Counties Ending In Shire May 2026

Definition & Background The suffix "-shire" originates from Old English scir , meaning a district or administrative area. It is most commonly attached to county names in England , and to a lesser extent in Scotland , often derived from the county town (e.g., Gloucester → Gloucestershire). Key Point: Unitary Authorities vs. Traditional Counties Many traditional "-shire" counties still exist as ceremonial counties or historic counties , even if local government reorganization has split them into unitary authorities (e.g., North Yorkshire is still a ceremonial county, even with multiple councils). This report focuses on traditional/county names ending in "-shire" as commonly recognized. 1. Counties Ending in "Shire" – England | County Name | County Town | Region | Notes | |-------------|-------------|--------|-------| | Bedfordshire | Bedford | East of England | Unitary: Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton | | Berkshire | Reading | South East | Ceremonial only; unitary authorities | | Buckinghamshire | Aylesbury | South East | Unitary: Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes | | Cambridgeshire | Cambridge | East of England | Includes Peterborough (unitary) | | Cheshire | Chester | North West | Unitary: Cheshire East, Cheshire West, Halton, Warrington | | Derbyshire | Derby | East Midlands | Includes Derby (unitary) | | Devonshire (shortened to Devon) | Exeter | South West | Historic name "Devonshire" still in occasional use | | Dorsetshire (shortened to Dorset) | Dorchester | South West | Unitary: Dorset, Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole | | Durham (County Durham) | Durham | North East | Officially "County Durham" – not always suffixed but historically “Durhamshire” | | Gloucestershire | Gloucester | South West | Includes South Gloucestershire (unitary) | | Hampshire | Winchester | South East | Includes Southampton & Portsmouth (unitary) | | Herefordshire | Hereford | West Midlands | Unitary authority | | Hertfordshire | Hertford | East of England | Two-tier county council | | Huntingdonshire | Huntingdon | East of England | Historic; now a district of Cambridgeshire | | Lancashire | Preston | North West | Includes Blackpool & Blackburn with Darwen (unitary) | | Leicestershire | Leicester | East Midlands | Includes Leicester (unitary) | | Lincolnshire | Lincoln | East Midlands | Includes North Lincolnshire & North East Lincs (unitary) | | Middlesex (historic) | – | London | Now mostly Greater London | | Northamptonshire | Northampton | East Midlands | Unitary: West & North Northamptonshire | | Northumberland | Alnwick | North East | Unitary – rarely “Northumberlandshire” but some historic references | | Nottinghamshire | Nottingham | East Midlands | Includes Nottingham (unitary) | | Oxfordshire | Oxford | South East | Two-tier county council | | Rutland | Oakham | East Midlands | Smallest historic county; not suffixed but in “Rutlandshire” (rare) | | Shropshire | Shrewsbury | West Midlands | Unitary authority | | Somersetshire (shortened to Somerset) | Taunton | South West | Unitary: Somerset, North Somerset, Bath & NE Somerset | | Staffordshire | Stafford | West Midlands | Includes Stoke-on-Trent (unitary) | | Suffolk | Ipswich | East of England | Not suffixed but is a shire county historically (no -shire in modern name) | | Surrey | Kingston upon Thames | South East | Not suffixed but historically a shire | | Sussex | – | South East | Historic; now East & West Sussex (neither suffixed) | | Warwickshire | Warwick | West Midlands | Two-tier county council | | Westmorland | Appleby | North West | Historic; now part of Cumbria | | Wiltshire | Trowbridge | South West | Unitary | | Worcestershire | Worcester | West Midlands | Two-tier county council | | Yorkshire | York | Yorkshire & Humber | Split into North, East, South, West Yorkshire (ceremonial) | Note: Devon, Dorset, Somerset are often shortened but historically "Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Somersetshire." 2. Counties Ending in "Shire" – Scotland Scottish equivalents are often called "Shires" or "Counties" (sometimes with "-shire" suffix).