List of counties in the United Kingdom
This list shows the etymology of the names of the counties in the United Kingdom . It includes traditional counties and administrative counties .
Note: The commonly used word shire comes from Old English and means "administrative district".
England
| county | Language of origin | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Avon | British | Named after the River Avon ( Avon means river in British ) |
| Bedfordshire | Old English | Shire of Bedford : Ford of the Bieda |
| Berkshire | British | Hilly area (+ shire) |
| Buckinghamshire | Old English | Shire of Buckingham : home of the Bucca |
| Cambridgeshire | Old English | Shire of Cambridge : Bridge on the River Cam ( Cam is a derivation of the word Granta , the origin of which is disputed). The town was formerly called Grantbridge , which means Bridge on the Granta , but the county has always been known as Cambridgeshire. |
| Cheshire | Old English / Latin | Shire of Chester (after the Roman city name " Castra Devana") |
| Cleveland | Old English | Cliff land |
| Cornwall |
British / Old English |
Land of the British Cornovii Tribe ( People of the Peninsula ) |
| Cumberland | Old English | Region of the Cambrian Britons |
| Cumbria | Welsh | Territory of the Cymry ( Cymry was the British word for the Britons of that region, similar to 'Cymru' ( Wales )) |
| Derbyshire | Old Norse | Shire from Derby : Animal Village |
| Devon | British | Territory of the Dumnonians (the name of this Celtic tribe is of unknown origin) |
| Dorset | Old English | Dorchester Settlement : Roman city of Durnovaria ( Durnovaria is British and means place with fist-sized pebbles ) |
| County Durham | Old Norse | from Dunholme : island with a hill |
| Essex | Old English | East Saxony |
| Gloucestershire | Old English / Latin | Shire of Gloucester : Roman city of Glevum ( Glevum means light place in British ) + Latin castrum |
| Hampshire | Old English | Formerly known as 'Southamptonshire', meaning is 'shire of Southampton ': southern city of Hamo ( Hamo refers to an Anglo-Saxon conqueror and settler of the 5th century) |
| Hereford and Worcester | English | Combination of Herefordshire and Worcestershire |
| Herefordshire | Old English | Shire of Hereford : A ford that is suitable for an army to cross (see also the German city of Herford ) |
| Hertfordshire | Old English | Hertford Shire : ford used by deer |
| Humberside | English | Next to the River Humber ( Humber is a British word of unknown origin) |
| Huntingdonshire | Old English | Shire of Huntingdon : Hill of the Hunta |
| Isle of Wight |
English / British |
Island at the place of division |
| Kent | British | Land of the Cantii or Cantiaci: the name of a Celtic tribe meaning white, bright |
| Lancashire | Old English / Latin | Shire of Lancaster : Roman fort ( castrum ) on the River Lune ( Lune is a British word and means pure ) |
| Leicestershire | Old English / Latin | Shire of Leicester : Roman city or army camp ( castrum ), named after the Ligore people ( Ligore is a Celtic tribal name of unknown origin) |
| Lincolnshire |
British / Latin |
Shire of Lincoln : Roman Colony of Lindum Colonia |
| Greater Manchester |
English / British / Latin |
Greater Manchester County : Roman city ( castrum ) near Mamm ( Mamm was the British name of Manchester and means breast-shaped hill ) |
| Merseyside | English | Next to the River Mersey ( Mersey is an Old English word meaning border river ) |
| Middlesex | Old English | Central Saxony |
| Norfolk | Old English | Northern people |
| Northamptonshire | Old English | Northampton Shire : North Homestead |
| Northumberland | Old English | Land of the people who live north of the River Humber ( Humber is a British word of unknown origin) |
| Nottinghamshire | Old English | Shire of Nottingham : Home of the Snot ( Anglo-Saxon proper name) |
| Oxfordshire | Old English | Shire of Oxford : Ochsenfurt (see also the German city of this name) |
| Rutland | Old English | Land of the Rota |
| Shropshire | Old English | Shire of Shrewsbury : paved place by the scrub ( scrub ) |
| Somerset | Old English | Somerton Settlers: Farm used in summer |
| Staffordshire | Old English | Shire of Stafford : ford at an anchorage |
| Suffolk | Old English | Southern people |
| Surrey | Old English | Southern District |
| Sussex | Old English | South Saxony |
| Tyne and Wear | English | Area between the rivers Tyne and Wear ( Tyne is an alternate British word for river , Wear is a British word meaning water ) |
| Warwickshire | Old English | Shire of Warwick : Weir Settlements |
| West Midlands | English | Western central region |
| Westmorland | Old English | District west of the moors |
| Wiltshire | Old English | Shire of Wilton : farm where willow trees grow |
| Worcestershire | Old English / Latin | Shire of Worcester : Roman city ( castrum ) of the tribe of the Weogora ( Weogora is a British name meaning from the meandering river ) |
| Yorkshire |
British / Old Norse |
Shire of York : Originally a British word meaning yew , which was misunderstood by the English and Vikings and was given the meaning of wild boar settlement. They derived the name Jorvik from it, which means wild boar mouth . |
