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What's in a Name? A Look at County Names
"County names in the United States stress individuals. That practice was a cartographical phenomenon less prevalent in the Old Word but customary when English settlers adapted to the New World. American space created opportunity for self-aggrandizement in name as well as substance and for the openly expressed adulation of others."
William Howard Taft, III in County Names: An Historical Perspective
County names begin with every letter of the alphabet, except for X. Twenty nine percent of the counties in the United States start with the letters C, M, or S. Only one percent begin with Q, Y or Z.
Although you may think your county's name is unique, there is a 56 percent chance that in another state, there is a county by that same name, spelled exactly the same way. If you set aside spelling differences, the chances become even greater.
A large percentage of counties were named after presidents and other historical figures. Washington County, the most common county, can be found in thirty states. Similarly, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln and Madison Counties together total ninety four counties in thirty five states. Interestingly, of the forty two presidents' names, only eight, Taft, Coolidge, Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon and Bush, can not be found as county names.
Animal named counties can be found across the country. There are beaver counties in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Utah; buffalo counties in Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin; elk counties in Kansas and Pennsylvania; an antelope county in Nebraska; a bee county in Texas; a caribou county in Idaho; an eagle county in Colorado; a manatee county in Florida; and an otter tail county in Minnesota.
Many counties share the same name as states. You'll find Delaware counties in Iowa, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania; Ohio counties in Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia; Wyoming counties in New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia; Iowa counties in Iowa and Wisconsin; Mississippi counties in Arkansas and Missouri; Nevada counties in Arkansas and California; Texas counties in Missouri and Oklahoma; a Colorado county in Texas; and an Oregon county in Missouri.
The majority of county names, 94%, contain only one word. The award for longest county name (14 letters) is a tie between Northumberland County, Pennsylvania and Northumberland County, Virginia. However, Chattahoochee County, Georgia and Collingsworth County, Texas are close runner-ups, with thirteen letters each. Twenty seven counties, which all contain three letters, share the award for shortest county name. These include Ada County, ID; Bay County, FL; Bay County, MI; Bee County, TX; Day County, SD; Elk County, KS; Elk County, PA; Gem County, ID; Ida County, IA; Jay County, IL; Kay County, OK; Lea County; NM; Lee County, AL; Lee County, AR; Lee County, FL; Lee County, GA; Lee County, IA; Lee County, IL; Lee County, KY; Lee County, MS; Lee County, NC; Lee County, SC; Lee County, TX; Lee County, VA; Nye County, NV; Ray County, MO; and Sac County, IA.
The top 24 most common county names and their locations:
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County Name
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Locations
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Number
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Washington
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Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin
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30
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Jefferson
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Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
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26
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Franklin
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Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Washington
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25
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Jackson
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Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, West Virginia
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24
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Lincoln
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Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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24
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Madison
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Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia
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20
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Clay
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Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia
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18
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Montgomery
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Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia
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18
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Union
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Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee
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18
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Monroe
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Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin, West Virginia
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17
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Marion
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Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia
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17
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Wayne
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Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia
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16
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Grant
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Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
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15
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Greene
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Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia
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14
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Warren
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Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia
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14
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Carroll
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Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia
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13
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Adams
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Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin
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12
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Clark
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Arkansas, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin
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12
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Douglas
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Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin
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12
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Johnson
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Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming
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12
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Lake
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California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee
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12
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Lee
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Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia
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12
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Marshall
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Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia
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12
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Polk
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Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin
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12
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Complete Listing of County Names
The History of County Names
In his book, County Names: An Historical Perspective, William Howard Taft III,
grandson of our 27th president, said this about county names:
"County names act as signposts in an historical panorama. They often testify to the allegiances of the past. They echo once prevailing social sentiments. They perpetuate the names of personalities otherwise faded from the scene but famous once. Some underline the interplay of character and event."
If one examines the history of county names, it appears that his statement is quite accurate. County names in New York recall Native Americans, the English and Dutch colonists, heroes of the Revolutionary War years, Presidents and early politicians. For example, Genesee County, NY, was named from a Seneca Indian word meaning "good valley." Rensselaer County was named in honor of the family of Killiaen Van Rensselaer, one of the first Dutch landholders in New York. Greene County, NY, was named in honor of General Nathaniel Greene who fought in the Revolutionary War. Jefferson County, NY, was named after our third president and Clinton County, NY, was named in honor of George Clinton, New York's first governor.
Florida's 67 counties, are named after politicians (fourteen), presidents (seven, including Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Polk, Taylor, and Washington), military figures (nine), explorers and other important figures (thirteen, including, Juan Ponce de Leon and Benjamin Franklin), Native American words (nine), nature (eleven, such as Palm Beach County, named after Palm Trees and beaches, and Lake County, named after the large number of lakes in the region) and what Taft refers to as "allegiances of the past," (four, such as Liberty County, named after the common objective of the American People and Union County, for unity.)
Similarly, counties in Utah were named after politicians, presidents and Native American words. However, the history of some Utah counties' names are not as clear as others. The origin of the county name Duchesne is one of those, although there are six historical possibilities. Some people believe this county was named from the Ute Indian word "doo-shane" meaning dark canyon. Others believe it was named after the French Fort Duchesne or in honor of Rose Du Chense, founder of the sacred heart in Utah. The three remaining possibilities include being named after an Indian chief, a French Fur Trapper named Du Chasne, and Andre Duchense, a French geographer and historian. The origin of the name of Wayne County, Utah, is also in dispute, although the dispute is between two possibilities, not six. These include being named for Wayne Robinson, the son of Utah State Legislator, Willis E. Robinson or for Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne. The history of Iron County's name is not in dispute, however Iron County was originally called Little Salt Lake Valley County and was later changed in reminder of the iron mines located within county borders.
The history of the names of Iowa's 99 counties is just as interesting. When Hamilton County was originally organized, it was named Risley County, after Colonel Risley, a soldier killed in the Mexican War. The name of the county was later changed to Webster. When Webster County was divided in half, the eastern half, in 1856, was given the name of Hamilton, named after Senate President William W. Hamilton. Appanoose County, Iowa, was established by the Iowa Territorial Legislature in 1846. It was named in honor of the Indian Chief of the Sac and Fox Indian tribes who headed the peace party during the Black Hawk War. The literal translation of the word is "A Chief When a Child." Davis County, Iowa, was named in honor of Kentucky Congressman Garret Davis. Although this was the county's formal name, in its early days, the county was referred to as "the Hairy Nation." This name was given to the county because of the "shaggy, rough, unkempt appearance and rude manner of the men that resided in the area."
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