This is a list of etymologies of former counties of the United States, including former names of current counties.
List
| County name (years established) | State | Name origin | Modern counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baine County (1866–1868) | Alabama | David W. Baine, Confederate General [1] | Etowah County |
| Baker County (1868–1874) | Alfred Baker, founder of Clanton, Alabama [2] | Chilton County | |
| Benton County (1832–1858) | Thomas Hart Benton, U.S. Senator from Missouri [3] | Calhoun County | |
| Cahawba County (1818–1820) | The Cahawba (Cahaba) River [4] | Bibb County | |
| Cotaco County (1818–1821) | Cotaco Creek, possibly derived from the Cherokee "ikati" (swamp) and "kunahita" (long) [5] [6] | Morgan County | |
| Decatur County (1821-1825) | Stephen Decatur, Naval Commodore | Madison and Jackson counties | |
| Hancock County (1850–1858) | John Hancock, Founding Father and Governor of Massachusetts [7] | Winston County | |
| Jones County (1867) | Elliot P. Jones, Alabama Legislature member [8] | Lamar County | |
| Jones County (1868) | Josiah Jones, former legislator and local political leader [8] | Covington County | |
| Sanford County (1868–1877) | Henry C. Sanford, Alabama Senate member [8] | Lamar County | |
| Chugiak–Eagle River Borough (1974–1975) | Alaska | Chugiak, Anchorage and Eagle River, Anchorage [9] | Municipality of Anchorage |
| Greater Anchorage Area Borough (1964–1975) | Anchorage [10] | Municipality of Anchorage | |
| Greater Juneau Area Borough (1963–1970) | Juneau [11] | City and Borough of Juneau | |
| Greater Sitka Borough (1963–1971) | Sitka [12] | City and Borough of Sitka | |
| Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area (1992–2007) | Angoon, Hoonah, and Skagway [13] | Municipality of Skagway and Hoonah–Angoon Census Area | |
| Skagway-Yakutat-Angoon Census Area (1980–1992) | Angoon, Skagway, and Yakutat [14] | Municipality of Skagway, City and Borough of Yakutat and Hoonah–Angoon Census Area | |
| Valdez–Cordova Census Area (1980–2019) | Cordova and Valdez [15] | Chugach Census Area and Copper River Census Area | |
| Wade Hampton Census Area (1980–2015) | Wade Hampton III, Confederate officer and South Carolina politician [16] | Kusilvak Census Area | |
| Pah-Ute County (1865–1871) | Arizona | Southern Paiute people, a Native American tribe which inhabited the area [17] | Mohave County and Clark County, Nevada |
| Clayton County (1873–1875) | Arkansas | Either John M. Clayton, Arkansas Senate member, or Powell Clayton, U.S. Senator from Arkansas [18] [19] | Clay County |
| Dorsey County (1873–1885) | Stephen Wallace Dorsey, U.S. Senator from Arkansas [20] | Cleveland County | |
| Lovely County (1827–1828) | Major William Lewis Lovely, Indian agent to the Arkansas Cherokee, who managed the transaction of the county's land [21] | Washington County and Oklahoma | |
| Miller County (1820–1838) | James Miller, Governor of Arkansas Territory [22] | Fannin County | |
| Sarber County (1871–1875) | John Sarber, Arkansas Senate member [23] | Logan County | |
| Branciforte County (1850) | California | Branciforte, a Spanish colonial settlement, itself named for the 1st Marquess of Branciforte [24] | Santa Cruz County |
| Klamath County (1851–1874) | A derivative of the Native "Athlameth" meaning people [25] | Humboldt and Siskiyou Counties | |
| Guadaloupe County (1861) | Colorado | Unknown, possibly Our Lady of Guadalupe | Conejos County |
| Greenwood County (1870–1874) | Unknown | Elbert and Bent Counties | |
| Carbonate County (1879) | Unknown | Chaffee and Lake Counties | |
| Uncompahgre County (1883) | The Uncompahgre Ute band of Ute people | Ouray County | |
| South Arapahoe County (1902–1903) | Arapahoe County, from which it was created [26] | Arapahoe County | |
| Westmoreland County (1776–1786) | Connecticut | The town of Westmoreland in the Wyoming Valley [27] | Luzerne County |
| Washington County (1791–1871) | District of Columbia | George Washington, U.S. President [28] | Washington, D.C. |
| Benton County (1844–1850) | Florida | Thomas Hart Benton, U.S. Senator from Missouri [29] | Hernando County |
| Fayette County (1832–1834) | Marquis de Lafayette, Revolutionary War general and French politician [30] | Jackson, Calhoun, and Gulf Counties | |
| Mosquito County (1824–1845) | Los Mosquitos, the Spanish name for Florida's east coast [31] | Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Seminole, Osceola, Orange, Lake, Polk and Palm Beach Counties | |
| New River County (1858–1861) | New River, a tributary of the Santa Fe River [32] | Bradford County | |
| Bourbon County (1785–1788) | Georgia | House of Bourbon, the European dynasty [33] | |
| Campbell County (1828–1931) | Duncan G. Campbell, legislator and U.S. commissioner [34] | Douglas, Milton and Fulton Counties | |
| Cass County (1832–1861) | Lewis Cass, Secretary of War [35] | Bartow County | |
| Kinchafoonee County (1853–1856) | Kinchafoonee Creek, Creek for "mortar nutshells", a type of nutcracker [36] | Webster County | |
| Milton County (1857–1931) | John Milton, Continental Army lieutenant and Georgia Secretary of State [37] | Fulton County | |
| Walton County (1803–1818) | George Walton, U.S. Senator from Georgia [38] | Buncombe County | |
| Alturas County (1864–1895) | Idaho | Spanish for "mountainous heights" [39] | Blaine and Lincoln Counties |
