Yorkshire is second to none when it comes to funny place names.
Yorkshire is loved for many reasons, be it stunning natural beauty, friendly locals or rich history, but one of our favourite things has to be the downright unusual place names you’ll find here. From Fryup to Thornton-le-Beans, here’s a quick roundup of some of the best.
Crackpot
If we’re talking about funny Yorkshire place names, we have to start with Crackpot. The village is nestled among the Yorkshire Dales. Swaledale’s village name derives from the Old English word ‘kaka’, meaning ‘crow’, and the Viking word ‘pot’. Highlights include Crackpot Hall and Crackpot Cottage (yes, really), as well as its natural beauty and greenery, from the rolling hills to the babbling brooks.
Crackpot, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL11 6NH.
Wetwang
Yes, Wetwang is a real Yorkshire Wolds village, home to 761 people. Some say the name derives from the Old Norse ‘valet-vangr’, or ‘field for the trial of a legal action’, whereas some say it’s ‘Wet Field’ compared to nearby Driffield’s Dry Field. Home to an Iron Age chariot burial, it’s rich with history, and it’s also mentioned twice in the Domesday Book as Wetuuangha.
Wetwang, Driffield, East Yorkshire, YO25 9XX.
Upperthong
Upperthong is a village in the Holme Valley, near Holmfirth. Its name comes from the Old English ‘uffera’, meaning upper and ‘thwang’, meaning narrow strip of land. As well as winning the title as one of the most unusual Yorkshire place names, it’s also very popular with walkers as a result of its beautiful rural settings and panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
Upperthong, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, HD9 3RB.
Fryup
No, not that kind of fry up! This Fryup is a hamlet in the North York Moors National Park, separated into two valleys – Great Fryup Dale and Little Fryup Dale. It has loads of etymological claims, however, the most popular is that it’s a Yorkshire dialect reconstruction of the earlier 14th-century name ‘Frehope’. With just 200 inhabitants, it’s as rural as rural gets.
Fryup, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 2NS.
Giggleswick
We always have a little giggle when we hear the name Giggleswick. This picturesque village has a population of 1,270 – it dates back to 1086, when it was recorded as ‘Ghigeleswic’, also known as the ‘dwelling or dairy farm of a man called Gikel or Gichel. Aside from its unusual name, it also lies at an easy place to cross the Pennines, so you’ll often see ramblers getting off the train at the station.
Giggleswick, Settle, North Yorkshire, BD24 0DZ.
Thornton-le-Beans
Thornton-le-Beans is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire. Its name originates from the Old English word ‘Thornton’, meaning ‘farm with thorn bushes’. By 1534, the village became known as Thornton-le-Fabis, incorporating the Latin word for beans—a nod to the crops once grown there. The village is filled with farms and country homes, but the must-visit attraction is the Grade-II listed St Mary’s Church.
Thornton-le-Beans, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL6 3ST.
Booze
A hamlet in North Yorkshire’s Arkengarthdale, Booze has to be one of the more strange place names in the region. The earliest record of the name is from 1473 in the form ‘Bowehous’, derived from the Old English ‘bogg’ (bow) and ‘hus’ (house) meaning house by the bow. It’s incredibly isolated, with the only access being a steep and narrow single track road from Langthwaite.
Booze, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL11 6EY.
Blubberhouses
Credit: John Sparshatt licensed under Creative Commons for commercial use.
You’ll find the small village of Blubberhouses in Washburn Valley, North Yorkshire. Its name probably derives from an Anglo-Saxon description of ’houses near a blubbering stream’, likely referring to the River Washburn which passes by. The village boasts a fascinating heritage, home to landmarks such as the 17th-century Blubberhouses Hall and the 18th-century Blubberhouses Methodist Church.
Blubberhouses, Otley, West Yorkshire, LS21 2NU.
Wigtwizzle
Credit: Roger May licensed under Creative Commons for commercial use.
Wigtwizzle is a hamlet in the civil parish of Bradfield, South Yorkshire. Over the centuries, its name evolved from Wigtwisle in the 15th century to Wigtwizle in the 16th, before settling as Wigtwizzle in the 17th. Once the site of the grand Elizabethan Wigtwizzle Hall, the hamlet lost this historic landmark when it was demolished in 1935. However, its legacy lives on, as the hall’s stone was repurposed to help construct local reservoirs.
Wigtwizzle, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S36 4ZA.
