Etymological list of counties of the United Kingdom
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This is a list of the origins of the names of counties of the United Kingdom. It includes traditional counties and administrative counties.
Note: the ending shire is an Anglo Saxon word meaning administrative district.
| County name | Language of origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeenshire | Pictish | Shire of Aberdeen: Mouth of the River Don (Don refers to the Celtic goddess Devona) |
| Anglesey | Old Norse | Ongull's Island |
| Angus | Pictish | Oengus (8th century king of the Picts) |
| Antrim | Gaelic | Single house |
| Argyll | Gaelic | Coastland of the Gaels |
| Armagh | Gaelic | Macha's height |
| Avon | Brythonic | After the River Avon (Avon is a Brythonic word meaning river) |
| Ayrshire | Gaelic | Shire of Ayr: River |
| Banffshire | Gaelic | Shire of Banff: Piglet |
| Bedfordshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Bedford: Bieda's ford |
| Berkshire | Brythonic | Hilly place (+ shire) |
| Berwickshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Berwick: Barley farm |
| Brecknockshire | Welsh | Shire of Brecknock: Brychan's territory |
| Buckinghamshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Buckingham: Bucca's home |
| Buteshire | Gaelic | Fire |
| Caernarfonshire | Welsh | Shire of Caernarfon: Fort opposite Fon (Mon is the Welsh name for Anglesey, fon is its lenited form, used here after a preposition) |
| Caithness | Old Norse | Promontory of cats |
| Cambridgeshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Cambridge: Bridge on the River Cam (Cam is a derivation of Granta, of uncertain meaning). The city was previously known as Grantbridge, meaning Bridge on the River Granta though the county has always been known as Cambridgeshire. |
| Cardiganshire | Welsh | Shire of Cardigan: Ceredig's territory |
| Carmarthenshire | Welsh | Shire of Carmarthen: Fort at Maridunum (the Roman place name Maridunum means fort by the sea) |
| Cheshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Chester: Roman town |
| Clackmannanshire | Welsh | Shire of Clackmannan: Stone of Manau (Manau is of unknown origin) |
| Cleveland | Anglo Saxon | Cliff land |
| Clwyd | Welsh | from the River Clwyd (the river name means hurdle) |
| Cornwall | compound of Brythonic and Anglo-Saxon | (Territory of) Britons of the Cornovii Tribe (Cornovii is a Brythonic word meaning people of the peninsula) |
| Cromartyshire | Gaelic | Shire of Cromarty: Possibly means crooked |
| Cumberland | Anglo Saxon | Region of the Cumbrian Britons |
| Cumbria | Welsh | Territory of the Cymry (Cymry was the Brythonic word to describe Britons, similar to 'Cymru' (Wales)) |
| Denbighshire | Welsh | Shire of Denbigh: Little fortress |
| Derbyshire | Old Norse | Shire of Derby: Animal village |
| Devon | Brythonic | Territory of the Dumnonii (The Celtic tribal name Dumnonii is of unknown origin) |
| Dorset | Anglo Saxon | Settlement of Dorchester: Roman town at Durnovaria (Durnovaria is a Brythonic name meaning place with fist-sized pebbles) |
| Down | Gaelic | County of Downpatrick: Patrick's fort (formerly Dún Lethglaise or Fort by the stream) |
| Dumfriesshire | Gaelic | Shire of Dumfries: Fort of the Frisians (Frisian is of uncertain origin but is thought to mean curly, as in curly hair) |
| Dunbartonshire | Anglo Saxon | (Formerly spelled 'Dumbartonshire') Shire of Dumbarton: Dunbar's town (after Hugh Dunbar) |
| County Durham | Old Norse | from Dunholme: Island with a hill |
| Dyfed | Welsh | (District of the) Demetae (Demetae is of unknown origin but describes the pre-Roman settlers of the area) |
| East Lothian | Gaelic | (Place of) Leudonus |
| Essex | Anglo Saxon | Eastern Saxons |
| Fermanagh | Gaelic | Men of Manaigh's tribe |
| Fife | Pictish | (Place of) Fib of the Picts |
| Flintshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Flint: (Place of) hard rock |
| Glamorgan | Welsh | Morgan's shore |
| Gloucestershire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Gloucester: Roman town called Glevum (Glevum is a Brythonic name meaning bright place) |
| Gwent | Brythonic | Trading place |
| Gwynedd | Welsh | After Cunedda |
| Hampshire | Anglo Saxon | Formerly known as 'Southamptonshire', meaning is 'shire of Southampton': Southern town of Hamo (Hamo refers to a 5th century Saxon invader and settler) |
| Hereford and Worcester | English | Combination of Herefordshire and Worcestershire |
| Herefordshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Hereford: Ford suitable for the passage of an army | Hertfordshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Hertford: Ford frequented by harts or stags | Humberside | English | Beside the River Humber (Humber is a Brythonic word and is of unknown origin) |
| Huntingdonshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Huntingdon: Hunta's hill |