| Lah-Toh County (1864–1867) | Latah Creek, Nez Perce for "the place of pine trees and pestle" [40] | Kootenai, Latah and Nez Perce Counties | |
| Logan County (1889–1895) | Unknown | Lincoln County | |
| Richardville County (1844) | Indiana | Jean Baptiste Richardville, civil chief of the Miami people [41] | Howard County |
| Slaughter County (1838–1839) | Iowa | William B. Slaughter, secretary of Wisconsin Territory [42] | Washington County |
| Bancroft County (1851–1857) | George Bancroft, Secretary of the Navy [43] | Kossuth County | |
| Crocker County (1871–1872) | Marcellus M. Crocker, Union Army Brigadier general [44] | Kossuth County | |
| Wahkaw County (1851–1853) | Sioux for "big medicine" [45] | Woodbury County | |
| Billings County (1873–1874) | Kansas | Either as a joke or for N. H. Billings, county attorney [46] | Norton County |
| Breckinridge County (1873–1881) | John C. Breckinridge, Kentucky politician and U.S. Vice President [47] | Lyon County | |
| Buffalo County (1873–1881) | American bison, which were common in the area [48] | Gray and Finney Counties | |
| Davis County (1855–1889) | Jefferson Davis, then- Secretary of War [49] | Geary County | |
| Foote County (1873–1881) | Most likely Andrew Hull Foote, Union Naval officer [50] | Gray County | |
| Garfield County (1887–1893) | James A. Garfield, U.S. President [51] | Finney County | |
| Godfrey County (1855–1861) | Either Bill Godfrey, trader among the Osage Nation, or Gabriel Godfrey, subagent to the Potawatomi [52] | Chautauqua and Elk Counties | |
| Howard County (1867–1875) | Oliver Otis Howard, Union Army general [53] | Chautauqua and Elk Counties | |
| Hunter County (1855–1864) | Most likely Robert M. T. Hunter, Virginia politician [54] | Butler, Cowley, Sedgwick, Sumner, Elk, Chautauqua, and Greenwood Counties | |
| Irving County (1860–1864) | Washington Irving, author [55] | Butler County | |
| Kansas County (1873–1883) | The Kaw (Kansas) tribe [56] | Seward County | |
| Madison County (1855–1861) | Most likely James Madison, U.S. President [57] | Lyon and Greenwood Counties | |
| Otoe County (1860–1864) | Otoe, a Native American people [58] | Butler County | |
| Peketon County (1859–1861) | Unknown, possibly a Sauk word for "flat land" [59] | Most of south west Kansas | |
| Sequoyah County (1873–1883) | Sequoyah, creator of the Cherokee syllabary [60] | Finney County | |
| Seward County (1861–1867) | Most likely William H. Seward, U.S. Secretary of State [61] | Chautauqua, Elk, and Greenwood Counties | |
| Shirley County (1860–1867) | Either William Shirley, colonial governor of Massachusetts, or Jane Shirley, a "lady of questionable character" [62] | Cloud County | |
| Washington County (1855–1857) | George Washington, U.S. President [63] | Most of south west Kansas | |
| Beckham County (1904) | Kentucky | J. C. W. Beckham, Governor of Kentucky [64] | Carter County |
| Biloxi Parish (1811-1812) | Louisiana | Unknown | Coastal Mississippi |
| Carroll Parish (1838–1877) | Charles Carroll of Carrollton, U.S. Senator from Maryland [65] | East Carroll and West Carroll Parishes | |
| Feliciana Parish (1810–1824) | Marie Felicité, wife of Viceroy of New Spain Bernardo de Gálvez [66] | East Feliciana and West Feliciana Parishes | |
| Pascagoula Parish (1811–1812) | Unknown | Coastal Mississippi | |
| Warren Parish (1811–1814) | Unknown | Ouachita and Concordia Parishes | |
| Isle Royale County (1875–1897) | Michigan | Isle Royale, an island in Lake Superior | Keweenaw County |
| Manitou County (1855–1895) | North and South Manitou Islands, in Lake Michigan | Leelanau County | |
| Michilimackinac County (1818–1849) | Mi-shi-ne-macki-nong, the Ojibwe name for Mackinac Island, derived from the Mi-shi-ne-macki naw-go tribe [67] | Mackinac County | |
| Tonedagana County (1840-1843) | Derived from a Odawa war chief from the Cross Village area [68] | Emmet County | |
| Manomin County (1857–1858) | Minnesota | A variant spelling of "manoomin", the Ojibwe term for wild rice [69] | Anoka County |
| Monongalia County (1861-1870) | Unknown | Kandiyohi County | |
| Pearl County (1872–1878) | Mississippi | Pearl River, a river in the area | Pearl River County |
| Allen County (1843–1845) | Missouri | Unknown | Atchison County |
| Ashley County (1843–1845) | William Henry Ashley, Lieutenant Governor of Missouri [70] | Texas County | |
| Decatur County (1843–1845) | Stephen Decatur, Naval Commodore [71] | Ozark County | |
| Dodge County (1849–1853) | Unknown [72] | Putnam County | |
| Kinderhook County (1841–1843) | Kinderhook, New York, birthplace of Martin Van Buren [71] | Camden County | |
| Lillard County (1821–1825) | James Lillard, constitutional convention and Missouri General Assembly member [71] | Camden County | |
| Niangua County (1842–1844) | Niangua River, from the Native American "nehemgar", meaning "a river of numerous springs or sources" [73] | Dallas County | |
| Rives County (1834–1841) | William Cabell Rives, Senator from Virginia [73] | Henry County | |
| Edgerton County (1865–1867) | Montana | Sidney Edgerton, Governor of Montana Territory [74] | Lewis and Clark County |
| Bullfrog County (1987–1989) | Nevada | Bullfrog Mining District, itself named for the gold ore there being colored like a bullfrog [75] | Nye County |
| Lake County (1861–1862) | A number of lakes in the area, such as Honey Lake, Pyramid Lake, and Winnemucca Lake [76] | Lassen County and Washoe County | |
