Central North Island village and ski field Whakapapa has topped a list from an online company of the 22 worst place names in the world.
The list, compiled by Netscape.com, has Whakapapa beating out Disappointment, in Kentucky in the US; Shitterton in Dorset in England; North Carolina's Horneytown; and Toad Suck in Arkansas.
The authors explain the reason Whakapapa made it to the top of the list is because in Maori, the W H sound is pronounced as an F. A similar mindset won second-place for the runner-up, F***ing , a village of 104 people in Austria.
New Zealand's longest place name, Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, in southern Hawke's Bay also made it to the list, at number 20.
Most of the names come from the US and Britain, but Middlefart in Denmark makes it to number six and Cockburn in Western Australia rounds off the list at number 22.
The list of the 22 worst place names in the world are:
1 Whakapapa - New Zealand
2 F***ing - Austria
3 Disappointment - Kentucky, US
4 Shitterton - Dorset, England
5 Horneytown - North Carolina, US
6 Middlefart - Denmark
7 Toad Suck - Arkansas, US
8 Hell - Michigan, US
9 Hookersville - West Virginia, US
10 Whiskey Dick Mountain - Washington, US
11 Cockup - Cumbria, England
12 Bald Knob - Arkansas, US
13 Spread Eagle - Wisconsin, US
14 Wetwang - Yorkshire, England
15 Gravesend - Kent, England
16 Thong - Kent, England
17 Titty Hill - Sussex, England
18 Looneyville - Texas, US
19 Muff - Ireland
20 Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu - Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
21 Twatt - Orkney, Shetland Islands, Scotland
22 Cockburn, Western Australia
