List of former U.S. county name etymologies

This is a list of etymologies of former counties of the United States, including former names of current counties.

List County name (years established) State Name origin Modern countiesBaine County (1866–1868) Alabama David W. Baine, Confederate General Etowah CountyBaker County (1868–1874) Alfred Baker, founder of Clanton, Alabama Chilton CountyBenton County (1832–1858) Thomas Hart Benton, U.S. Senator from Missouri Calhoun CountyCahawba County (1818–1820) The Cahawba (Cahaba) River Bibb CountyCotaco County (1818–1821) Cotaco Creek, possibly derived from the Cherokee "ikati" (swamp) and "kunahita" (long) Morgan CountyDecatur County (1821-1825) Stephen Decatur, Naval Commodore Madison and Jackson countiesHancock County (1850–1858) John Hancock, Founding Father and Governor of Massachusetts Winston CountyJones County (1867) Elliot P. Jones, Alabama Legislature member Lamar CountyJones County (1868) Josiah Jones, former legislator and local political leader Covington CountySanford County (1868–1877) Henry C. Sanford, Alabama Senate member Lamar CountyChugiak–Eagle River Borough (1974–1975) Alaska Chugiak, Anchorage and Eagle River, Anchorage Municipality of AnchorageGreater Anchorage Area Borough (1964–1975) Anchorage Municipality of AnchorageGreater Juneau Area Borough (1963–1970) Juneau City and Borough of JuneauGreater Sitka Borough (1963–1971) Sitka City and Borough of SitkaSkagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area (1992–2007) Angoon, Hoonah, and Skagway Municipality of Skagway and Hoonah–Angoon Census AreaSkagway-Yakutat-Angoon Census Area (1980–1992) Angoon, Skagway, and Yakutat Municipality of Skagway, City and Borough of Yakutat and Hoonah–Angoon Census AreaValdez–Cordova Census Area (1980–2019) Cordova and Valdez Chugach Census Area and Copper River Census AreaWade Hampton Census Area (1980–2015) Wade Hampton III, Confederate officer and South Carolina politician Kusilvak Census AreaPah-Ute County (1865–1871) Arizona Southern Paiute people, a Native American tribe which inhabited the area Mohave County and Clark County, NevadaClayton County (1873–1875) Arkansas Either John M. Clayton, Arkansas Senate member, or Powell Clayton, U.S. Senator from ArkansasBrief History of Clay County, Arkansas (CouchGenWeb.com) Clay CountyDorsey County (1873–1885) Stephen Wallace Dorsey, U.S. Senator from Arkansas Cleveland CountyLovely County (1827–1828) Major William Lewis Lovely, Indian agent to the Arkansas Cherokee, who managed the transaction of the county's land Washington County and OklahomaMiller County (1820–1838) James Miller, Governor of Arkansas Territory Fannin CountySarber County (1871–1875) John Sarber, Arkansas Senate member Logan CountyBranciforte County (1850) California Branciforte, a Spanish colonial settlement, itself named for the 1st Marquess of Branciforte Santa Cruz CountyKlamath County (1851–1874) A derivative of the Native "Athlameth" meaning people Humboldt and Siskiyou CountiesGuadaloupe County (1861) Colorado Unknown, possibly Our Lady of Guadalupe Conejos CountyGreenwood County (1870–1874) Unknown Elbert and Bent CountiesCarbonate County (1879) Unknown Chaffee and Lake CountiesUncompahgre County (1883) The Uncompahgre Ute band of Ute people Ouray CountySouth Arapahoe County (1902–1903) Arapahoe County, from which it was created Arapahoe CountyWestmoreland County (1776–1786) Connecticut The town of Westmoreland in the Wyoming Valley Luzerne CountyWashington County (1791–1871) District of Columbia George Washington, U.S. President Washington, D.C.Benton County (1844–1850) Florida Thomas Hart Benton, U.S. Senator from Missouri Hernando CountyFayette County (1832–1834) Marquis de Lafayette, Revolutionary War general and French politician Jackson, Calhoun, and Gulf CountiesMosquito County (1824–1845) Los Mosquitos, the Spanish name for Florida's east coast Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Seminole, Osceola, Orange, Lake, Polk and Palm Beach CountiesNew River