| Ormsby County (1861–1969) | Major William Ormsby, early settler of Carson City and militia leader during the Pyramid Lake War [77] | Consolidated Municipality of Carson City | |
| Roop County (1862–1864) | Isaac Roop, governor of Nevada Territory [76] | Lassen County and Washoe County | |
| Santa Ana County (1852–1876) | New Mexico | Unknown | Bernalillo and McKinley Counties |
| Charlotte County (1772–1784) | New York | Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of George III of the United Kingdom [78] | Washington County |
| Tryon County (1772–1784) | William Tryon, colonial governor of New York [79] | Montgomery County | |
| Glasgow County (1791–1799) | North Carolina | James Glasgow, North Carolina Secretary of State [80] | Greene County |
| Wallace County (1883–1896) | North Dakota | Unknown | McKenzie County |
| County E (1891–1892) | Oklahoma | Temporary name given by an Act of Congress [81] | Ellis, Roger Mills and Woodward Counties |
| Day County (1892–1907) | Charles Day, a contractor who built the courthouse at Ioland [82] | Ellis, Roger Mills and Woodward Counties | |
| Swanson County (1910–1911) | Claude A. Swanson, Governor of Virginia [83] | Comanche County | |
| Umpqua County (1851–1862) | Oregon | The Umpqua River, a river in the area [84] | Douglas and Coos Counties |
| Ontario County (1810–1812) | Pennsylvania | Unknown | Bradford County |
| Claremont County (1785–1800) | South Carolina | Unknown [85] | Sumter County |
| Granville County (1785–1798) | John Granville, Earl of Bath, British landowner [86] | Beaufort and Colleton Counties | |
| Lewisburg County (1785–1791) | Unknown | Orangeburg County | |
| Liberty County (1785–1798) | The freedom gained due to the American Revolution [87] | Marion County | |
| Orange County (1785–1791) | William of Orange, King of England [88] | Orangeburg County | |
| Salem County (1791–1800) | Unknown, probably after Salem Black River Presbyterian Church [89] | Sumter County | |
| Winton County (1785–1800) | Unknown | Barnwell County | |
| Winyah County (1785–1800) | Winyah Bay, an estuary in the area [90] | Georgetown County | |
| Armstrong County (1895–1953) | South Dakota | Moses K. Armstrong, delegate to the House of Representatives for Dakota at-large [91] | Dewey, Stanley, and Ziebach Counties |
| Lugenbeel County (1889–1909) | Pinkney Lugenbeel, United States Army officer [92] | Bennett and Todd Counties | |
| Pyatt County (1883–1895) | Unknown | Dewey, Stanley, and Ziebach Counties | |
| Shannon County (1875–2015) | Peter C. Shannon, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Dakota Territory [93] | Oglala Lakota County | |
| Washabaugh County (1883–1983) | Frank J. Washabaugh, member of the Dakota Territorial Council [94] | Jackson County | |
| Washington County (1883–1943) | George Washington, U.S. President [94] | Jackson, Pennington and Shannon Counties | |
| James County (1871–1919) | Tennessee | Rev. Jesse J. James, father of Elbert Abdiel James, who introduced legislation to form the county [95] | Hamilton County |
| Buchanan County (1858–1861) | Texas | James Buchanan, U.S. President [96] | Stephens County |
| Buchel County (1887–1897) | Augustus Buchel, Confederate colonel [97] | Brewster County | |
| Dawson County (1858–1866) | Nicholas Mosby Dawson, Republic of Texas military leader and commander in the Dawson massacre [98] | Uvalde and Kinney Counties | |
| Davis County (1861–1871) | Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America [99] | Cass County | |
| Encinal County (1856–1899) | Unknown | Webb County | |
| Foley County (1887–1897) | Unknown | Brewster County | |
| Harrisburg County (1836–1839) | Harrisburg, Houston, itself named after Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and its founder, John Richardson Harris [100] | Harris County | |
| Navasota County (1841–1842) | Unknown | Brazos County | |
| Wegefarth County (1873–1876) | Conrad Wegefarth, president of the Texas Immigrant Aid and Supply Company [101] | Collingsworth, Donley, Briscoe, Childress, Gray, Hall, and Wheeler Counties | |
| Cedar County (1856–1862) | Utah | Cedar trees growing in the area (which are actually juniper trees) [102] [103] | Utah County |
| Desert County (1852–1862) | The surrounding desert | Box Elder and Tooele Counties | |
| Greasewood County (1856–1862) | Sarcobatus (greasewood) plant, which grew in the area [104] | Box Elder County | |
| Green River County (1852–1872) | The Green River, a Colorado River tributary [105] | Cache, Weber, Morgan, Davis, Wasatch, Summit, Duchesne, Carbon, and Utah Counties | |
| Malad County (1856–1862) | The Malad River, from the French "malade" meaning sick [106] | Box Elder County | |
| Rio Virgen County (1869–1872) | The Virgin River, a Colorado River tributary [107] | Washington County | |
| Shambip County (1856–1862) | Unknown, possibly the Goshute word for the bulrush plant [108] | Tooele County | |
| Elizabeth City County (1634–1952) | Virginia | Elizabeth Stuart, Queen consort of Bohemia [109] | City of Hampton |
| Fincastle County (1772–1776) | Either Viscount of Fincastle, Scottish Peer, Earl of Dunmore, governor of Virginia, or Fincastle, Virginia [110] | Montgomery and Washington Counties | |
| Illinois County (1778–1784) | The Algonquian word "ilinouek", meaning "ordinary speaker" [111] | Ohio and Illinois | |
| Kentucky County (1778–1784) | The Iroquois word "ken-tah-ten", meaning either "land of tomorrow", "meadow", "prairie", or "the river of blood" [112] | Kentucky | |
