| 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. |
