County |
Nickname |
Origins and notes
|
Bedfordshire |
Clangers |
From Bedfordshire clangers
|
Berkshire |
Berks The Royal County |
Shortening of Berkshire Due to Windsor Castle being in the county
|
Berwickshire |
Duns-shire |
Due to Duns being the county town
|
Buckinghamshire |
Bucks |
Shortening of Buckinghamshire
|
Cambridgeshire |
Cambs |
Shortening of Cambridgeshire
|
Carmarthenshire
|
Carms / Sir Gar
|
Shortening of Carmarthenshire / Welsh for Carmarthenshire
|
Ceredigion
|
Cardiganshire
|
Ceredigion is from the ancient kingdom but Cardiganshire is sometimes colloquially used instead
|
Clackmannanshire |
The Wee County |
Smallest county in Scotland and the UK by area.[1]
|
Cornwall |
Kernow |
Cornish name for Cornwall
|
County Antrim |
The Glenmen |
From the Glens of Antrim
|
County Armagh |
The Orchard County The Cathedral County |
Due to large number of orchards Due to the Primate of All Ireland being based in the county
|
County Durham |
Land of the Prince Bishops |
From the Bishops of Durham.[2]
|
County Down |
The Mourne County |
From the Mourne Mountains
|
County Fermanagh |
The Maguire County |
From the Medieval Lord, Baron Maguire
|
County Londonderry |
The Oak-Leaf County |
Derry, an anglicisation of Doire, is Irish for oak grove, leading to an oak leaf being used on the county crest
|
County Tyrone |
The Red Hand County |
From the Red Hand of Ulster on the county's GAA crest
|
Derbyshire
|
Derbys
|
Shortening of Derbyshire
|
Denbighshire / Sir Ddinbych
|
Denbs / Ddinbych
|
Shortening of Denbighshire / Shorthand from Welsh
|
Fife |
Kingdom of Fife |
Referring to the old Kingdom of Fife
|
Flintshire / Sir y Fflint
|
Flints / Fflint
|
Shortening of Flintshire / Shorthand from Welsh
|
Gloucestershire |
Glos
The King's County
|
Shortening of Gloucestershire
The current King, King Charles III, has his family residence in this county.
|
Hampshire |
The Hog County Jane Austen's County |
Wild boar hunting in the New Forest[3] Jane Austen born in Hampshire[4]
|
Hertfordshire |
Herts |
Shortening of Hertfordshire
|
Isle of Anglesey / Ynys Môn |
Môn |
Shortened from the Welsh name for Anglesey
|
Kent |
The Garden of England |
From the county's produce of fruit and agricultural crops
|
Kincardineshire |
The Mearns |
From the Anglicisation of the Scots Gaelic word for The Stewartry
|
Lancashire |
The Red Rose County |
From the red rose symbol of the Duchy of Lancaster
|
Leicestershire |
Leics |
Shortening of Leicestershire
|
Lincolnshire |
Lincs or yellowbellies |
Shortening of Lincolnshire, old name for Lincoln’s yellow belly soldiers
|
Middlesex |
The Capital County |
Location of London, capital of England [5]
|
Monmouthshire / Sir Fynwy
|
Mons / Fynwy
|
Shortening of Monmouthshire / Shorthand from Welsh
|
Norfolk
|
Nelson's County
|
Naval officer Horatio Nelson born in Norfolk.[6]
|
Northamptonshire |
Rose of the Shires |
Central position within England.[7]
|
Northumberland |
Northd |
Shortening of Northumberland
|
Nottinghamshire |
Notts
Robin Hood's Country
|
Shortening of Nottinghamshire
From the legend of Robin Hood.[8]
|
Oxfordshire |
Oxon |
Shortening of Oxfordshire
|
Peeblesshire |
Tweeddale |
Due to being part of the district of Tweeddale
|
Pembrokeshire / Sir Benfro
|
Pembs / Benfro
|
Shortening of Pembrokeshire / Shorthand from Welsh
|
Shetland |
Zetland |
From the archaic spelling for Shetland
|
Shropshire |
Salop |
From old abbreviations for Shropshire
|
Staffordshire |
Staffs |
Shortening of Staffordshire
|
Sussex
|
Sx
|
Shortening of Sussex
|
Warwickshire |
Warks |
Abbreviation for Warwickshire
|
Wiltshire |
The Moonraker County |
Local gin-smuggling story.[9]
|
Worcestershire |
Worcs |
Shortening of Worcestershire
|
Yorkshire |
God's Own Country |
Self-proclaimed
|