| Inverness-shire | Gaelic | Shire of Inverness: Mouth of the River Ness (Ness is from the Old Norse näs (nose) meaning isthmus) |
| Isle of Wight | Compound of English and Brythonic | Island at the place of division |
| Kent | Brythonic | (Land of the) Cantii or Cantiaci: a Celtic tribal name possibly meaning white, bright |
| Kincardineshire | Compound of Gaelic and Pictish | Shire of Kincardine: Head of the copse |
| Kinross-shire | Gaelic | Shire of Kinross: End of the promontory |
| Kirkcudbrightshire | Old Norse | Shire of Kirkcudbright: Church of Saint Cuthbert |
| Lanarkshire | Welsh | Shire of Lanark: (Place in the) glade |
| Lancashire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Lancaster: Roman fort on the River Lune (Lune is a Brythonic word meaning pure) |
| Leicestershire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Leicester: Roman town of the people called Ligore (Ligore is a Celtic tribal name of unknown origin) |
| Lincolnshire | Compound of Brythonic and Latin | Shire of Lincoln: Roman colony by the pool |
| Londonderry | Compound of English and Gaelic | Formerly County Derry after Derry, meaning oak grove. The prefix London came from the London livery companies, following the Plantation of Ulster |
| Greater Manchester | Compound of English, Brythonic and Latin | Greater county of Manchester: Roman town at Mamm (Mamm was the Brythonic name for Manchester and means breast-like hill) |
| Merionethshire | Welsh | Shire of Merioneth: (Place of) Meirion |
| Merseyside | English | Beside the River Mersey (Mersey is an Anglo Saxon word meaning boundary river) |
| Mid Lothian | Gaelic | (Place of) Leudonus |
| Middlesex | Anglo Saxon | (Place of) the Middle Saxons |
| Monmouthshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Monmouth: Mouth of the River Monnow (Monnow is a Brythonic word meaning fast flowing) |
| Montgomeryshire | French | Shire of Roger de Montgomery |
| Morayshire | Brythonic | Shire of Moray: Sea settlement |
| Nairnshire | Brythonic | Shire of Nairn: Penetrating (river) |
| Norfolk | Anglo Saxon | Northern people |
| Northamptonshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Northampton: Northern home farm |
| Northumberland | Anglo Saxon | Territory of those living north of the River Humber (Humber is a Brythonic word of unknown origin) |
| Nottinghamshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Nottingham: Snot's home |
| Orkney | Old Norse | Islands of the Orkos (Orkos is suggested to have come from a Gaelic tribal name meaning boar) |
| Oxfordshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Oxford: Ford used by Oxen |
| Peeblesshire | Welsh | Shire of Peebles: (Place with) tents |
| Pembrokeshire | Welsh | Shire of Pembroke: Land at the end |
| Perthshire | Pictish | Shire of Perth: (Place by a) thicket |
| Powys | Compound of Latin and Welsh | Provincial place |
| Radnorshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Radnor: Red bank |
| Renfrewshire | Welsh | Shire of Renfrew: Point of the current |
| Ross-shire | Gaelic | Shire of Ross: Moorland |
| Roxburghshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Roxburgh: Hroc's fortress |
| Rutland | Anglo Saxon | Rota's territory |
| Selkirkshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Selkirk: Church by a hall |
| Shetland | Old Norse | Origin disputed, but may refer to a personal name (Zet's land) |
| Shropshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Shrewsbury: Fortified place near scrubland |
| Somerset | Anglo Saxon | Settlers around Somerton: Farm used in the summer |
| Staffordshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Stafford: Ford by a landing place |
| Stirlingshire | Not known | Shire of Stirling: Origin not known |
| Suffolk | Anglo Saxon | Southern people |
| Surrey | Anglo Saxon | Southern district |
| Sussex | Anglo Saxon | South Saxons |
| Sutherland | Old Norse | Southern territory |
| Tyne and Wear | English | Area between the River Tyne and River Wear (Tyne is an alternative Brythonic word for river, Wear is a Brythonic word meaning water) |
| Tyrone | Gaelic | Territory of Eoghain (personal name) |
| Warwickshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Warwick: Dwellings by the weir |
| West Lothian | Gaelic | (Place of) Leudonus |
| West Midlands | English | West middle lands |
| Westmorland | Anglo Saxon | District west of the moors |
| Wigtownshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Wigtown: Dwelling place |
| Wiltshire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Wilton: Farm where willow trees grow |
| Worcestershire | Anglo Saxon | Shire of Worcester: Roman town of the Weogora tribe (Weogora is a Brythonic name meaning from the winding river) |
| Yorkshire | Compound of Brythonic and Old Norse | Shire of York: Originally Brythonic meaning yew tree, which was misunderstood by the English and Vikings to mean boar settlement. They subsequently named it Jorvik meaning Boar Estuary. |