| Nansemond County (1646–1972) | The Nansemond indigenous people [113] | City of Suffolk | |
| City of Nansemond (1972–1974) | |||
| Norfolk County (1691–1963) | Most likely Norfolk, home county of Captain Adam Thoroughgood [114] | City of Chesapeake | |
| Princess Anne County (1691–1963) | Queen Anne, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland [115] | City of Virginia Beach | |
| Warwick County (1634–1952) | Either Robert Rich, Earl of Warwick, or Warwick, a town in the UK [116] | City of Newport News | |
| City of Warwick (1952–1958) | |||
| Yohogania County (1776–1779) | The Youghiogheny River, a tributary of the Monongahela River | Westmoreland County | |
| Chehalis County (1854–1915) | Washington | The Chehalis people, meaning "sand" or "inlanders" [117] | Grays Harbor County |
| Quillehuyte County (1868–1869) | Most likely the Quileute natives | Clallam and Jefferson Counties | |
| Sawamish County (1868–1869) | The Sahewamish natives [118] | Mason County | |
| Slaughter County (1857) | Lieutenant William A. Slaughter, who had been killed at White River a year prior [119] | Kitsap County | |
| La Pointe County (1845–1866) | Wisconsin | La Pointe, Wisconsin | Itasca, Washington, Ramsey, Benton, Douglas, Ashland, and Bayfield Counties |
| Carter County (1867–1869) | Wyoming | William Alexander Carter, a sutler from Fort Bridger, Wyoming [120] | Sweetwater County |
| Pease County (1875–1879) | E. L. Pease, President of the Territorial Legislative Council [121] | Johnson County |
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- ^ "Orange County, South Carolina". Carolana. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ "Salem County, South Carolina". Carolana. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
- ^ "Winyah County, South Carolina". Carolana. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ Federal Writers' Project (1940, p. 5)
-
^ Robinson, Doane (1925).
Doane Robinson's Encyclopedia of South Dakota. Pierre. p. 499. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
{{ cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( link) - ^ Ban, Charlie. "Shannon County, S.D. to be renamed Oglala Lakota County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ a b Federal Writers' Project (1940, p. 19)
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 168.
- ^ "Buchanan County". Texas State Historical Society. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Buchel, Augustus Carl". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Dawson County (Defunct)". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Davis County". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Harrisburg County". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
- ^ "Wegefarth County". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ Van Cott (1990, p. 72)
- ^ "Cedar City lacks namesake trees". The Spectrum. Cedar City. April 14, 2010. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- ^ Van Cott (1990, p. 165)
- ^ Van Cott (1990, p. 167)
- ^ Van Cott (1990, p. 242)
- ^ Van Cott (1990, p. 317)
- ^ "TUILLA? SHAMBIP? UTAH COUNTIES HAVE COLORFUL HISTORY NOT UNTIL 1879 DID INTRA-STATE BOUNDARIES BEGIN TO RESEMBLE THOSE ON CURRENT MAPS". Deseret News. 27 July 1989.
- ^ "Elizabeth City County". Virginia Places. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ "Fincastle County". Library of Virginia. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ "Illinois". Online Etymological Dictionary. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ Harrington, John. "How each state got its name". USA Today. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ "Nansemond County". Library of Virginia. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ "Norfolk County". Library of Virginia. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ "Princess Anne County". Virginia Places. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ "Warwick County". Library of Virginia. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 77.
- ^ Wilma, David. "Mason County – Thumbnail History". History Link. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ Wilma, David. "Slaughter County is renamed Kitsap County on July 13, 1857". History Link. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ Gardner, Dudley. "Sweetwater County, Wyoming". WyoHistory. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Pease County". Wyoming Places. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
Bibliography
- Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins. Macon, Georgia: Winship Press. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
- Stevens, Walter Barlow (1921). Centennial History of Missouri (The Center State): One Hundred Years in the Union, 1820-1921. American guide series. Chicago, Illinois: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company.
- Federal Writers' Project (1940). South Dakota Place-Names. American guide series. Vermillion, South Dakota: University of South Dakota. OCLC 34885177.
- Van Cott, John W. (1990). Utah Place Names. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. ISBN 978-0-87480-345-7.
| General |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Demographics | ||
| Economy | ||
| Geography | ||
| Name origins | ||
| See also | ||
This is a list of etymologies of former counties of the United States, including former names of current counties.
