List of U.S. county name etymologies, N-R

This is a list of U.S. county name etymologies, covering the letters N to R.

N

*Nacogdoches County, Texas
*Nance County, Nebraska
*Nantucket County, Massachusetts
*Napa County, California
*Nash County, North Carolina
*Nassau County, Florida
*Nassau County, New York: Named after an old name for Long Island, which was named Nassau after William of Nassau, Prince of Orange (who later became King William III of England.)
*Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana
*Natrona County, Wyoming
*Navajo County, Arizona
*Navarro County, Texas
*Nelson County, Kentucky
* Nelson County, North Dakota
* Nelson County, Virginia
*Nemaha County, Kansas
* Nemaha County, Nebraska
*Neosho County, Kansas
*Neshoba County, Mississippi
*Ness County, Kansas
*Nevada County, Arkansas
* Nevada County, California
*New Castle County, Delaware
*New Hanover County, North Carolina
*New Haven County, Connecticut: New Haven is named after its largest city and county seat, New Haven.
*New Kent County, Virginia
*New London County, Connecticut: New London is named after the county seat, New London, which is obviously named for London.
*New Madrid County, Missouri
*New York County, New York: New York is named after James, Duke of York, who renamed New Amsterdam after himself shortly after the British takeover in 1664. The county name also refers to the fact that New York City was wholly contained in the county until it combined with other areas in the 1880s. New York County today is thus simply referred to as Manhattan, the island that forms the area of the county.
*Newaygo County, Michigan
*Newberry County, South Carolina
*Newport County, Rhode Island
*Newport News, Virginia
*Newton County, Arkansas
* Newton County, Georgia
* Newton County, Indiana: Newton is named for Sgt. John Newton.
* Newton County, Mississippi
* Newton County, Missouri
* Newton County, Texas
*Nez Perce County, Idaho
*Niagara County, New York
*Nicholas County, Kentucky
* Nicholas County, West Virginia
*Nicollet County, Minnesota
*Niobrara County, Wyoming
*Noble County, Indiana: Noble is named for James Noble, the first U.S. Senator from Indiana.
* Noble County, Ohio
* Noble County, Oklahoma
*Nobles County, Minnesota
*Nodaway County, Missouri
*Nolan County, Texas
*Nome Census Area, Alaska
*Norfolk, Virginia
*Norfolk County, Massachusetts
*Norman County, Minnesota
*North Slope Borough, Alaska
*Northampton County, North Carolina
* Northampton County, Pennsylvania
* Northampton County, Virginia
*Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
* Northumberland County, Virginia
*Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
*Norton, Virginia
*Norton County, Kansas
*Nottoway County, Virginia
*Nowata County, Oklahoma
*Noxubee County, Mississippi
*Nuckolls County, Nebraska
*Nueces County, Texas
*Nye County, Nevada

