Residents of Toad Suck, Arkansas have long had to explain their unusual town name. At least now they can add to the explanation that they have been recognized as having the “most unfortunate” town name in America.

A Findmypast.com poll of folks in seven English-speaking countries voted Toad Suck to the top spot over other head-scratchers like Climax, Georgia and Boring, Oregon.

Findmypast, a genealogy website, decided to do the poll because, according to site spokesman Josh Taylor, “Some people are disconcerted to learn that their forebears came from somewhere called Toad Suck, Roachtown or Monkey’s Eyebrow.”

And if you are wondering why Toad Suck is called toad suck, here is the explanation from a local website:

Long ago, steamboats traveled the Arkansas River when the water was at the right depth. When it wasn’t, the captains and their crew tied up to wait where the Toad Suck Lock and Dam now spans the river. While they waited, they refreshed themselves at the local tavern there, to the dismay of the folks living nearby, who said: “They suck on the bottle ’til they swell up like toads.” Hence, the name Toad Suck. The tavern is long gone, but the legend and fun live on at Toad Suck Daze.”

Now it all makes sense. The top 10 most unfortunate town names are listed below, in order of unfortunate-ness. See if you can think up a plausible explanations for the rest of them.

Toad Suck, Ark.
Climax, Ga.
Boring, Ore.
Hooker, Okla.
Assawoman, Md.
Belchertown, Mass.
Roachtown, Ill.
Loveladies, N.J.
Squabbletown, Calif.
Monkey’s Eyebrow, Ky

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