What's in a Name?
August 18, 2011 11:00 PM
Tightwad Bank in Osage City, Kan.
Founded in 1900 as Reading State Bank, the bank changed its name in 2008 after opening a branch in Tightwad, Mo. True to its name, the bank prides itself on helping its customers hold onto money with savings products. (Image: ThinkStock)
Redneck Bank (a division of Bank of the Wichitas in Snyder, Okla.)
Launched in 2009 to target customers with a sense of humor, the internet bank's bright red check card features a donkey and the tagline that "bankin's funner" at Redneck Bank.
Crazy Woman Creek Bancorp Inc. in Buffalo, Wy.
The holding company for Buffalo Federal Savings Bank was created in 1996. The name could be considered politically incorrect by some standards but it was named after a creek that served as a trading post during the late 1800s. (Image: ThinkStock)
Bank of England in England, Ark.
Geography can often cause confusion with names, and those who live outside England, Ark., could mistake this financial institution as the bank of Queen Elizabeth and Paul McCartney. (Image: Bloomberg News)
Smackover State Bank in Smackover, Ark.
About 120 miles southwest of England is Smackover, where this oddly named bank has been based since 1928. For those who don't know of the town, one might be worried that a deals are sealed with a backhand rather than a hand shake. (Image: ThinkStock)
TomatoBank in Alhambra, Cal.
Targeting the Chinese population, the bank reportedly considered names such as InterBusiness Bank and Acer Bank before customer surveys revealed a preference for the bright red vegetable … no fruit. (Image: ThinkStock)
Happy State Bank, Happy, Texas
Serving the Texas Panhandle, Happy State promises on its website to provide customers with "a little fun, a little friendship, and a lot of the professional courtesy we extend to everyone we meet." (Image: ThinkStock)
Bank VI in Salina, Kan.
Founded in 1909 as the Citizens State Bank of Geneseo, Kan., the bank was sold in 2005 and renamed. There are a number of banks with odd numerical names - Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati, Bank 7 in Oklahoma City, and 5Star Bank in Colorado Springs - but the use of a Roman numeral makes this Midwest financial institution stand out. (Image: ThinkStock)
