Pennsylvania's 67 County Names

Pennsylvania's history is revealed in the names of its counties. From its geological features, to Native American terms, to former U.S presidents, Pennsylvania's county names are as diverse as the citizens who live here.

1. Adams, in honor of President John Adams
2. Allegheny, for the Allegheny River
3. Armstrong, in honor of General John Armstrong
4. Beaver, for the Beaver River
5. Bedford, for Fort Bedford
6. Berks, for Berkshire, England
7. Blair, in honor of prominent citizen, John Blair
8. Bradford, second U.S. Attorney General William Bradford
9. Bucks, named after Buckinghamshire, England
10. Butler, in honor of General Rickard Butler
11. Cambria, named for Cambria Township of Somerset County
12. Cameron, in homor of U.S. Senator Simon Cameron
13. Carbon, alludes to its deposits of anthracite coal
14. Centre, refers to its geological location at the center of the state
15. Chester, derives from Chesire, England
16. Clarion, for the Clarion River
17. Clearfield, named for Clearfield Creek
18. Clinton, named for New York Governor DeWitt Clinton
19. Columbia, a allusion to America
20. Crawford, in Honor of Colonel William Crawford, a frontier hero
21. Cumberland, for Cumberland County, England
22. Dauphin, the title of the eldest son of the French King
23. Deleware, named for the Deleware River
24. Elk, named for the herd of elk that used to roam the county
25. Erie, named for Lake Erie
26. Fayette, in honor of the Marquis de la Fayettee
27. Forest, for its extensive forests
28. Franklin, in honor of Benjamin Franklin
29. Fulton, in honor of steamboat inventor, Robert Fulton
30. Greene, in honor of General Nathaniel Greene
31. Huntingdon, named for its county seat of Huntingdon
32. Indiana, named for the Territory of Indiana
33. Jefferson, iin honor of president Thomas Jefferson
34. Juniata, named for the Juniata River
35. Lackawanna, named for the Lackawanna River
36. Lancaster, named for Lancastershire, England
37. Lawrence, named for Perrys flagship, Lawrence
38. Lebanon, named for old Lebanon Township
39. Lehigh, derived from the German "Lecha" which comes from the Indian "Lechauwekind," meaning "where there are forks"
40. Luzerne, in honor of the French Minister to the U.S. Chevalier de La Luzerne
41. Lycoming, derived from a Delaware Indian word meaning "sandy or gravelly creek"
42. McKean, in honor of Governor Thomas McKean
43. Mercer, in honor of General Hugh Mercer
44. Mifflin, in honor of Governor Thomas Mifflin
45. Monroe, in honor of President James Monroe
46. Montgomery, for landowner Isaac Morris
47. Montour, in honor of Madame Montour, a prominent woman of both French and Indian decent
48. Northhampton, was subsequently named for Northamptonshire, England
49. Northumberland, named for the English county of the same name
50. Perry, in honor of Oliver Hazard Perry, victor in the Battle of Lake Erie
51. Philadelphia, the name signified "brotherly love" to PA founder, William Penn
52. Pike, in honor of General Zebulon Pike
53. Potter, in honor of General James Potter
54. Schuykill, named for the Schuykill River
55. Snyder, in honor of Governor Simon Snyder
56. Somerset, named for Somersetshire, England
57. Sullivan, in honor of Senator Charles C. Sullivan
58. Susquehanna, named for the Susquehanna River
59. Tioga, named for the Tioga River
60. Union, allusion to the Federal Union
61. Venango, comes from the Indian name for French Creek
62. Warren, in honor General Joseph Warren
63. Washington, in honor of George Washington
64. Wayne, in honor of General Anthoney Wayne
65. Westmoreland, names for a county in England
66. Wyoming, named for Wyoming Valley
67. York, named either for the Duke of York, and early paton of the Penn family or for the city and shire of York in England