LIST OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY NAME ETYMOLOGIES

This is a 'list of North Carolina county name etymologies'.

★ Alamance County, North Carolina: Alamance is named for the Battle of Alamance that occurred on Big Alamance Creek, which itself was named for a local Native American word used to describe the blue-colored mud found in the creek.

★ Alexander County, North Carolina: Alexander is named for the Alexander family, early North Carolina leaders, and particularly for William J. Alexander, who served as Speaker of the North Carolina House of Commons.

★ Alleghany County, North Carolina: Alleghany is named for a Native American tribe. The word is a corruption of the Delaware tribe's word for the Allegheny River, which is said to have meant "a fine stream."

★ Anson County, North Carolina: Anson is named for George Anson, 1st Baron Anson, a British admiral assigned to defend North Carolina's shipping from pirates.

★ Ashe County, North Carolina: Ashe is named for Samuel Ashe, the ninth governor of North Carolina and a Revolutionary War patriot.

★ Avery County, North Carolina: Avery is named for Waightstill Avery, a Revolutionary War colonel and Attorney General of North Carolina.

★ Beaufort County, North Carolina: Beaufort is named for Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort.

★ Bertie County, North Carolina: Bertie is named for either James Bertie or Henry Bertie, two Lords Proprietors of colonial North Carolina.

★ Bladen County, North Carolina: Bladen is named for Martin Bladen, a British politician and Commissioner of Trade and Plantations.

★ Brunswick County, North Carolina: Brunswick is named for the nearby town of Brunswick, which was named for King George I of Great Britain, the hereditary Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg.

★ Buncombe County, North Carolina: Buncombe is named for Edward Buncombe, a soldier in the American Revolutionary War killed in 1778.

★ Burke County, North Carolina: Burke is named for North Carolina Governor Thomas Burke.

★ Cabarrus County: Cabarrus is named after Stephen Cabarrus of Chowan County, four-time Speaker of the North Carolina House of Commons.

★ Caldwell County: Caldwell is named for Joseph Caldwell, the first president of the University of North Carolina.

★ Camden County: Camden is named for Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden, who opposed the Stamp Act.

★ Carteret County: Carteret is named for John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville. He inherited one-eighth of the Province of North Carolina from his grandfather, but refused to sell it back to the Crown.

★ Caswell County: Caswell is named for Richard Caswell, first Governor of North Carolina.

★ Catawba County: Catawba is named for the Catawba Native American people.

★ Chatham County: Chatham is named for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, who served as British Prime Minister from 1766 to 1768.

★ Cherokee County: Cherokee is named for the Cherokee Native American people.

★ Chowan County: Chowan is named for the Chowan Native American (Indian) tribe.

★ Clay County: Clay is named for U.S. statesman Henry Clay.

★ Cleveland County: Cleveland is named for Benjamin Cleveland, a colonel in the American Revolutionary War who took part in the Battle of King's Mountain.

★ Columbus County: Columbus is named for explorer Christopher Columbus.

★ Craven County: Craven is named for William, Earl of Craven, one of the Lords Proprietors of North Carolina.

★ Cumberland County: Cumberland is named for Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, captain-general of the British army and son of George II of Great Britain.

★ Currituck County: Currituck is "traditionally said to be an [American] Indian word for wild geese," also rendered "Coratank".

★ Dare County: Dare is named for Virginia Dare, the first child born to English parents in America.

★ Davidson County: Davidson is named for Brigadier General William Lee Davidson, an American Revolutionary War general killed near the Catawba River in 1781.

★ Davie County: Davie is named for North Carolina Governor William Richardson Davie.

★ Duplin County: Duplin is named for Thomas Hay, Viscount Dupplin, later the 9th Earl of Kinnoull.

★ Durham County, North Carolina: Durham is named for the city of Durham, which was itself named for Dr. Bartlett S. Durham, the landowner who granted a right-of-way to the railroad association for the local rail station.

★ Edgecombe County, North Carolina: Edgecombe is named for Richard Edgcumbe, 1st Baron Edgcumbe.

★ Forsyth County: Forsyth is named for Benjamin Forsyth, who was killed in the War of 1812.

★ Franklin County: Franklin is named for American statesman Benjamin Franklin.

★ Gaston County: Gaston is named for William Gaston, a U.S. Representative and a justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

★ Gates County: Gates is named for American Revolutionary War general Horatio Gates.

★ Graham County: Graham is named for North Carolina Governor William A. Graham.

★ Granville County: Granville is named for John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, who was heir to one of the original Lords Proprietors of the Carolinas.

★ Greene County: Greene is named for American Revolutionary War officer Nathanael Greene.

★ Guilford County: Guilford is named for Francis North, 1st Baron Guilford, father of British Prime Minister Frederick North, Lord North.

★ Halifax County: Halifax is named for George Montague-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, President of the Board of Trade from 1748 to 1761.

★ Harnett County: Harnett is named for Cornelius Harnett, a Revolutionary War patriot.

★ Haywood County: Haywood is named for John Haywood, NC state treasurer from 1787-1827

★ Henderson County: Henderson is named for Leonard Henderson, Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court (1829-1833)

★ Hertford County:Hertford is named for Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford.

★ Hoke County: Hoke is named for Robert F. Hoke, a Confederate general in the American Civil War.

