5 Of The Strangest Named Places You've Never Heard Of In Louisiana
By Jason Hall
October 14, 2020
The state of Louisiana has some very unique cities and towns.
New Orleans and Baton Rouge are the two most well-known cities outside of state lines. Both have a rich history and culture that are the embodiment of their unique identities, which has made them well known to non-residents.
However, there are many lesser-known areas in the Bayou State that you're likely less familiar with, let alone may not even believe exist. Believe it or not, there are many places in Louisiana with some of the strangest names you've ever heard.
Here are five of the strangest named places in the state of Louisiana.
Bunkie, Louisiana
Bunkie, Louisiana was originally named Irion after Major Irion, the first settler at Avoyelles Parish. The city is believed to have been renamed in honor of Captain Samuel Haas, who brought his young daughter a toy monkey, which she mispronounced as "Bunkie," according to Bunkie.com.
Cut Off, Louisiana
It sounds like a bartender's judgement when a customer has had one too many, but the name is a play on the town's historic name, La Coupe, which translates to "The Cut" in French.
Dry Prong, Louisiana
Dry Prong is a village in center Grant Parish that was incorporated in 1945. According to tradition, Dry Pong received its name when a family moved to the area in the 1870s to build a saw mill and built a water wheel to power the sawmill. However, the family found they found the creek over which they built the sawmill went dry every summer, much like a "dry prong."
Grosse Tête, Louisiana
Grosse Tête is a village in the Metro Baton Rouge area that translates to "Big Head" in French. However, it's pronounced as "gross tate" by the local population. Take that whichever way you chose.
Zwolle, Louisiana
Zwolle, pronounced "Za-wall-ee" is a small town in Sabine Parish with a population of 1,759, according to the 2010 census. The city was named after a Dutch city in Overijssel and hosts an annual tamale festival as seen in the photo above.
Photo: Getty Images