s no short list to shake a stick at. Some of our favorite weird town names in New Mexico include small towns like Nutt, which has a population of about a dozen people and maybe a dog or two. There’s also Organ, which is near Las Cruces and definitely a lot weirder sounding than it is, and you can’t miss Pie Town, which is so proud of its unusual moniker that it holds an annual pie festival in New Mexico every year. There’s also a tiny mountain town named Weed, New Mexico, but it’s not named after cannabis; instead, it was named after a local store owner once upon a time.  

What are some of the strange towns in New Mexico?  

New Mexico is absolutely no stranger to all things strange; it’s known for the high strangeness that has occurred here. In fact, there’s one small town in New Mexico that completely embraces the weird: Roswell. Decades ago, Roswell was said to have been the crash site of a UFO which was then covered up by the Federal Government. Nowadays, though, it is all about that unique thing that makes it so special. Here, you’ll find the International UFO Museum, aliens and little green men EVERYWHERE, space-age themed shops, spaceship-themed diners, and more. It is easily the strangest town in New Mexico, and we couldn’t love it more.  

What are some fun and weird city names in New Mexico?  

So, we covered some weird small town names in New Mexico, but there are also a few cities with some head-turners, too. There’s the small city of Truth or Consequences, which is known as an old west town but sees a lot of curiosity about its unusual name, too. Gallup is kind of a bizarre city name, since that’s the term for a specific type of run a horse does. There’s also Las Cruces – which means “the crosses” - which lends its town an air of spookiness we can’t quite put a finger on.