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.
|