List
| County name (years established) | State | Name origin | Modern counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baine County (1866–1868) | Alabama | David W. Baine, Confederate General [1] | Etowah County |
| Baker County (1868–1874) | Alfred Baker, founder of Clanton, Alabama [2] | Chilton County | |
| Benton County (1832–1858) | Thomas Hart Benton, U.S. Senator from Missouri [3] | Calhoun County | |
| Cahawba County (1818–1820) | The Cahawba (Cahaba) River [4] | Bibb County | |
| Cotaco County (1818–1821) | Cotaco Creek, possibly derived from the Cherokee "ikati" (swamp) and "kunahita" (long) [5] [6] | Morgan County | |
| Decatur County (1821-1825) | Stephen Decatur, Naval Commodore | Madison and Jackson counties | |
| Hancock County (1850–1858) | John Hancock, Founding Father and Governor of Massachusetts [7] | Winston County | |
| Jones County (1867) | Elliot P. Jones, Alabama Legislature member [8] | Lamar County | |
| Jones County (1868) | Josiah Jones, former legislator and local political leader [8] | Covington County | |
| Sanford County (1868–1877) | Henry C. Sanford, Alabama Senate member [8] | Lamar County | |
| Chugiak–Eagle River Borough (1974–1975) | Alaska | Chugiak, Anchorage and Eagle River, Anchorage [9] | Municipality of Anchorage |
| Greater Anchorage Area Borough (1964–1975) | Anchorage [10] | Municipality of Anchorage | |
| Greater Juneau Area Borough (1963–1970) | Juneau [11] | City and Borough of Juneau | |
| Greater Sitka Borough (1963–1971) | Sitka [12] | City and Borough of Sitka | |
| Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area (1992–2007) | Angoon, Hoonah, and Skagway [13] | Municipality of Skagway and Hoonah–Angoon Census Area | |
| Skagway-Yakutat-Angoon Census Area (1980–1992) | Angoon, Skagway, and Yakutat [14] | Municipality of Skagway, City and Borough of Yakutat and Hoonah–Angoon Census Area | |
| Valdez–Cordova Census Area (1980–2019) | Cordova and Valdez [15] | Chugach Census Area and Copper River Census Area | |
| Wade Hampton Census Area (1980–2015) | Wade Hampton III, Confederate officer and South Carolina politician [16] | Kusilvak Census Area | |
| Pah-Ute County (1865–1871) | Arizona | Southern Paiute people, a Native American tribe which inhabited the area [17] | Mohave County and Clark County, Nevada |
| Clayton County (1873–1875) | Arkansas | Either John M. Clayton, Arkansas Senate member, or Powell Clayton, U.S. Senator from Arkansas [18] [19] | Clay County |
| Dorsey County (1873–1885) | Stephen Wallace Dorsey, U.S. Senator from Arkansas [20] | Cleveland County | |
| Lovely County (1827–1828) | Major William Lewis Lovely, Indian agent to the Arkansas Cherokee, who managed the transaction of the county's land [21] | Washington County and Oklahoma | |
| Miller County (1820–1838) | James Miller, Governor of Arkansas Territory [22] | Fannin County | |
| Sarber County (1871–1875) | John Sarber, Arkansas Senate member [23] | Logan County | |
| Branciforte County (1850) | California | Branciforte, a Spanish colonial settlement, itself named for the 1st Marquess of Branciforte [24] | Santa Cruz County |
| Klamath County (1851–1874) | A derivative of the Native "Athlameth" meaning people [25] | Humboldt and Siskiyou Counties | |
| Guadaloupe County (1861) | Colorado | Unknown, possibly Our Lady of Guadalupe | Conejos County |
| Greenwood County (1870–1874) | Unknown | Elbert and Bent Counties | |
| Carbonate County (1879) | Unknown | Chaffee and Lake Counties | |
| Uncompahgre County (1883) | The Uncompahgre Ute band of Ute people | Ouray County | |
| South Arapahoe County (1902–1903) | Arapahoe County, from which it was created [26] | Arapahoe County | |
| Westmoreland County (1776–1786) | Connecticut | The town of Westmoreland in the Wyoming Valley [27] | Luzerne County |
| Washington County (1791–1871) | District of Columbia | George Washington, U.S. President [28] | Washington, D.C. |
| Benton County (1844–1850) | Florida | Thomas Hart Benton, U.S. Senator from Missouri [29] | Hernando County |
| Fayette County (1832–1834) | Marquis de Lafayette, Revolutionary War general and French politician [30] | Jackson, Calhoun, and Gulf Counties | |
| Mosquito County (1824–1845) | Los Mosquitos, the Spanish name for Florida's east coast [31] | Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Seminole, Osceola, Orange, Lake, Polk and Palm Beach Counties | |
| New River County (1858–1861) | New River, a tributary of the Santa Fe River [32] | Bradford County | |
| Bourbon County (1785–1788) | Georgia | House of Bourbon, the European dynasty [33] | |
| Campbell County (1828–1931) | Duncan G. Campbell, legislator and U.S. commissioner [34] | Douglas, Milton and Fulton Counties | |
| Cass County (1832–1861) | Lewis Cass, Secretary of War [35] | Bartow County | |
| Kinchafoonee County (1853–1856) | Kinchafoonee Creek, Creek for "mortar nutshells", a type of nutcracker [36] | Webster County | |
| Milton County (1857–1931) | John Milton, Continental Army lieutenant and Georgia Secretary of State [37] | Fulton County | |
| Walton County (1803–1818) | George Walton, U.S. Senator from Georgia [38] | Buncombe County | |
| Alturas County (1864–1895) | Idaho | Spanish for "mountainous heights" [39] | Blaine and Lincoln Counties |
| Lah-Toh County (1864–1867) | Latah Creek, Nez Perce for "the place of pine trees and pestle" [40] | Kootenai, Latah and Nez Perce Counties | |
| Logan County (1889–1895) | Unknown | Lincoln County | |
| Richardville County (1844) | Indiana | Jean Baptiste Richardville, civil chief of the Miami people [41] | Howard County |
| Slaughter County (1838–1839) | Iowa | William B. Slaughter, secretary of Wisconsin Territory [42] | Washington County |
| Bancroft County (1851–1857) | George Bancroft, Secretary of the Navy [43] | Kossuth County | |
| Crocker County (1871–1872) | Marcellus M. Crocker, Union Army Brigadier general [44] | Kossuth County | |
| Wahkaw County (1851–1853) | Sioux for "big medicine" [45] | Woodbury County | |