O

*O'Brien County, Iowa
*Oakland County, Michigan
*Obion County, Tennessee
*Ocean County, New Jersey: Location on the Atlantic Ocean [citeweb|url=http://www.ocean.nj.us/museums/history.htm|title=History of Ocean County|accessdate=2007-05-09|publisher=Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission]
*Oceana County, Michigan
*Ochiltree County, Texas
*Oconee County, Georgia
* Oconee County, South Carolina
*Oconto County, Wisconsin
*Ogemaw County, Michigan
*Ogle County, Illinois
*Oglethorpe County, Georgia
*Ohio County, Indiana: Ohio is named for the Ohio River.
* Ohio County, Kentucky
* Ohio County, West Virginia
*Okaloosa County, Florida
*Okanogan County, Washington
*Okeechobee County, Florida: Okeechobee was named for the Lake Okeechobee, which was itself named for Hitchiti words oka (water) and chobi (big).
*Okfuskee County, Oklahoma
*Oklahoma County, Oklahoma
*Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
*Oktibbeha County, Mississippi
*Oldham County, Kentucky
* Oldham County, Texas
*Oliver County, North Dakota
*Olmsted County, Minnesota
*Oneida County, Idaho
* Oneida County, New York
* Oneida County, Wisconsin
*Onondaga County, New York
*Onslow County, North Carolina
*Ontario County, New York
*Ontonagon County, Michigan
*Orange County, California: Orange is named for its main product at the time of its naming, oranges.
* Orange County, Florida: Orange is named for its main product at the time of its naming, oranges.
* Orange County, Indiana: Orange is named for Orange County, North Carolina.
* Orange County, New York
* Orange County, North Carolina
* Orange County, Texas
* Orange County, Vermont
* Orange County, Virginia
*Orangeburg County, South Carolina
*Oregon County, Missouri
*Orleans County, New York
* Orleans County, Vermont
* Orleans Parish, Louisiana
*Osage County, Kansas
* Osage County, Missouri
* Osage County, Oklahoma
*Osborne County, Kansas
*Osceola County, Florida
* Osceola County, Iowa
* Osceola County, Michigan
*Oscoda County, Michigan
*Oswego County, New York
*Otero County, Colorado: Otero County is named for Miguel Antonio Otero, a prominent politician from the New Mexico Territory.
* Otero County, New Mexico: Otero County is named for Miguel Antonio Otero, a prominent politician from the New Mexico Territory.
*Otoe County, Nebraska
*Otsego County, Michigan
* Otsego County, New York
*Ottawa County, Kansas
* Ottawa County, Michigan
* Ottawa County, Ohio
* Ottawa County, Oklahoma
*Otter Tail County, Minnesota
*Ouachita County, Arkansas
* Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
*Ouray County, Colorado: Ouray County is named for Chief Ouray, leader of the Uncompahgre Ute tribe and a noted statesman.
*Outagamie County, Wisconsin
*Overton County, Tennessee
*Owen County, Indiana: Owen is named for Abraham Owen, a colonel who died at the Battle of Tippecanoe.
* Owen County, Kentucky
*Owsley County, Kentucky
*Owyhee County, Idaho
*Oxford County, Maine
*Ozark County, Missouri
*Ozaukee County, Wisconsin

