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	Aberdeem	1,950	-	Aberdeen, Ellon, Fraserburgh, Huntly, Inverurie, Peterhead, Turriff
Anglesey	Anglesey	276	-	Beaumaris, Amlwch, Holyhead, Llangefni, Menai Bridge
Angus	Forfar	889	-	Forfar, Dundee, Arbroath, Brechin, Carnoustie, Kirriemuir, Montrose
Antrim	Antrim	1,175	-	Belfast, Antrim, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Carnlough, Larne, Portrush
Argyll	Argyll	3,110	-	Lochgilphead, Campbeltown, Dunoon, Inveraray, Oban, Tobermory
Armagh	Armagh	512	-	Armagh, Newry
Ayrshire	Ayr	1,129	-	Ayr, Cumnock, Irvine, Kilmarnock, Kilwinning, Largs, Saltcoats, Troon
Banffshire	Banff	641	-	Banff, Buckie, Dufftown, Keith, Macduff, Portsoy
Bedfordshire	Bedford	465	-	Bedford, Biggleswade, Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard, Luton, Sandy
Berkshire	Berks	722	-	Reading, Abingdon, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Newbury, Windsor, Wokingham
Berwickshire	Berwick	457	-	Greenlaw, Coldstream, Duns, Eyemouth, Lauder
Brecknockshire	Brecon	743	-	Brecon, Builth Wells, Hay-on-Wye, Llanwrtyd Wells, Talgarth
Buckinghamshire	Buckingham	745	-	Aylesbury, Buckingham, High Wycombe, Milton Keynes, Slough
Buteshire	Bute	225	-	Rothesay, Brodick, Lochranza, Millport
Caernarfonshire	Caernarfon	480	-	Caernarfon, Bangor, Conwy, Llandudno, Porthmadog, Pwllheli
Caithness	Caithness	618	-	Wick, Castletown, Halkirk, Thurso
Cambridgeshire	Cambridge	820	-	Cambridge, Ely, Chatteris, March, Cambridgeshire, Whittlesey, Wisbech
Cardiganshire	Cardigan	815	-	Cardigan, Aberystwyth, Lampeter, New Quay, Tregaron
Carmarthenshire	Carmarthen	1,095	-	Carmarthen, Ammanford, Kidwelly, Llandovery, Llanelli, St Clears
Cheshire	Chester	1,027	-	Chester, Birkenhead, Crewe, Macclesfield, Runcorn, Stockport, Wallasey
Clackmannanshire	Clackmannan	48	-	Clackmannan, Alloa, Dollar, Tillicoultry, Tullibody
Cornwall	Cornwall	1,349	-	Bodmin, Truro, Camborne, Falmouth, Newquay, Penzance, Redruth, St Austell
Cromartyshire	Cromarty	370	-	Cromarty, Ullapool
Cumberland	Cumberland	1,516	-	Carlisle, Brampton, Keswick, Penrith, Whitehaven, Workington
Denbighshire	Denbigh	640	-	Ruthin, Abergele, Denbigh, Llangollen, Wrexham
Derbyshire	Derby	1,029	-	Derby, Ashbourne, Buxton, Chesterfield, Ilkeston, Matlock, Swadlincote
Devon	Devon	2,405	-	Exeter, Plymouth, Barnstaple, Newton Abbot, Paignton, Tavistock, Tiverton, Torquay
Dorset	Dorset	980	-	Dorchester, Poole, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, Weymouth, Wimborne Minster
Down	Down	950	-	Downpatrick, Bangor, Holywood, Newcastle, Strangford
Dumfriesshire	Dumfries	1,063	-	Dumfries, Annan, Gretna, Langholm, Lockerbie, Moffat, Sanquhar
Dumbartonshire	Dumbarton	241	-	Dumbarton, Alexandria, Clydebank, Cumbernauld, Helensburgh, Kirkintilloch
Durham	Durham	1,015	-	Durham, Gateshead, Darlington, Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland, Washington
East Lothian	Haddington	267	-	Haddington, Dunbar, East Linton, North Berwick, Tranent
Essex	Essex	1,542	-	Chelmsford, Basildon, Brentwood, Colchester, Harlow, Romford, Southend-on-Sea, Stratford
Fermanagh	Fermanagh	715	-	Enniskillen, Belleek, Irvinestown
Fife	Fife	504	-	Cupar, Dunfermline, Burntisland, Cowdenbeath, Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, St Andrews
Flintshire	Flint	640	-	Mold, Connah's Quay, Buckley, Flint, Holywell, Prestatyn, Rhyl, St Asaph
Glamorgan	Glamorgan	845	-	Cardiff, Swansea, Barry, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath, Pontypridd
Gloucestershire	Gloucester	1,225	-	Gloucester, Bristol, Cheltenham, Cirencester, Stroud, Tewkesbury
Hampshire	Southampton	1,622	-	Winchester, Portsmouth, Southampton, Basingstoke, Bournemouth, Newport
Herefordshire	Hereford	833	-	Hereford, Bromyard, Kington, Ledbury, Leominster, Ross-on-Wye
Hertfordshire	Hertford	727	-	Hertford, St Albans, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Watford
Huntingdonshire	Huntingdon	359	-	Huntingdon, Ramsey, St Ives, St Neots, Yaxley
Inverness-shire	Inverness	4,211	-	Inverness, Fort William, Kingussie, Newtonmore, Portree
Kent	Kent	1,555	-	Maidstone, Canterbury, Bromley, Dover, Folkestone, Greenwich, Rochester
Kincardineshire	Kincardine	380	-	Stonehaven, Banchory, Inverbervie, Laurencekirk
Kinross-shire	Kinross	73	-	Kinross, Milnathort