| Billings County (1873–1874) | Kansas | Either as a joke or for N. H. Billings, county attorney [46] | Norton County |
| Breckinridge County (1873–1881) | John C. Breckinridge, Kentucky politician and U.S. Vice President [47] | Lyon County | |
| Buffalo County (1873–1881) | American bison, which were common in the area [48] | Gray and Finney Counties | |
| Davis County (1855–1889) | Jefferson Davis, then- Secretary of War [49] | Geary County | |
| Foote County (1873–1881) | Most likely Andrew Hull Foote, Union Naval officer [50] | Gray County | |
| Garfield County (1887–1893) | James A. Garfield, U.S. President [51] | Finney County | |
| Godfrey County (1855–1861) | Either Bill Godfrey, trader among the Osage Nation, or Gabriel Godfrey, subagent to the Potawatomi [52] | Chautauqua and Elk Counties | |
| Howard County (1867–1875) | Oliver Otis Howard, Union Army general [53] | Chautauqua and Elk Counties | |
| Hunter County (1855–1864) | Most likely Robert M. T. Hunter, Virginia politician [54] | Butler, Cowley, Sedgwick, Sumner, Elk, Chautauqua, and Greenwood Counties | |
| Irving County (1860–1864) | Washington Irving, author [55] | Butler County | |
| Kansas County (1873–1883) | The Kaw (Kansas) tribe [56] | Seward County | |
| Madison County (1855–1861) | Most likely James Madison, U.S. President [57] | Lyon and Greenwood Counties | |
| Otoe County (1860–1864) | Otoe, a Native American people [58] | Butler County | |
| Peketon County (1859–1861) | Unknown, possibly a Sauk word for "flat land" [59] | Most of south west Kansas | |
| Sequoyah County (1873–1883) | Sequoyah, creator of the Cherokee syllabary [60] | Finney County | |
| Seward County (1861–1867) | Most likely William H. Seward, U.S. Secretary of State [61] | Chautauqua, Elk, and Greenwood Counties | |
| Shirley County (1860–1867) | Either William Shirley, colonial governor of Massachusetts, or Jane Shirley, a "lady of questionable character" [62] | Cloud County | |
| Washington County (1855–1857) | George Washington, U.S. President [63] | Most of south west Kansas | |
| Beckham County (1904) | Kentucky | J. C. W. Beckham, Governor of Kentucky [64] | Carter County |
| Biloxi Parish (1811-1812) | Louisiana | Unknown | Coastal Mississippi |
| Carroll Parish (1838–1877) | Charles Carroll of Carrollton, U.S. Senator from Maryland [65] | East Carroll and West Carroll Parishes | |
| Feliciana Parish (1810–1824) | Marie Felicité, wife of Viceroy of New Spain Bernardo de Gálvez [66] | East Feliciana and West Feliciana Parishes | |
| Pascagoula Parish (1811–1812) | Unknown | Coastal Mississippi | |
| Warren Parish (1811–1814) | Unknown | Ouachita and Concordia Parishes | |
| Isle Royale County (1875–1897) | Michigan | Isle Royale, an island in Lake Superior | Keweenaw County |
| Manitou County (1855–1895) | North and South Manitou Islands, in Lake Michigan | Leelanau County | |
| Michilimackinac County (1818–1849) | Mi-shi-ne-macki-nong, the Ojibwe name for Mackinac Island, derived from the Mi-shi-ne-macki naw-go tribe [67] | Mackinac County | |
| Tonedagana County (1840-1843) | Derived from a Odawa war chief from the Cross Village area [68] | Emmet County | |
| Manomin County (1857–1858) | Minnesota | A variant spelling of "manoomin", the Ojibwe term for wild rice [69] | Anoka County |
| Monongalia County (1861-1870) | Unknown | Kandiyohi County | |
| Pearl County (1872–1878) | Mississippi | Pearl River, a river in the area | Pearl River County |
| Allen County (1843–1845) | Missouri | Unknown | Atchison County |
| Ashley County (1843–1845) | William Henry Ashley, Lieutenant Governor of Missouri [70] | Texas County | |
| Decatur County (1843–1845) | Stephen Decatur, Naval Commodore [71] | Ozark County | |
| Dodge County (1849–1853) | Unknown [72] | Putnam County | |
| Kinderhook County (1841–1843) | Kinderhook, New York, birthplace of Martin Van Buren [71] | Camden County | |
| Lillard County (1821–1825) | James Lillard, constitutional convention and Missouri General Assembly member [71] | Camden County | |
| Niangua County (1842–1844) | Niangua River, from the Native American "nehemgar", meaning "a river of numerous springs or sources" [73] | Dallas County | |
| Rives County (1834–1841) | William Cabell Rives, Senator from Virginia [73] | Henry County | |
| Edgerton County (1865–1867) | Montana | Sidney Edgerton, Governor of Montana Territory [74] | Lewis and Clark County |
| Bullfrog County (1987–1989) | Nevada | Bullfrog Mining District, itself named for the gold ore there being colored like a bullfrog [75] | Nye County |
| Lake County (1861–1862) | A number of lakes in the area, such as Honey Lake, Pyramid Lake, and Winnemucca Lake [76] | Lassen County and Washoe County | |
| Ormsby County (1861–1969) | Major William Ormsby, early settler of Carson City and militia leader during the Pyramid Lake War [77] | Consolidated Municipality of Carson City | |
| Roop County (1862–1864) | Isaac Roop, governor of Nevada Territory [76] | Lassen County and Washoe County | |
| Santa Ana County (1852–1876) | New Mexico | Unknown | Bernalillo and McKinley Counties |
| Charlotte County (1772–1784) | New York | Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of George III of the United Kingdom [78] | Washington County |
| Tryon County (1772–1784) | William Tryon, colonial governor of New York [79] | Montgomery County | |
| Glasgow County (1791–1799) | North Carolina | James Glasgow, North Carolina Secretary of State [80] | Greene County |
| Wallace County (1883–1896) | North Dakota | Unknown | McKenzie County |
| County E (1891–1892) | Oklahoma | Temporary name given by an Act of Congress [81] | Ellis, Roger Mills and Woodward Counties |
| Day County (1892–1907) | Charles Day, a contractor who built the courthouse at Ioland [82] | Ellis, Roger Mills and Woodward Counties | |
| Swanson County (1910–1911) | Claude A. Swanson, Governor of Virginia [83] | Comanche County | |
| Umpqua County (1851–1862) | Oregon | The Umpqua River, a river in the area [84] | Douglas and Coos Counties |
| Ontario County (1810–1812) | Pennsylvania | Unknown | Bradford County |