P

*Pacific County, Washington
*Page County, Iowa
* Page County, Virginia - John Page, a governor of Virginia
*Palm Beach County, Florida
*Palo Alto County, Iowa
*Palo Pinto County, Texas
*Pamlico County, North Carolina
*Panola County, Mississippi
* Panola County, Texas
*Park County, Colorado: Park County is named for South Park (Colorado basin), a large and fertile mountain valley.
* Park County, Montana
* Park County, Wyoming
*Parke County, Indiana: Parke is named for Benjamin Parke, a delegate of Indiana Territory to the U.S. Congress.
*Parker County, Texas
*Parmer County, Texas
*Pasco County, Florida
*Pasquotank County, North Carolina
*Passaic County, New Jersey from the Lenape word "Pahsayek" for valley [citeweb|url=http://www.web-savvy.com/river/schuylkill/new_lenape.html|title=The Lenape Language|accessdate=2007-05-09]
*Patrick County, Virginia
*Paulding County, Georgia
* Paulding County, Ohio
*Pawnee County, Kansas: Pawnee County is named for the Pawnee Indian tribe who readily utilized the land as prime hunting grounds.
* Pawnee County, Nebraska
* Pawnee County, Oklahoma
*Payette County, Idaho
*Payne County, Oklahoma
*Peach County, Georgia
*Pearl River County, Mississippi
*Pecos County, Texas
*Pembina County, North Dakota
*Pemiscot County, Missouri
*Pend Oreille County, Washington
*Pender County, North Carolina
*Pendleton County, Kentucky
* Pendleton County, West Virginia
*Pennington County, Minnesota
* Pennington County, South Dakota
*Penobscot County, Maine
*Peoria County, Illinois
*Pepin County, Wisconsin
*Perkins County, Nebraska
* Perkins County, South Dakota
*Perquimans County, North Carolina
*Perry County, Alabama
* Perry County, Arkansas
* Perry County, Illinois
* Perry County, Indiana: Perry is named for U.S. naval officer Oliver Hazard Perry.
* Perry County, Kentucky
* Perry County, Mississippi
* Perry County, Missouri
* Perry County, Ohio
* Perry County, Pennsylvania: Formed in 1820, named for Oliver Hazard Perry, who passed away in 1819
* Perry County, Tennessee
*Pershing County, Nevada
*Person County, North Carolina
*Petersburg, Virginia
*Petroleum County, Montana
*Pettis County, Missouri
*Phelps County, Missouri
* Phelps County, Nebraska
*Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
*Phillips County, Arkansas
* Phillips County, Colorado: Phillips County is named for R.O. Phillips, a company secretary for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.
* Phillips County, Kansas: Phillips County is named for Williams Phillips, a free-state martyr who was killed September 1, 1856 in Leavenworth.
* Phillips County, Montana
*Piatt County, Illinois
*Pickaway County, Ohio
*Pickens County, Alabama
* Pickens County, Georgia
* Pickens County, South Carolina
*Pickett County, Tennessee
*Pierce County, Georgia
* Pierce County, Nebraska
* Pierce County, North Dakota
* Pierce County, Washington: Pierce is named for president Franklin Pierce.
* Pierce County, Wisconsin
*Pike County, Alabama
* Pike County, Arkansas
* Pike County, Georgia
* Pike County, Illinois
* Pike County, Indiana: Pike is named for explorer Zebulon M. Pike.
* Pike County, Kentucky
* Pike County, Mississippi
* Pike County, Missouri
* Pike County, Ohio
* Pike County, Pennsylvania
*Pima County, Arizona
*Pinal County, Arizona
*Pine County, Minnesota
*Pinellas County, Florida
*Pipestone County, Minnesota
*Piscataquis County, Maine
*Pitkin County, Colorado: Pitkin County is named for Frederick Walker Pitkin, who was Governor of Colorado at the time of the county's formation (1881).
*Pitt County, North Carolina
*Pittsburg County, Oklahoma
*Pittsylvania County, Virginia
*Piute County, Utah
*Placer County, California
*Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
*Platte County, Missouri
* Platte County, Nebraska,
* Platte County, Wyoming
*Pleasants County, West Virginia
*Plumas County, California
*Plymouth County, Iowa
* Plymouth County, Massachusetts
*Pocahontas County, Iowa
* Pocahontas County, West Virginia
*Poinsett County, Arkansas
*Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana
*Polk County, Arkansas
* Polk County, Florida
* Polk County, Georgia
* Polk County, Iowa
* Polk County, Minnesota
* Polk County, Missouri
* Polk County, Nebraska
* Polk County, North Carolina
* Polk County, Oregon
* Polk County, Tennessee
* Polk County, Texas
* Polk County, Wisconsin
*Pondera County, Montana
*Pontotoc County, Mississippi
* Pontotoc County, Oklahoma
*Pope County, Arkansas
* Pope County, Illinois
* Pope County, Minnesota
*Poquoson, Virginia
*Portage County, Ohio
* Portage County, Wisconsin
*Porter County, Indiana: Porter is named for David Porter, a notable Commodore for the Americans during the War of 1812.
*Portsmouth, Virginia
*Posey County, Indiana: Posey is named for Thomas Posey, a governor of Indiana Territory.
*Pottawatomie County, Kansas
* Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma
*Pottawattamie County, Iowa
*Potter County, Pennsylvania
* Potter County, South Dakota
* Potter County, Texas
*Powder River County, Montana
*Powell County, Kentucky
* Powell County, Montana
*Power County, Idaho
*Poweshiek County, Iowa
*Powhatan County, Virginia
*Prairie County, Arkansas
* Prairie County, Montana
*Pratt County, Kansas
*Preble County, Ohio
*Prentiss County, Mississippi
*Presidio County, Texas
*Presque Isle County, Michigan
*Preston County, West Virginia
*Price County, Wisconsin
*Prince Edward County, Virginia
*Prince George County, Virginia
*Prince George's County, Maryland
*Prince William County, Virginia
*Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area, Alaska
*Providence County, Rhode Island
*Prowers County, Colorado: Prowers County is named for cattleman and legislator John Wesley Prowers.
*Pueblo County, Colorado: Pueblo County is named for "El Pueblo", an adobe trading post located at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek.
*Pulaski County, Arkansas
* Pulaski County, Georgia
* Pulaski County, Illinois
* Pulaski County, Indiana: Pulaski is named for Kazimierz Pulaski, an ally of the Americans during the Revolutionary War.
* Pulaski County, Kentucky
* Pulaski County, Missouri
* Pulaski County, Virginia
*Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
*Putnam County, Florida
* Putnam County, Georgia
* Putnam County, Illinois
* Putnam County, Indiana: Putnam is named for American Revolutionary War general Israel Putnam.
* Putnam County, Missouri
* Putnam County, New York
* Putnam County, Ohio
* Putnam County, Tennessee
* Putnam County, West Virginia

Q

* Quay County, New Mexico
*Queen Anne's County, Maryland
*Queens County, New York: Named for the then-queen consort, Catherine of Braganza, the Catholic wife of Charles II.
*Quitman County, Georgia
*Quitman County, Mississippi