County (1858–1861) New River, a tributary of the Santa Fe River Bradford CountyBourbon County (1785–1788) Georgia House of Bourbon, the European dynasty Available at: Campbell County (1828–1931) Duncan G. Campbell, legislator and U.S. commissioner Available at: Douglas, Milton and Fulton CountiesCass County (1832–1861) Lewis Cass, Secretary of War Available at: Bartow CountyKinchafoonee County (1853–1856) Kinchafoonee Creek, Creek for "mortar nutshells", a type of nutcracker Available at: Webster CountyMilton County (1857–1931) John Milton, Continental Army lieutenant and Georgia Secretary of State Available at: Fulton CountyWalton County (1803–1818) George Walton, U.S. Senator from Georgia Available at: Buncombe CountyAlturas County (1864–1895) Idaho Spanish for "mountainous heights" Blaine and Lincoln CountiesLah-Toh County (1864–1867) Latah Creek, Nez Perce for "the place of pine trees and pestle" Kootenai, Latah and Nez Perce CountiesLogan County (1889–1895) Unknown Lincoln CountyRichardville County (1844) Indiana Jean Baptiste Richardville, civil chief of the Miami people Howard CountySlaughter County (1838–1839) Iowa William B. Slaughter, secretary of Wisconsin Territory Washington CountyBancroft County (1851–1857) George Bancroft, Secretary of the Navy Kossuth CountyCrocker County (1871–1872) Marcellus M. Crocker, Union Army Brigadier general Kossuth CountyWahkaw County (1851–1853) Sioux for "big medicine" Woodbury CountyBillings County (1873–1874) Kansas Either as a joke or for N. H. Billings, county attorney Norton CountyBreckinridge County (1873–1881) John C. Breckinridge, Kentucky politician and U.S. Vice President Lyon CountyBuffalo County (1873–1881) American bison, which were common in the area Gray and Finney CountiesDavis County (1855–1889) Jefferson Davis, then-Secretary of War Geary CountyFoote County (1873–1881) Most likely Andrew Hull Foote, Union Naval officer Gray CountyGarfield County (1887–1893) James A. Garfield, U.S. President Finney CountyGodfrey County (1855–1861) Either Bill Godfrey, trader among the Osage Nation, or Gabriel Godfrey, subagent to the Potawatomi Chautauqua and Elk CountiesHoward County (1867–1875) Oliver Otis Howard, Union Army general Chautauqua and Elk CountiesHunter County (1855–1864) Most likely Robert M. T. Hunter, Virginia politician Butler, Cowley, Sedgwick, Sumner, Elk, Chautauqua, and Greenwood CountiesIrving County (1860–1864) Washington Irving, author Butler CountyKansas County (1873–1883) The Kaw (Kansas) tribe Seward CountyMadison County (1855–1861) Most likely James Madison, U.S. President Lyon and Greenwood CountiesOtoe County (1860–1864) Otoe, a Native American people Butler CountyPeketon County (1859–1861) Unknown, possibly a Sauk word for "flat land" Most of south west KansasSequoyah County (1873–1883) Sequoyah, creator of the Cherokee syllabary Finney CountySeward County (1861–1867) Most likely William H. Seward, U.S. Secretary of State Chautauqua, Elk, and Greenwood CountiesShirley County (1860–1867) Either William Shirley, colonial governor of Massachusetts, or Jane Shirley, a "lady of questionable character" Cloud CountyWashington County (1855–1857) George Washington, U.S. President Most of south west KansasBeckham County (1904) Kentucky J. C. W. Beckham, Governor of Kentucky Carter CountyBiloxi Parish (1811-1812) Louisiana Unknown Coastal MississippiCarroll Parish (1838–1877) Charles Carroll of Carrollton, U.S. Senator from Maryland East Carroll and West Carroll ParishesFeliciana Parish (1810–1824) Marie Felicité, wife of Viceroy of New Spain Bernardo de Gálvez East Feliciana and West Feliciana ParishesPascagoula Parish (1811–1812) Unknown Coastal MississippiWarren Parish (1811–1814) Unknown Ouachita and Concordia ParishesIsle Royale County (1875–1897) Michigan Isle Royale, an island in Lake Superior Keweenaw CountyManitou County (1855–1895) North and South Manitou Islands, in Lake Michigan Leelanau CountyMichilimackinac County (1818–1849) Mi-shi-ne-macki-nong, the Ojibwe name for Mackinac