Northern Ireland
| county | Language of origin | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Antrim | Irish | Detached house |
| Armagh | Irish | Macha hill |
| Down | Irish | Downpatrick County : Patrick's Fort (originally Dún Lethglaise or Fort on the Brook ) |
| Fermanagh | Irish | Men of the tribe of Manaigh |
| Londonderry or Derry |
English / Irish |
Irish Derry means oak grove . The name London was added to the place and county in the 17th century by Protestant settlers from London. Its use has long been controversial, so that both forms of name are often used in parallel. |
| Tyrone | Irish | Land of Eoghain |
Scotland
| county | Language of origin | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeenshire | Pictish | Shire of Aberdeen : mouth of the river Dee ( Dee refers to the Celtic goddess Devona ) But means mouth in the Gaelic language, and Dee is the river. See also the Nordic Inver . |
| Angus | Pictish | Oengus , King of the Picts in the 8th century |
| Argyll | Gaelic | Coastal area of the Gaels |
| Ayrshire | Gaelic | Shire on the River Ayr |
| Banffshire | Gaelic | Shire from Banff : Piglet |
| Berwickshire | Old English | Shire of Berwick : Barley Farm |
| Buteshire | Gaelic | Fire |
| Caithness | Old Norse | Foothills of the cats |
| Clackmannanshire | Welsh | Shire of Clackmannan : Stone of Manau ( Manau is a word of unknown origin) |
| Cromartyshire | Gaelic | Shire from Cromarty : Means probably crooked |
| Dumfriesshire | Gaelic | Shire from Dumfries : Fort of the Frisians (the origin of Frisians is unknown, but the word is believed to mean curly , as in curly hair) |
| Dunbartonshire | Old English | (Previously written 'Dumbartonshire') Shire of Dumbarton : City of Dunbar (after Hugh Dunbar ) |
| East Lothian | Gaelic | Place of Leudonus |
| Fife | Pictish | Location of the fib |
| Inverness-shire | Gaelic | Shire of Inverness : mouth of the River Ness ( Ness comes from the Old Norse näs (nose), which also means isthmus ) |
| Kincardineshire |
Gaelic / Pictish |
Shire from Kincardine : Head of the corpse |
| Kinross-shire | Gaelic | Shire of Kinross : End of the Promontory |
| Kirkcudbrightshire | Old Norse | Shire of Kirkcudbright : Church of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne |
| Lanarkshire | Welsh | Shire from Lanark : (location in) the clearing |
| Midlothian | Gaelic | Place of Leudonus |
| Morayshire | British | Shire of Moray : marine settlement |
| Nairnshire | British | Shire of Nairn : Invading River |
| Orkney | Old English | Islands of the Orkos ( Orkos probably comes from a Gaelic tribal name meaning wild boar ) |
| Peeblesshire | Welsh | Shire of Peebles: place with tents |
| Perthshire | Pictish | Shire of Perth : Place by the thicket |
| Renfrewshire | Welsh | Shire von Renfrew : head of the current |
| Ross-shire | Gaelic | Shire of Ross: Moorland |
| Roxburghshire | Old English | Shire of Roxburgh : Fortress of the Hroc |
| Selkirkshire | Old English | Shire von Selkirk : Church near a hall |
| Shetland | Old Norse | Origin disputed but could refer to a person named Zet (Land of Zet) |
| Stirlingshire | not known | Shire of Stirling : meaning unknown |
| Sutherland | Old Norse | Southern country |
| West Lothian | Gaelic | Place of Leudonus |
| Wigtownshire | Old English | Shire of Wigtown : place of settlement |
There is another name for each of the counties listed here:
- Elginshire for Morayshire
- Forfarshire for Angus
- Haddingtonshire for East Lothian
- Zetland for Shetland
Wales
| county | Language of origin | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Anglesey | Old Norse | Ongull's Island, official Cymric name Ynys Môn |
| Brecknockshire | Welsh | Shire von Brecknock : Land of the Brychan, official Cymric name Brycheiniog |
| Caernarfonshire | Welsh | Shire of Caernarfon : Fort across from Fon ( Mon is the Welsh name for Anglesey and is changed to fon after a feminine noun preposition ) |
| Cardiganshire | Welsh | Shire of Cardigan : Land of Ceredig |
| Carmarthenshire |
Welsh / Latin |
Shire of Carmarthen : Fort at Maridunum (the Roman place name Maridunum means fort by the sea ) |
| Clwyd | Welsh | from the river of the same name (Clwyd means hurdle ) |
| Denbighshire | Welsh | Shire of Denbigh : Small Fortress |
| Dyfed | Welsh | District of the Demetae ( Demetae is of unknown origin, but describes pre-Roman inhabitants of the area) |
| Flintshire | Old English | Shire of Flint : place made of hard rocks |
| Glam organ | Welsh | Bank of the Morgan |
| Gwent | British | Trading center |
| Gwynedd | Welsh | Named after Cunedda , the founder of the Gwynedd royal dynasty |
| Merionethshire | Welsh | Shire of Merioneth: Place of Meirion |
| Monmouthshire | Old English | Shire of Monmouth : Estuary of the River Monnow ( Monnow is a British word meaning fast flowing ) |
| Montgomeryshire | French | Shire by Roger de Montgomery |
| Pembrokeshire | Welsh | Shire of Pembroke : Land at the End |
| Powys |
Latin / Welsh |
Provincial town |
| Radnorshire | Old English | Shire of Radnor : Red (river) bank |