- List of Iowa county name etymologies
This is a list of county name etymologies for the
U.S. state ofIowa .Counties, by first letter
Those 26 Iowa counties which have a name borne by no other county in the United States are indicated.
A
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Adair County, Iowa : Adair is named forJohn Adair , a general in theWar of 1812 and eighthgovernor of Kentucky .
*Adams County, Iowa : Adams is named for eitherJohn Adams , the secondpresident of the United States , or his son,John Quincy Adams , the sixthpresident of the United States .
*Allamakee County, Iowa : Allamakee is named for eitherAllan Makee , a trapper and trader, or is of Native American origin. (Unique county name)
*Appanoose County, Iowa : Appanoose is named forAppanoose , a chief of theSac and Fox Native American tribes who headed the peace party during theBlack Hawk War . (Unique county name)
*Audubon County, Iowa : Audubon is named forJohn James Audubon , the famous naturalist and painter. (Unique county name)B
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Benton County, Iowa : Benton is named for Thomas Hart Benton, a senator fromMissouri who pushed for westward expansion of theUnited States .
*Black Hawk County, Iowa : Black Hawk is named for Black Hawk, theSac and Fox Native American chief who led a revolt against resettlement of his tribe in theBlack Hawk War . (Unique county name)
*Boone County, Iowa : Boone is named forDaniel Boone , the famous frontiersman, and his son,Daniel Nathan Boone , a colonel in the U. S.Dragoon s.
*Bremer County, Iowa : Bremer is named forFredricka Bremer , a Swedish novelist. (Unique county name)
*Buchanan County, Iowa : Buchanan is named forJames Buchanan , the fifteenthpresident of the United States .
*Buena Vista County, Iowa : Buena Vista is named for theBattle of Buena Vista in theMexican-American War . (Unique county name)
*Butler County, Iowa : Butler is named forWilliam Orlando Butler , aKentucky candidate for the vice presidency and general in theMexican-American War .C
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Calhoun County, Iowa : Calhoun is named forJohn Caldwell Calhoun , the seventh vice president of the United States.
*Carroll County, Iowa : Carroll is named forCharles Carroll of Carrollton , a signer of theUnited States Declaration of Independence .
*Cass County, Iowa : Cass is named forLewis Cass , a senator and presidential candidate fromMichigan .
*Cedar County, Iowa : Cedar is named for the Cedar River.
*Cerro Gordo County, Iowa : Cerro Gordo is named for theBattle of Cerro Gordo in theMexican-American War . (Unique county name)
*Cherokee County, Iowa : Cherokee is named for theCherokee Native American tribe.
*Chickasaw County, Iowa : Chickasaw is named for theChickasaw Native American tribe.
*Clarke County, Iowa : Clarke is named forJames Clarke , a territorialgovernor of Iowa .
*Clay County, Iowa : Clay is named forHenry Clay, Jr. , a general who died during theMexican-American War and the son ofHenry Clay , the famous U.S. statesman.
*Clayton County, Iowa : Clayton is named forJohn M. Clayton , aDelaware senator and the eighteenthUnited States Secretary of State .
*Clinton County, Iowa : Clinton is named forDeWitt Clinton , the seventh and ninth governor of New York and presidential candidate in1812 .
*Crawford County, Iowa : Crawford is named forWilliam Harris Crawford , a presidential candidate as well asUnited States Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of War.D
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Dallas County, Iowa : Dallas is named for George Mifflin Dallas, the eleventh vice president of the United States.
*Davis County, Iowa : Davis is named forGarrett Davis , a United States Representative fromKentucky .
*Decatur County, Iowa : Decatur is named forStephen Decatur , a naval hero of theWar of 1812 .
*Delaware County, Iowa : Delaware is named for either the state ofDelaware orDelaware County, New York .
*Des Moines County, Iowa : Des Moines is named for theDes Moines River . (Unique county name)
*Dickinson County, Iowa : Dickinson is named forDaniel Stevens Dickinson , a United States senator fromNew York .
*Dubuque County, Iowa : Dubuque is named forJulien Dubuque , the first European settler ofIowa . (Unique county name)E
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Emmet County, Iowa : Emmet is named forRobert Emmet , an Irish patriot.F
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Fayette County, Iowa : Fayette is named for Marie-Joseph-Paul-Roch-Yves-Gilbert Du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, the French general in theAmerican Revolutionary War .