Island, derived from the Mi-shi-ne-macki naw-go tribe Mackinac CountyTonedagana County (1840-1843) Derived from a Odawa war chief from the Cross Village area Emmet CountyManomin County (1857–1858) Minnesota A variant spelling of "manoomin", the Ojibwe term for wild rice Anoka CountyMonongalia County (1861-1870) Unknown Kandiyohi CountyPearl County (1872–1878) Mississippi Pearl River, a river in the area Pearl River CountyAllen County (1843–1845) Missouri Unknown Atchison CountyAshley County (1843–1845) William Henry Ashley, Lieutenant Governor of Missouri Texas CountyDecatur County (1843–1845) Stephen Decatur, Naval Commodore Ozark CountyDodge County (1849–1853) Unknown Putnam CountyKinderhook County (1841–1843) Kinderhook, New York, birthplace of Martin Van Buren Camden CountyLillard County (1821–1825) James Lillard, constitutional convention and Missouri General Assembly member Camden CountyNiangua County (1842–1844) Niangua River, from the Native American "nehemgar", meaning "a river of numerous springs or sources" Dallas CountyRives County (1834–1841) William Cabell Rives, Senator from Virginia Henry CountyEdgerton County (1865–1867) Montana Sidney Edgerton, Governor of Montana Territory Lewis and Clark CountyBullfrog County (1987–1989) Nevada Bullfrog Mining District, itself named for the gold ore there being colored like a bullfrog Nye CountyLake County (1861–1862) A number of lakes in the area, such as Honey Lake, Pyramid Lake, and Winnemucca Lake Lassen County and Washoe CountyOrmsby County (1861–1969) Major William Ormsby, early settler of Carson City and militia leader during the Pyramid Lake War Consolidated Municipality of Carson CityRoop County (1862–1864) Isaac Roop, governor of Nevada Territory Lassen County and Washoe CountySanta Ana County (1852–1876) New Mexico Unknown Bernalillo and McKinley CountiesCharlotte County (1772–1784) New York Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of George III of the United Kingdom Washington CountyTryon County (1772–1784) William Tryon, colonial governor of New York Montgomery CountyGlasgow County (1791–1799) North Carolina James Glasgow, North Carolina Secretary of State Greene CountyWallace County (1883–1896) North Dakota Unknown McKenzie CountyCounty E (1891–1892) Oklahoma Temporary name given by an Act of Congress Ellis, Roger Mills and Woodward CountiesDay County (1892–1907) Charles Day, a contractor who built the courthouse at Ioland Ellis, Roger Mills and Woodward CountiesSwanson County (1910–1911) Claude A. Swanson, Governor of Virginia Comanche CountyUmpqua County (1851–1862) Oregon The Umpqua River, a river in the area Douglas and Coos CountiesOntario County (1810–1812) Pennsylvania Unknown Bradford CountyClaremont County (1785–1800) South Carolina Unknown Sumter CountyGranville County (1785–1798) John Granville, Earl of Bath, British landowner Beaufort and Colleton CountiesLewisburg County (1785–1791) Unknown Orangeburg CountyLiberty County (1785–1798) The freedom gained due to the American Revolution Marion CountyOrange County (1785–1791) William of Orange, King of England Orangeburg CountySalem County (1791–1800) Unknown, probably after Salem Black River Presbyterian Church Sumter CountyWinton County (1785–1800) Unknown Barnwell CountyWinyah County (1785–1800) Winyah Bay, an estuary in the area Georgetown CountyArmstrong County (1895–1953) South Dakota Moses K. Armstrong, delegate to the House of Representatives for Dakota at-large Dewey, Stanley, and Ziebach CountiesLugenbeel County (1889–1909) Pinkney Lugenbeel, United States Army officer Bennett and Todd CountiesPyatt County (1883–1895) Unknown Dewey, Stanley, and Ziebach CountiesShannon County (1875–2015) Peter C. Shannon, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Dakota Territory Oglala Lakota CountyWashabaugh County (1883–1983) Frank J. Washabaugh, member of the Dakota Territorial Council Jackson CountyWashington County (1883–1943) George Washington, U.S. President Jackson, Pennington and Shannon CountiesJames County (187