★ Hyde County: Hyde is named for Governor Edward Hyde, 1711-1712

★ Iredell County: Iredell is named for James Iredell, second attorney general of NC during the Revolution, and a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

★ Jackson County: Jackson is named for President Andrew Jackson

★ Johnston County: Johnston is named for Governor Gabriel Johnston, 1734-1752

★ Jones County: is named for Willie Jones of Halifax County, a leader of the Revolution who opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

★ Lee County; Lee is named for Civil War General Robert E. Lee.

★ Lenoir County: Lenoir is named for William Lenoir, one of the heroes of King's Mountain.

★ Lincoln County: Lincoln is named for Benjamin Lincoln

★ Macon County: Macon is named for Nathaniel Macon, speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives and a U.S. Senator.

★ Madison County: Madison is named for President James Madison.

★ Martin County: Martin is named for Josiah Martin, the last royal governor. The county was likely not renamed after the American Revolution because of the enduring popularity of Governor Alexander Martin.

★ McDowell County: McDowell is named for Colonel Joseph McDowell, Revolutionary War officer and U.S. Congressman, 1797-1799.

★ Mecklenburg County: Mecklenburg is named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of George III of Great Britain.

★ Mitchell County: Mitchell is named for Dr. Elisha Mitchell, a science professor at the University of North Carolina, who died while exploring Mount Mitchell.

★ Montgomery County: Montgomery is named for General Richard Montgomery, killed in the 1775 Battle of Quebec

★ Moore County: Moore is named for Captain Alfred Moore, a justice of the United States Supreme Court.

★ Nash County: Nash is named for General Francis Nash, killed during the Revolution.

★ New Hanover County: New Hanover is named for the royal family of England, members of the House of Hanover.

★ Northampton County: Northampton is named for James Compton (or Crompton), Earl of Northampton.

★ Onslow County: Onslow is named for Arthur Onslow, speaker of the British House of Commons.

★ Orange County: Orange is named for the infant William V of Orange.

★ Pamlico County: Pamlico is named for Pamlico Sound, which comes from the Pamlico Native American tribe of that area.

★ Pasquotank County: Pasquotank is an American Indian word for "where the current of the stream divides or forks".

★ Pender County: Pender is named for Confederate general William Dorsey Pender.

★ Perquimans County: Perquimans is named for the Perquimans American Indian tribe.

★ Person County: Person is named for American Revolutionary War general Thomas Person.

★ Pitt County: Pitt is named for William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, who served as British Prime Minister from 1766 to 1768.

★ Polk County: Polk is named for American Revolutionary War colonel William Polk.

★ Randolph County: Randolph is named for Peyton Randolph, first president of the Continental Congress.

★ Richmond County: Richmond is named for Charles Lennox, the Duke of Richmond.

★ Robeson County: Robeson is named for Colonel Thomas Robeson, Revolutionary War officer.

★ Rockingham County: Rockingham is named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, British Prime Minister from 1765 to 1766 and again in 1782.

★ Rowan County: Rowan is named for Matthew Rowan, local political leader.

★ Rutherford County: Rutherford is named for Griffith Rutherford, member of the North Carolina Senate, of the North Carolina Provincial Congress, and a Revolutionary War general.

★ Sampson County: Sampson is named for Colonel John Sampson, a member of Josiah Martin's council.

★ Scotland County: Scotland is named for the country on the island of Great Britain.

★ Stanly County: Stanly is named for John Stanly, a legislator and Speaker of the North Carolina House of Commons.

★ Stokes County: Stokes is named for Captain John Stokes, officer during the Revolution, and judge of the U.S. District Court of North Carolina.

★ Surry County: Surry is named for the County of Surrey in England, birthplace of Governor William Tryon.

★ Swain County: Swain is named for David Lowry Swain, Governor of North Carolina (1832-1835), and president of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

★ Transylvania County: Transylvania is derived from the Latin "trans" (across) and "sylva" (woods).

★ Tyrrell County: Tyrrell is named for Sir John Tyrrell, one of the Lords Proprietors.

★ Union County: Union is named thus because it was created from parts of two other counties. This name was a compromise after a dispute between local Whigs and Democrats as to whether it should be named Clay or Jackson.

★ Vance County: Vance is named for Governor and U.S. Senator Zebulon B. Vance.

★ Wake County: Wake is named in honor of British colonial governor William Tryon's wife, Margaret Wake.

★ Warren County: Warren is named for American Revolutionary War figure Joseph Warren.

★ Washington County: Washington is named for President George Washington.

★ Watauga County: Watauga is named for the Watauga River, whose name was derived from an American Indian term meaning "beautiful water".

★ Wayne County: Wayne is named for General Anthony Wayne, one of Washington's most trusted soldiers.

★ Wilkes County: Wilkes is named for John Wilkes, a vocal opponent of the Tory Party in England.

★ Wilson County: Wilson is named for Louis D. Wilson, a legislator and soldier who died during the Mexican-American War.

★ Yadkin County: Yadkin is named for the Yadkin River which runs through it.

★ Yancey County:Yancey is named for Bartlett Yancey, congressman, and one of the earliest advocates of the public school system in North Carolina.

Contents

Source

See also

Source

★ NC County Histories

See also

★ List of North Carolina counties

★ Lists of U.S. county name etymologies

★ County (United States)