Counties of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has 92 counties or shires. The British counties are the oldest extant national divisions in the world.

Where a distinction has to be made with statutory "counties" so called for administrative purposes, the counties are variously known as historic counties, traditional counties or ancient or geographical counties.

The counties have no administrative function, existing as geographical and cultural areas. Most of the counties have an existence stretching back to the Middle Ages and almost all of the English counties have been established for over a thousand years. Even the relatively young Highland shires, only 450 years old as such, have a much older existence as geographical and cultural areas.

In this time many activities many activities and much social understanding and local identity has grown up intertwined with the counties, and so they have become a vital part of British and Irish culture.

Until the late twentieth century, administrative functions have been carried on using the counties' boundaries or approximations to them, and so centuries of public records have been organised county by county, for which reason an understanding of the counties is vital for genealogical and historic research.

List of the counties

Name	County of	Area (sq m)	Population	Principal towns in the county
Aberdeenshire	Aberdeen	1950	380495	Aberdeen, Ellon, Fraserburgh, Huntly, Inverurie, Peterhead, Turriff
Anglesey	Anglesey	277	69751	Beaumaris, Amlwch, Holyhead, Llangefni, Menai Bridge
Angus	Forfar	899	264044	Forfar, Dundee, Arbroath, Brechin, Carnoustie, Kirriemuir, Montrose
Antrim	Antrim	1175	615701	Belfast, Antrim, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Carnlough, Larne, Portrush
Argyllshire	Argyll	3110	64819	Lochgilphead, Campbeltown, Dunoon, Inverary, Oban, Tobermory
Armagh	Armagh	512	178598	Armagh, Newry
Ayrshire	Ayr	1129	367676	Ayr, Cumnock, Irvine, Kilmarnock, Kilwinning, Largs, Saltcoats, Troon
Banffshire	Banff	641	46537	Banff, Buckie, Dufftown, Keith, Macduff, Portsoy
Bedfordshire	Bedford	468	602847	Bedford, Biggleswade, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Luton, Sandy
Berkshire	Berks	722	842804	Reading, Abingdon, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Newbury, Windsor, Wokingham
Berwickshire	Berwick	457	26458	Greenlaw, Coldstream, Duns, Eyemouth, Lauder
Brecknockshire	Brecon	742	67598	Brecon, Builth Wells, Hay-on-Wye, Llanwrtyd Wells, Talgarth
Buckinghamshire	Buckingham	746	916903	Aylesbury, Buckingham, High Wycombe, Milton Keynes, Slough
Buteshire	Bute	225	12534	Rothesay, Brodick, Lochranza, Millport
Caernarfonshire	Caernarfon	563	139065	Caernarfon, Bangor, Conwy, Llandudno, Porthmadog, Pwllheli
Caithness	Caithness	618	26486	Wick, Castletown, Halkirk, Thurso
Cambridgeshire	Cambridge	858	460448	Cambridge, Ely, Chatteris, March, Whittlesey, Wisbech
Cardiganshire	Cardigan	693	75784	Cardigan, Aberystwyth, Lampeter, New Quay, Tregaron
Carmarthenshire	Carmarthen	937	184232	Carmarthen, Ammanford, Kidwelly, Llandovery, Llanelli, St Clears
Cheshire	Chester	1035	1668894	Chester, Birkenhead, Crewe, Macclesfield, Runcorn, Stockport, Wallasey
Clackmannanshire	Clackmannan	48	50957	Clackmannan, Alloa, Dollar, Tillicoultry, Tullibody
Cornwall	Cornwall	1365	533594	Bodmin, Truro, Camborne, Falmouth, Newquay, Penzance, Redruth, St Austell
Cromartyshire	Cromarty	370	7074	Cromarty, Ullapool
Cumberland	Cumberland	1525	306241	Carlisle, Brampton, Keswick, Penrith, Whitehaven, Workington