| Claremont County (1785–1800) | South Carolina | Unknown [85] | Sumter County |
| Granville County (1785–1798) | John Granville, Earl of Bath, British landowner [86] | Beaufort and Colleton Counties | |
| Lewisburg County (1785–1791) | Unknown | Orangeburg County | |
| Liberty County (1785–1798) | The freedom gained due to the American Revolution [87] | Marion County | |
| Orange County (1785–1791) | William of Orange, King of England [88] | Orangeburg County | |
| Salem County (1791–1800) | Unknown, probably after Salem Black River Presbyterian Church [89] | Sumter County | |
| Winton County (1785–1800) | Unknown | Barnwell County | |
| Winyah County (1785–1800) | Winyah Bay, an estuary in the area [90] | Georgetown County | |
| Armstrong County (1895–1953) | South Dakota | Moses K. Armstrong, delegate to the House of Representatives for Dakota at-large [91] | Dewey, Stanley, and Ziebach Counties |
| Lugenbeel County (1889–1909) | Pinkney Lugenbeel, United States Army officer [92] | Bennett and Todd Counties | |
| Pyatt County (1883–1895) | Unknown | Dewey, Stanley, and Ziebach Counties | |
| Shannon County (1875–2015) | Peter C. Shannon, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Dakota Territory [93] | Oglala Lakota County | |
| Washabaugh County (1883–1983) | Frank J. Washabaugh, member of the Dakota Territorial Council [94] | Jackson County | |
| Washington County (1883–1943) | George Washington, U.S. President [94] | Jackson, Pennington and Shannon Counties | |
| James County (1871–1919) | Tennessee | Rev. Jesse J. James, father of Elbert Abdiel James, who introduced legislation to form the county [95] | Hamilton County |
| Buchanan County (1858–1861) | Texas | James Buchanan, U.S. President [96] | Stephens County |
| Buchel County (1887–1897) | Augustus Buchel, Confederate colonel [97] | Brewster County | |
| Dawson County (1858–1866) | Nicholas Mosby Dawson, Republic of Texas military leader and commander in the Dawson massacre [98] | Uvalde and Kinney Counties | |
| Davis County (1861–1871) | Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America [99] | Cass County | |
| Encinal County (1856–1899) | Unknown | Webb County | |
| Foley County (1887–1897) | Unknown | Brewster County | |
| Harrisburg County (1836–1839) | Harrisburg, Houston, itself named after Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and its founder, John Richardson Harris [100] | Harris County | |
| Navasota County (1841–1842) | Unknown | Brazos County | |
| Wegefarth County (1873–1876) | Conrad Wegefarth, president of the Texas Immigrant Aid and Supply Company [101] | Collingsworth, Donley, Briscoe, Childress, Gray, Hall, and Wheeler Counties | |
| Cedar County (1856–1862) | Utah | Cedar trees growing in the area (which are actually juniper trees) [102] [103] | Utah County |
| Desert County (1852–1862) | The surrounding desert | Box Elder and Tooele Counties | |
| Greasewood County (1856–1862) | Sarcobatus (greasewood) plant, which grew in the area [104] | Box Elder County | |
| Green River County (1852–1872) | The Green River, a Colorado River tributary [105] | Cache, Weber, Morgan, Davis, Wasatch, Summit, Duchesne, Carbon, and Utah Counties | |
| Malad County (1856–1862) | The Malad River, from the French "malade" meaning sick [106] | Box Elder County | |
| Rio Virgen County (1869–1872) | The Virgin River, a Colorado River tributary [107] | Washington County | |
| Shambip County (1856–1862) | Unknown, possibly the Goshute word for the bulrush plant [108] | Tooele County | |
| Elizabeth City County (1634–1952) | Virginia | Elizabeth Stuart, Queen consort of Bohemia [109] | City of Hampton |
| Fincastle County (1772–1776) | Either Viscount of Fincastle, Scottish Peer, Earl of Dunmore, governor of Virginia, or Fincastle, Virginia [110] | Montgomery and Washington Counties | |
| Illinois County (1778–1784) | The Algonquian word "ilinouek", meaning "ordinary speaker" [111] | Ohio and Illinois | |
| Kentucky County (1778–1784) | The Iroquois word "ken-tah-ten", meaning either "land of tomorrow", "meadow", "prairie", or "the river of blood" [112] | Kentucky | |
| Nansemond County (1646–1972) | The Nansemond indigenous people [113] | City of Suffolk | |
| City of Nansemond (1972–1974) | |||
| Norfolk County (1691–1963) | Most likely Norfolk, home county of Captain Adam Thoroughgood [114] | City of Chesapeake | |
| Princess Anne County (1691–1963) | Queen Anne, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland [115] | City of Virginia Beach | |
| Warwick County (1634–1952) | Either Robert Rich, Earl of Warwick, or Warwick, a town in the UK [116] | City of Newport News | |
| City of Warwick (1952–1958) | |||
| Yohogania County (1776–1779) | The Youghiogheny River, a tributary of the Monongahela River | Westmoreland County | |
| Chehalis County (1854–1915) | Washington | The Chehalis people, meaning "sand" or "inlanders" [117] | Grays Harbor County |
| Quillehuyte County (1868–1869) | Most likely the Quileute natives | Clallam and Jefferson Counties | |
| Sawamish County (1868–1869) | The Sahewamish natives [118] | Mason County | |
| Slaughter County (1857) | Lieutenant William A. Slaughter, who had been killed at White River a year prior [119] | Kitsap County | |
| La Pointe County (1845–1866) | Wisconsin | La Pointe, Wisconsin | Itasca, Washington, Ramsey, Benton, Douglas, Ashland, and Bayfield Counties |
| Carter County (1867–1869) | Wyoming | William Alexander Carter, a sutler from Fort Bridger, Wyoming [120] | Sweetwater County |
| Pease County (1875–1879) | E. L. Pease, President of the Territorial Legislative Council [121] | Johnson County |
References
- ^ "County History". Etowah County. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Morton, Patricia Hoskins. "Chilton County". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Morton, Patricia Hoskins. "Calhoun County". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Morton, Patricia Hoskins. "Bibb County". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Siebenthaler, Donna J. "Morgan County". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