*Floyd County, Iowa : Floyd is named for eitherWilliam Floyd , a signer of theUnited States Declaration of Independence , or Charles Floyd, the only man to die on theLewis and Clark Expedition .
*Franklin County, Iowa : Franklin is named forBenjamin Franklin , the Founding Father, printer, scientist, and statesman.
*Fremont County, Iowa : Fremont is named for John Charles Frémont, the U. S. general,explorer , and presidential candidate.G
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Greene County, Iowa : Greene is named forNathanael Greene , a general in theAmerican Revolutionary War .
*Grundy County, Iowa : Grundy is named forFelix Grundy , anUnited States Attorney General and U.S. Senator fromTennessee .
*Guthrie County, Iowa : Guthrie is named forEdwin B. Guthrie , a soldier in theMexican-American War . (Unique county name)H
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Hamilton County, Iowa : Hamilton is named forWilliam W. Hamilton , a president of theIowa state senate who was influential in the creation of the county.
*Hancock County, Iowa : Hancock is named forJohn Hancock , the American patriot and signer of theDeclaration of Independence .
*Hardin County, Iowa : Hardin is named forJohn J. Hardin , a soldier in theBlack Hawk War andMexican-American War in which he lost his life.
*Harrison County, Iowa : Harrison is named forWilliam Henry Harrison , the ninthpresident of the United States .
*Henry County, Iowa : Henry is named forHenry Dodge , a governor of theWisconsin Territory (which included present-dayIowa ) and later U. S. senator fromWisconsin .
*Howard County, Iowa : Howard is named forTilghman Ashurst Howard , an U.S. senator fromIndiana and general inTennessee andIndiana .
*Humboldt County, Iowa : Humboldt is named for Friedrich Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt, the famous German scientist, explorer and statesman.I
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Ida County, Iowa : Ida is named for possiblyIda Smith , the first European-American child born in the county. (Unique county name)
*Iowa County, Iowa : Iowa is named for theIowa River and the Iowa Native American tribe.J
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Jackson County, Iowa : Jackson is named forAndrew Jackson , the seventhpresident of the United States .
*Jasper County, Iowa : Jasper is named forWilliam Jasper , a hero of theAmerican Revolutionary War .
*Jefferson County, Iowa : Jefferson is named forThomas Jefferson , the thirdpresident of the United States .
*Johnson County, Iowa : Johnson is named forRichard Mentor Johnson , the ninth vice president of the United States.
*Jones County, Iowa : Jones is named for George Wallace Jones, an U.S. senator fromIowa .K
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Keokuk County, Iowa : Keokuk is named for Keokuk, theSauk Native American leader. (Unique county name)
*Kossuth County, Iowa : Kossuth is named forLajos Kossuth , the Hungarian patriot. (Unique county name)L
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Lee County, Iowa : Lee is named for probablyWilliam Elliot Lee , a land dealer who owned an area ofIowa that included the future county.
*Linn County, Iowa : Linn is named for Lewis Fields Linn, an U.S. senator fromMissouri .
*Louisa County, Iowa : Louisa is named for eitherLouisa Massey ofDubuque, Iowa , who, according to legend, killed the murderer of her brother; orLouisa County, Virginia .
*Lucas County, Iowa : Lucas is named for Robert Lucas, the first governor of theIowa Territory and the twelfth governor of Ohio.
*Lyon County, Iowa : Lyon is named forNathaniel Lyon , anIowa n soldier who was the firstUnited States general killed in theAmerican Civil War .M
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Madison County, Iowa : Madison is named forJames Madison , the fourthpresident of the United States .
*Mahaska County, Iowa : Mahaska is named forMahaska , a chief of the Iowa Native American tribe. (Unique county name)
*Marion County, Iowa : Marion is named for eitherFrancis Marion , the "Swamp Fox" general of theAmerican Revolutionary War , or a leading pioneer whose name is not recorded.
*Marshall County, Iowa : Marshall is named forJohn Marshall , theChief Justice of the United States .
*Mills County, Iowa : Mills is named forFrederick Mills , a major fromIowa killed in theMexican-American War .
*Mitchell County, Iowa : Mitchell is named for eitherJohn Mitchel , an Irish patriot, or John Mitchell, an early surveyor.