Denbighshire	Denbigh	668	277680	Ruthin, Abergele, Denbigh, Llangollen, Wrexham
Derbyshire	Derby	1017	1148373	Derby, Ashbourne, Buxton, Chesterfield, Ilkeston, Matlock, Swadlincote
Devon	Devon	2621	1133463	Exeter, Plymouth, Barnstaple, Newton Abbot, Paignton, Tavistock, Tiverton, Torquay
Dorset	Dorset	1005	543296	Dorchester, Poole, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, Weymouth, Wimborne Minster
Down	Down	950	528983	Downpatrick, Bangor, Holywood, Newcastle, Strangford
Dumfriesshire	Dumfries	1063	77160	Dumfries, Annan, Gretna, Langholm, Lockerbie, Moffat, Sanquhar
Dunbartonshire	Dunbarton	241	262419	Dumbarton, Alexandria, Clydebank, Cumbernauld, Helensburgh, Kirkintilloch
Durham	Durham	1022	1467037	Durham, Gateshead, Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland, Washington
East Lothian	Haddington	267	74882	Haddington, Dunbar, East Linton, North Berwick, Tranent
Essex	Essex	1591	2999248	Chelmsford, Basildon, Brentwood, Colchester, Harlow, Romford, Southend-on-Sea, Stratford
Fermanagh	Fermanagh	715	61170	Enniskillen, Belleek, Irvinestown
Fife	Fife	504	365493	Cupar, Dunfermline, Burntisland, Cowdenbeath, Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, St Andrews
Flintshire	Flint	260	215390	Mold, Connah's Quay, Buckley, Flint, Holywell, Prestatyn, Rhyl, St Asaph
Glamorgan	Glamorgan	827	1321460	Cardiff, Swansea, Barry, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath, Pontypridd
Gloucestershire	Gloucester	1293	1147106	Gloucester, Bristol, Cheltenham, Cirencester, Stroud, Tewkesbury
Hampshire	Southampton	1656	2099640	Winchester, Portsmouth, Southampton, Basingstoke, Bournemouth, Newport
Herefordshire	Hereford	837	183631	Hereford, Bromyard, Kington, Ledbury, Leominster, Ross-on-Wye
Hertfordshire	Hertford	633	1157166	Hertford, St Albans, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Watford
Huntingdonshire	Huntingdon	366	211776	Huntingdon, Ramsey, Godmanchester, St Ives, St Neots, Yaxley
Inverness-shire	Inverness	4211	118077	Inverness, Fort William, Kingussie, Newtonmore, Portree
Kent	Kent	1611	2747715	Maidstone, Canterbury, Bromley, Dover, Folkestone, Greenwich, Rochester
Kincardineshire	Kincardine	380	77670	Stonehaven, Banchory, Inverbervie, Laurencekirk
Kinross-shire	Kinross	73	11223	Kinross, Milnathort
Kirkcudbrightshire	Kirkcudbright	899	47546	Kirkcudbright, Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie, New Galloway
Lanarkshire	Lanark	879	1008014	Lanark, Glasgow, Coatbridge, Carluke, East Kilbride, Hamilton, Motherwell
Lancashire	Lancaster	1909	4942364	Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester, Preston, Barrow-in-Furness, Bolton, Warrington
Leicestershire	Leicester	836	975403	Leicester, Coalville, Hinckley, Loughborough, Lutterworth, Melton Mowbray
Lincolnshire	Lincoln	2687	1038510	Lincoln, Boston, Grantham, Grimsby, Louth, Scunthorpe, Skegness, Stamford
Londonderry	Londonderry	816	247971	Londonderry, Coleraine, Limavady
Merionethshire	Merioneth	676	37874	Bala, Barmouth, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Dolgellau, Harlech, Tywyn
Middlesex	Middlesex	285	4000927	London, Brentford, Westminster, Ealing, Enfield, Harrow, Potters Bar, Staines, Twickenham
Midlothian	Edinburgh	362	621610	Edinburgh, Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Musselburgh, Penicuik
Monmouthshire	Monmouth	542	514723	Monmouth, Newport, Abergavenny, Blackwood, Chepstow, Cwmbran, Tredegar
Montgomeryshire	Montgomery	796	61956	Montgomery, Llanidloes, Machynlleth, Newtown, Welshpool
Morayshire	Elgin/Moray	476	67654	Elgin, Fochabers, Lossiemouth, Forres, Rothes
