Cuckold’s Delight (or sometimes spelled Cuckhold’s Delight) seems like a name you don’t want to use for your subdivision. Apparently someone didn’t get that message when they were dividing up what would become Brookland around Catholic University.

Scanning some old Baist maps from 1903, we came across this bizarrely named subdivision, roughly near 14th and Quincy today, northeast of Brookland, bordering Woodridge.

So, why would somebody name a subdivision something so strange? After all, you do know the definition of cuckhold right?

Cuck·old

/ˈkəkəld,ˈkəkōld/

a man whose wife is sexually unfaithful, often regarded as an object of derision.

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In contemporary terms, think of the bizarre stories surrounding Jerry Falwell, Jr. and Becki Falwell.

Doing a little internet sleuthing, we learned that this name, in addition to others in the area like Turkey Thicket, came from the original land grants received hundreds of years prior. The real story would be, why did the land grant have such a name? Maybe some strange sense of humor for a betrayed husband?

Here’s the full map of the area for you to check out. And take a minute to read this cool post on DCist about neighborhood names in DC.

Here is the same area in the 1919 Baist map.

And now the Google Map of the area today at the intersection of Taylor St. and South Dakota Ave. NE.