*Monona County, Iowa : Monona is named for a word of uncertain Native American meaning. (Unique county name)
*Monroe County, Iowa : Monroe is named forJames Monroe , the fifthpresident of the United States .
*Montgomery County, Iowa : Montgomery is named forRichard Montgomery , an U.S. general killed in theAmerican Revolutionary War .
*Muscatine County, Iowa : Muscatine is named for either the Muscatine Native American tribe, the Native American word for prairie, orMuscatine Island in theMississippi River . (Unique county name)O
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O'Brien County, Iowa : O'Brien is named forWilliam Smith O'Brien , an Irish patriot. (Unique county name)
*Osceola County, Iowa : Osceola is named forOsceola , the Native American leader in theSecond Seminole War .P
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Page County, Iowa : Page is named for John Page, a captain in theMexican-American War .
*Palo Alto County, Iowa : Palo Alto is named for theBattle of Palo Alto in theMexican-American War . (Unique county name)
*Plymouth County, Iowa : Plymouth is named forPlymouth, Massachusetts , the first settlement of thePilgrims in1620 .
*Pocahontas County, Iowa : Pocahontas is named forPocahontas , the famous Native American who played a leading role in the history of the first permanent English settlements inNorth America .
*Polk County, Iowa : Polk is named for James Knox Polk, the eleventhpresident of the United States .
*Pottawattamie County, Iowa : Pottawattamie is named for thePotawatomi (Pottawattamie) Native American people. (Unique county name)
*Poweshiek County, Iowa : Poweshiek is named forPoweshiek , aFox chief that supported peace in theBlack Hawk War . (Unique county name)R
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Ringgold County, Iowa : Ringgold is named forSamuel B. Ringgold , a soldier who was killed in theMexican-American War . (Unique county name)*
Sac County, Iowa : Sac is named for the Sac Native American tribe. (Unique county name)
*Scott County, Iowa : Scott is named forWinfield Scott , the general and commander of theU. S. Army in the years leading up to theAmerican Civil War .
*Shelby County, Iowa : Shelby is named forIsaac Shelby , a general in theAmerican Revolutionary War and theWar of 1812 who served as the firstgovernor of Kentucky .
*Sioux County, Iowa : Sioux is named for theSioux Native American tribe.
*Story County, Iowa : Story is named forJoseph Story , a justice of theUnited States Supreme Court .T
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Tama County, Iowa : Tama is named for any of several Native American chiefs or chief's wives, over which there is dispute. (Unique county name)
*Taylor County, Iowa : Taylor is named forZachary Taylor , the twelfthpresident of the United States .U
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Union County, Iowa : Union is named for the union of theUnited States threatened by theAmerican Civil War .V
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Van Buren County, Iowa : Van Buren is named forMartin Van Buren , the eighthpresident of the United States .W
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Wapello County, Iowa : Wapello is named for Wapello, a Native American chief in theBlack Hawk War . (Unique county name)
*Warren County, Iowa : Warren is named forJoseph Warren , the patriot who died at theBattle of Bunker Hill .
*Washington County, Iowa : Washington is named forGeorge Washington , the firstpresident of the United States .
*Wayne County, Iowa : Wayne is named forAnthony Wayne , theAmerican Revolutionary War general.
*Webster County, Iowa : Webster is named forDaniel Webster , the statesman, senator, andUnited States Secretary of State .
*Winnebago County, Iowa : Winnebago is named for the Winnebago Native American tribe.
*Winneshiek County, Iowa : Winneshiek is named forWinneshiek , a chief of the Winnebago Native American tribe. (Unique county name)
*Woodbury County, Iowa : Woodbury is named forLevi Woodbury , agovernor of New Hampshire ,United States Secretary of the Navy ,United States Secretary of the Treasury , and Justice of theUnited States Supreme Court . (Unique county name)
*Worth County, Iowa : Worth is named forWilliam Jenkins Worth , a general in theBlack Hawk War andMexican-American War .
*Wright County, Iowa : Wright is named forSilas Wright , an U. S. senator fromNew York and sixteenthgovernor of New York ; andJoseph A. Wright , an U. S. senator fromIndiana .ource
* [http://www.uiowa.edu/~osa/regions/region.htm Histories of Iowa Counties]
ee also
*
Iowa
*List of counties in Iowa
*County (United States)
*Lists of U.S. county name etymologies
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