Nairnshire	Nairn	200	13894	Nairn, Auldearn, Cawdor
Norfolk	Norfolk	2057	807721	Norwich, Cromer, East Dereham, Great Yarmouth, Hunstanton, King's Lynn
Northamptonshire	Northampton	998	838786	Northampton, Peterborough, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough
Northumberland	Northumberland	2019	797006	Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Alnwick, (Berwick-upon-Tweed), Hexham, Morpeth
Nottinghamshire	Nottingham	843	1096617	Nottingham, Mansfield, Newark-on-Trent, Retford, Southwell, Worksop
Orkney	Orkney	376	21349	Kirkwall, Balfour, Stromness
Oxfordshire	Oxford	754	512345	Oxford, Banbury, Bicester, Carterton, Henley-on-Thames, Thame, Witney
Peeblesshire	Peebles	548	19074	Peebles, Innerleithen, West Linton
Pembrokeshire	Pembroke	625	122122	Pembroke, Fishguard, Haverfordwest, Milford Haven, Tenby, St David's
Perthshire	Perth	2493	156371	Perth, Blairgowrie, Callander, Coupar Angus, Crieff, Kincardine, Pitlochry, Rattray
Radnorshire	Radnor	470	25821	Presteigne, Knighton, Llandrindod Wells, New Radnor, Rhayader
Renfrewshire	Renfrew	245	508064	Renfrew, Barrhead, Greenock, Johnstone, Kilmacolm, Paisley, Port Glasgow
Ross-shire	Ross	3089	69503	Dingwall, Alness, Invergordon, Stornoway, Tain
Roxburghshire	Roxburgh	666	50800	Jedburgh, Hawick, Kelso, Melrose, Roxburgh
Rutland	Rutland	152	37677	Oakham, Cottesmore, Uppingham
Selkirkshire	Selkirk	267	16010	Selkirk, Galashiels
Shetland	Shetland	551	23167	Lerwick, Baltasound, Scalloway
Shropshire	Shrewsbury/Salop	1342	472027	Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Market Drayton, Oswestry, Telford, Whitchurch
Somerset	Somerset	1633	1053504	Taunton, Bath, Bridgwater, Glastonbury, Wells, Weston-super-Mare, Yeovil
Staffordshire	Stafford	1176	2159392	Stafford, Lichfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Cannock, Walsall
Stirlingshire	Stirling	447	244092	Stirling, Bridge of Allan, Denny, Falkirk, Grangemouth, Kilsyth
Suffolk	Suffolk	1505	775099	Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Bungay, Felixstowe, Haverhill, Lowestoft, Sudbury
Surrey	Surrey	759	2975836	Guildford, Brixton, Croydon, Egham, Farnham, Kingston upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Wandsworth, Wimbledon, Woking
Sussex	Sussex	1466	1612454	Chichester, Bognor Regis, Brighton, Crawley, Eastbourne, Hastings, Horsham, Worthing
Sutherland	Sutherland	2028	12803	Dornoch, Brora, Durness, Golspie, Helmsdale, Lairg, Tongue
Tyrone	Tyrone	1260	178440	Omagh, Cookstown, Dungannon, Strabane
Warwickshire	Warwick	918	1632885	Warwick, Birmingham, Coventry, Nuneaton, Rugby, Solihull, Stratford-upon-Avon
West Lothian	Linlithgow	120	154830	Linlithgow, Armadale, Bathgate, Bo'ness, Broxburn, Livingston, Whitburn
Westmorland	Westmorland	785	87466	Appleby, Ambleside, Kendal, Kirkby Lonsdale, Windermere
Wigtownshire	Wigtown	487	26618	Wigtown, Newton Stewart, Stranraer, Whithorn
Wiltshire	Wilts	1374	682380	Salisbury, Chippenham, Devizes, Marlborough, Swindon, Trowbridge, Warminster
Worcestershire	Worcester	709	1125037	Worcester, Dudley, Evesham, Great Malvern, Halesowen, Kidderminster, Stourbridge
Yorkshire	York	6081	5218838	York East Riding: Kingston upon Hull, Beverley, Bridlington, Driffield, Filey, Hornsea North Riding: Middlesbrough, Northallerton, Redcar, Scarborough, Whitby West Riding: Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, Wakefield, Halifax, Harrogate

See also

• Counties of the Republic of Ireland
• The Association of British Counties
• The Historic Counties Trust

External references

• The Gazetteer of British Place Names