| 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) |
| AntrimAntrim can refer to two places in Northern Ireland Antrim the town County Antrim It is also the name of several places in the United States of America: Antrim, Louisiana Antrim, Michigan Antrim, New Hampshire Antrim, New York Antrim, Ohio Antrim, Pennsylv |
Gaelic |
Single house |
| Argyll |
Gaelic |
Coastland of the Gaels |
| ArmaghAlternative meaning: Armagh, Pennsylvania Armagh is a city in Northern Ireland, the capital of County Armagh. In Irish it is known as Ard Mhacha or Macha's Height''. Armagh is the seat of both Protestant and Roman Catholic Archbishops, both referred to as |
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 |
Shire of Bute: Fire |
| Caernarvonshire |
Welsh |
Shire of Caernarvon: Fort opposite Fon (Fon was the old Welsh name for Anglesey) |
| Caithness |
Old Norse |
Promontory of cats |
| Cambridgeshire |
Anglo Saxon |
Shire of Cambridge: Bridge on the River Cam (Cam is a Brythonic word meaning crooked) |
| 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 |
London livery companies, oak grove |
| 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. |