Folks on the outside may not realize, but Nebraska has a lot of charm, from its quirky roadside attractions to its laugh-out-loud town names. According to Small Town Research, there are 89 small towns in Nebraska (categorized by having populations of 1,000 to 10,000 people) and 424 villages (places with fewer than 1,000 residents).
A decent chunk of the state’s citizens—26%, to be exact—live in Nebraska’s small towns and villages, and they’ve given them some truly funny and interesting names over the years. That’s why we’ve gathered 10 of the funniest examples to brighten your day, from video game-sounding names to smelly monikers.
1. Funk
About 205 miles and three hours by car from Omaha, Funk is a village whose name represents both soulful music and smelly things (though the town itself doesn’t stink). Funk sits in south-central Nebraska, not too far from Kearney, and had a population of just 244 people in the 2024 Census (via Data USA). Honestly, it’s iconic to say you’re from a town called Funk!
2. Gross
In a similar vein, Gross is a village less than a square mile in size and home to just three residents in 2026, according to World Population Review. This name is extra funny when you consider that “gross” means “big” or “large” in German, and yet the village is about as tiny as it gets.
Gross received its name from a general store owner in the area named Ben Gross. Want to see it for yourself? Gross is nearly four hours and over 300 miles northwest of Omaha, but it could be a fun outing to see something so unique.
3. Wahoo
This next town is much closer than its predecessors—roughly 40 miles and 55 minutes west of Omaha by car. Wahoo is oh-so fun to say, almost making you feel like you’re trapped in a “Mario” video game. According to World Population Review, Wahoo has slightly over 5,100 residents in 2026, and if we were bettin’ folks, we’d say they probably giggle every time they say their town’s name, too.
But where did its name come from? Well, the local Wahoo Creek is home to many Eastern wahoos, a plant whose scientific name is Euonymus atropurpureus. Wahoo plants grow vibrant green leaves and red buds, and with so many in the area, it only felt fitting to name the town after them!
4. Wynot
About 140 miles and two and a half hours north of Omaha, near the South Dakota line, is Wynot, a village whose name sounds like a question every time it’s uttered. World Population Review estimates Wynot’s population at 221 in 2026, making it another small entry on this silly list.
Residents of this charming locale have a perfect decision-making tool in their back pocket at all times, and you can learn from it, too. The next time you’re considering something, like visiting this town, just ask yourself “Wynot?” In fact, that’s how the town got its name. Legend has it that a German man who settled in the area often used the phrase “why not?”, and it stuck.
5. Dix
One of the furthest towns from Omaha on this list (over 420 miles and six hours of driving away) is Dix, which needs no explanation for why it’s funny. Dix sits on the far western side of the state, near the Wyoming border, and 2024 Census data showed 224 people lived there. In an interesting twist, Dix’s name is a spin on Dixon, Illinois. An early resident in the area hailed from the latter town in the Prairie State, and he brought the name westward, where it shortened.
6. Cairo
About 165 miles west of Omaha, or about two and a half hours of driving, is Cairo, a name you probably instantly recognize as Egyptian. And much to our surprise (and likely yours), it turns out that the village was indeed named after the capital of Egypt. Some of its street names even lend themselves to this naming scheme. For example, you can travel down W Syria St., W Mecca St., E Nile St., and more without ever leaving the country. You’d be in good company, too. According to Census Reporter, approximately 1,035 people live in the town in 2026.
7. Surprise
Travel about 84 miles straight west from Omaha (that’s about an hour and 40 minutes by car), and—surprise!—you’ll enter a small village named Surprise. Just 35 people live in the area today, per Census Reporter, but many decades ago, settlers likely thought the area would attract many people. You see, the Big Blue River streams nearby, which made the area perfect for power. Supposedly, the surprise of the river’s power capabilities led to the town being named after it in the late 1800s.
8. Worms
The early bird gets the worm, or perhaps the early westward settler gets to name the unincorporated community Worms? That seems to be the case for this small locale, which became home to German settlers, just like Wynot. Though there’s no concrete reason for the name, folks have long assumed that the name comes from the town of the same name in Germany due to the settlers’ heritage. If you want to see what Worms is all about for yourself, you can drive about two and a half hours straight west (about 135 miles). You’ll be greeted by a small community of about 853 people (via Places.us.com).
9. Assumption
You know what they say when you assume things. Like other small towns on this list, German settlers assumed the land now called Assumption, naming it after the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the late 1800s to honor their Catholic roots. According to Places.us.com, more than 2,000 people call the unincorporated community home nowadays. Assumption is 175 miles southwest of Omaha, and it takes about two hours and 40 minutes to get there from the River City. But if you go and take a picture with something branded with Assumption’s name, it could make for a funny meme.
10. Hazard
About three hours west of Omaha by car (or a little over 190 miles) is Hazard, one of the silliest town names in Nebraska, if you ask us. It instantly begs the question: What’s so hazardous about this village? Well, nothing, really. The village of Hazard had a population of just 150 in the 2024 Census (via Data USA) and covers less than a third of a square mile (via the United States Census Bureau), so there are hardly enough people or space to make conditions hazardous!
That said, Hazard has been around for a while. In the late 1800s, the Grand Island and Wyoming Central Railroad was expanding westward, creating jobs for many people in Nebraska. As it expanded, it also helped create new villages and towns, including the establishment of Hazard in 1868. It remains a tiny village 158 years later, but its name packs a funny punch that’s bound to stick with people for a long time to come.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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