Kirkcudbrightshire	Kirkcudbright	899	-	Kirkcudbright, Castle Douglas, Dalbeattie, New Galloway
Lanarkshire	Lanark	879	-	Lanark, Glasgow, Coatbridge, Carluke, East Kilbride, Hamilton, Motherwell
Lancashire	Lancaster	1,880	-	Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester, Preston, Barrow-in-Furness, Bolton, Warrington
Leicestershire	Leicester	800	-	Leicester, Coalville, Hinckley, Loughborough, Lutterworth, Melton Mowbray
Lincolnshire	Lincoln	2,646	-	Lincoln, Boston, Grantham, Grimsby, Louth, Scunthorpe, Skegness, Stamford
Londonderry	Londonderry	816	-	Londonderry, Coleraine, Limavady
Merioneth	Merioneth	780	-	Bala, Barmouth, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Dolgellau, Harlech, Tywyn
Middlesex	Middlesex	285	-	London, Brentford, Westminster, Ealing, Enfield, Harrow, Potters Bar, Staines, Twickenham
Midlothian	Edinburgh	362	-	Edinburgh, Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Musselburgh, Penicuik
Monmouthshire	Monmouth	530	-	Monmouth, Newport, Abergavenny, Blackwood, Chepstow, Cwmbran, Tredegar
Montgomeryshire	Montgomery	780	-	Montgomery, Llanidloes, Machynlleth, Newtown, Welshpool
Morayshire	Elgin/Moray	476	-	Elgin, Fochabers, Lossiemouth, Forres, Rothes
Nairnshire	Nairn	200	-	Nairn, Auldearn, Cawdor
Norfolk	Norfolk	2,044	-	Norwich, Cromer, East Dereham, Great Yarmouth, Hunstanton, King's Lynn
Northamptonshire	Northampton	984	-	Northampton, Peterborough, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough
Northumberland	Northumberland	2,018	-	Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Alnwick, (Berwick-upon-Tweed), Hexham, Morpeth
Nottinghamshire	Nottingham	825	-	Nottingham, Mansfield, Newark-on-Trent, Retford, Southwell, Worksop
Orkney	Orkney	376	-	Kirkwall, Balfour, Stromness
Oxfordshire	Oxford	756	-	Oxford, Banbury, Bicester, Carterton, Henley-on-Thames, Thame, Witney
Peeblesshire	Peebles	548	-	Peebles, Innerleithen, West Linton
Pembrokeshire	Pembroke	655	-	Pembroke, Fishguard, Haverfordwest, Milford Haven, Tenby, St David's
Perthshire	Perth	2,493	-	Perth, Blairgowrie, Callander, Coupar Angus, Crieff, Kincardine, Pitlochry, Rattray
Radnorshire	Radnor	485	-	Presteigne, Knighton, Llandrindod Wells, New Radnor, Rhayader
Renfrewshire	Renfrew	245	-	Renfrew, Barrhead, Greenock, Johnstone, Kilmacolm, Paisley, Port Glasgow
Ross-shire	Ross	3,089	-	Dingwall, Alness, Invergordon, Stornaway, Tain
Roxburghshire	Roxburgh	666	-	Jedburgh, Hawick, Kelso, Melrose, Roxburgh
Rutland	Rutland	152	-	Oakham, Cottesmore, Uppingham
Selkirkshire	Selkirk	267	-	Selkirk, Galashiels
Shetland	Shetland	551	-	Lerwick, Baltasound, Scalloway
Shropshire	Shrewsbury/Salop	1,343	-	Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Market Drayton, Oswestry, Telford, Whitchurch
Somerset	Somerset	1,640	-	Taunton, Bath, Bridgwater, Glastonbury, Wells, Weston-super-Mare, Yeovil
Staffordshire	Stafford	1,171	-	Stafford, Lichfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Cannock, Walsall
Stirlingshire	Stirling	447	-	Stirling, Bridge of Allan, Denny, Falkirk, Grangemouth, Kilsyth
Suffolk	Suffolk	1,489	-	Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Bungay, Felixstowe, Haverhill, Lowestoft, Sudbury
Surrey	Surrey	758	-	Guildford, Brixton, Croydon, Egham, Farnham, Kingston upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Wandsworth, Wimbledon, Woking
Sussex	Sussex	1,458	-	Chichester, Bognor Regis, Brighton, Crawley, Eastbourne, Hastings, Horsham, Worthing
Sutherland	Sutherland	2,028	-	Dornoch, Brora, Durness, Golspie, Helmsdale, Lairg, Tongue
Tyrone	Tyrone	1,260	-	Omagh, Cookstown, Dungannon, Strabane
Warwickshire	Warwick	885	-	Warwick, Birmingham, Coventry, Nuneaton, Rugby, Solihull, Stratford-upon-Avon
West Lothian	Linlithgow	120	-	Linlithgow, Armadale, Bathgate, Bo'ness, Broxburn, Livingston, Whitburn
Westmorland	Westmorland	783	-	Appleby, Ambleside, Kendal, Kirkby Lonsdale, Windermere
Wigtownshire	Wigtown	487	-	Wigtown, Newton Stewart, Stranraer, Whithorn
Wiltshire	Wilts	1,370	-	Salisbury, Chippenham, Devizes, Marlborough, Swindon, Trowbridge, Warminster
Worcestershire	Worcester	738	-	Worcester, Dudley, Evesham, Great Malvern, Halesowen, Kidderminster, Stourbridge
Yorkshire	York	6,066	-	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