R

*Rabun County, Georgia
*Racine County, Wisconsin
*Radford, Virginia
*Rains County, Texas
*Raleigh County, West Virginia
*Ralls County, Missouri
*Ramsey County, Minnesota
* Ramsey County, North Dakota
*Randall County, Texas
*Randolph County, Alabama
* Randolph County, Arkansas
* Randolph County, Georgia
* Randolph County, Illinois: Named for Edmund Randolph, first Attorney General of the United States.
* Randolph County, Indiana: Randolph is named for either Thomas Randolph or Randolph County, North Carolina.
* Randolph County, Missouri
* Randolph County, North Carolina
* Randolph County, West Virginia
*Rankin County, Mississippi
*Ransom County, North Dakota
*Rapides Parish, Louisiana
*Rappahannock County, Virginia
*Ravalli County, Montana
*Rawlins County, Kansas
*Ray County, Missouri
*Reagan County, Texas
*Real County, Texas
*Red Lake County, Minnesota
*Red River County, Texas
* Red River Parish, Louisiana
*Red Willow County, Nebraska
*Redwood County, Minnesota
*Reeves County, Texas
*Refugio County, Texas
*Reno County, Kansas
*Rensselaer County, New York
*Renville County, Minnesota
* Renville County, North Dakota
*Republic County, Kansas
*Reynolds County, Missouri
*Rhea County, Tennessee
*Rice County, Kansas
* Rice County, Minnesota
*Rich County, Utah
*Richardson County, Nebraska
*Richland County, Illinois
* Richland County, Montana
* Richland County, North Dakota
* Richland County, Ohio
* Richland County, South Carolina
* Richland County, Wisconsin
*Richland Parish, Louisiana
*Richmond, Virginia
*Richmond County, Georgia
*Richmond County, New York: Named after an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England.
* Richmond County, North Carolina
* Richmond County, Virginia
*Riley County, Kansas
*Ringgold County, Iowa
*Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
*Rio Blanco County, Colorado: Rio Blanco County is named for the White River (known in Spanish as the "Río Blanco"), which runs through the county.
*Rio Grande County, Colorado: Rio Grande County is named for the Rio Grande River, which runs through the county.
*Ripley County, Indiana: Ripley is named for Eleazer W. Ripley, an officer of the War of 1812.
* Ripley County, Missouri
*Ritchie County, West Virginia
*Riverside County, California
*Roane County, Tennessee
* Roane County, West Virginia
*Roanoke, Virginia
*Roanoke County, Virginia
*Roberts County, South Dakota
* Roberts County, Texas
*Robertson County, Kentucky
* Robertson County, Tennessee
* Robertson County, Texas
*Robeson County, North Carolina
*Rock County, Minnesota
* Rock County, Nebraska
* Rock County, Wisconsin: after the Big Rock in Janesville marking a favored ford (not the Rock River). [cite web
url=http://www.co.rock.wi.us/Dept/RegisterDeeds/ROD.htm
title=Rock County Register of Deeds
publisherRock County, Wisconsin
accessdate=2008-02-09]
*Rock Island County, Illinois
*Rockbridge County, Virginia
*Rockcastle County, Kentucky
*Rockdale County, Georgia
*Rockingham County, New Hampshire
*Rockingham County, North Carolina
* Rockingham County, Virginia
*Rockland County, New York
*Rockwall County, Texas
*Roger Mills County, Oklahoma
*Rogers County, Oklahoma
*Rolette County, North Dakota
*Rooks County, Kansas
*Roosevelt County, Montana
* Roosevelt County, New Mexico
*Roscommon County, Michigan
*Roseau County, Minnesota
*Rosebud County, Montana
*Ross County, Ohio
*Routt County, Colorado: Routt County is named for John Long Routt, the last Territorial and first State Governor of Colorado.
*Rowan County, Kentucky
* Rowan County, North Carolina
*Runnels County, Texas
*Rush County, Indiana: Rush is named for Founding Father Benjamin Rush.
* Rush County, Kansas
*Rusk County, Texas
* Rusk County, Wisconsin
*Russell County, Alabama
* Russell County, Kansas
* Russell County, Kentucky
* Russell County, Virginia
* Rutherford County, North Carolina
* Rutherford County, Tennessee
*Rutland County, Vermont

ee also

*Lists of U.S. county name etymologies for links to the remainder of the list.

References