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- ^ Siebenthaler, Donna J. "Winston County". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ a b c Rumore, Samuel A. (29 January 2012). "LAMAR COUNTY ALABAMA HISTORY". West Alabama History. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Jordan, Lee. "Community Enjoyed Brief Independence". Echo Magazine. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "Community Database Online, Anchorage". Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Miller, Marian (9 June 1997). "An Outline History of Juneau Municipal Government". City and Borough of Juneau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2006. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
- ^ "Certificate of Organization of the Unified Home Rule Municipality of the City and Borough of Sitka" (PDF). Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, Division of Community and Regional Affairs. 1990-06-18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-15. Retrieved 2012-05-08.
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- ^ "Godfrey County, Kansas". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ "Howard County, Kansas". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ "Hunter County, Kansas". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ "Irving County, Kansas". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ "Kansas County, Kansas". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ "Madison County, Kansas". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
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- ^ "Peketon County, Kansas". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ "Sequoyah County, Kansas". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ "Seward County, Kansas". Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
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- ^ Kleber, John E. (17 October 2014). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 65–66. ISBN 978-0-8131-5901-0. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 112.
- ^ "History of East Feliciana Parish". Archived from the original on 2016-10-12. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
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a
b
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"Disappearing Missouri Names". The Kansas City Star. March 19, 1911. p. 15. Retrieved August 15, 2014 – via
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- ^ a b Stevens (1921, p. 73)
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- ^ a b "County History". Nevada Association of Counties. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ "Carson City Essay—Three Historic Nevada Cities: Carson City, Reno and Virginia City—A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary". National Park Service. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
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- ^ Federal Writers' Project (1940, p. 5)
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^ Robinson, Doane (1925).
Doane Robinson's Encyclopedia of South Dakota. Pierre. p. 499. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
{{ cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ( link) - ^ Ban, Charlie. "Shannon County, S.D. to be renamed Oglala Lakota County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ a b Federal Writers' Project (1940, p. 19)
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 168.
- ^ "Buchanan County". Texas State Historical Society. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Buchel, Augustus Carl". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
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- ^ "Davis County". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Harrisburg County". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
- ^ "Wegefarth County". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ Van Cott (1990, p. 72)
- ^ "Cedar City lacks namesake trees". The Spectrum. Cedar City. April 14, 2010. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
- ^ Van Cott (1990, p. 165)
- ^ Van Cott (1990, p. 167)
- ^ Van Cott (1990, p. 242)
- ^ Van Cott (1990, p. 317)
- ^ "TUILLA? SHAMBIP? UTAH COUNTIES HAVE COLORFUL HISTORY NOT UNTIL 1879 DID INTRA-STATE BOUNDARIES BEGIN TO RESEMBLE THOSE ON CURRENT MAPS". Deseret News. 27 July 1989.
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- ^ Harrington, John. "How each state got its name". USA Today. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
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- ^ "Warwick County". Library of Virginia. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 77.
- ^ Wilma, David. "Mason County – Thumbnail History". History Link. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ Wilma, David. "Slaughter County is renamed Kitsap County on July 13, 1857". History Link. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ Gardner, Dudley. "Sweetwater County, Wyoming". WyoHistory. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
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Bibliography
- Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins. Macon, Georgia: Winship Press. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
- Stevens, Walter Barlow (1921). Centennial History of Missouri (The Center State): One Hundred Years in the Union, 1820-1921. American guide series. Chicago, Illinois: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company.
- Federal Writers' Project (1940). South Dakota Place-Names. American guide series. Vermillion, South Dakota: University of South Dakota. OCLC 34885177.
- Van Cott, John W. (1990). Utah Place Names. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. ISBN 978-0-87480-345-7.
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| Demographics | ||
| Economy | ||
| Geography | ||
| Name origins | ||
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