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

County name	State	Origin
Nacogdoches County	Texas	Named for the Nacogdoche tribe of Caddo Native Americans.
Nance County	Nebraska	Named after Governor Albinus Nance.
Town and County of Nantucket	Massachusetts	Nantucket takes its name from a word in an Eastern Algonquian language of southern New England, originally spelled variously as natocke, nantaticut, nantican, and nautican. The meaning of the term is uncertain, although it may have meant "in the midst of waters," or "far away island."
Napa County	California	Named for the city of Napa, California, which takes its name from a southern Nappan village.
Nash County	North Carolina	Named for Brigadier General Francis Nash, who had been mortally wounded at the Battle of Germantown.
Nassau County	Florida	Named for the Duchy of Nassau in Germany.
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	Named for the Natchitoches tribe of Native Americans.
Natrona County	Wyoming	Named for the natron (soda) deposits in the county.
Navajo County	Arizona	named for the Navajo.
Navarro County	Texas	Named for José Antonio Navarro, a Tejano leader in the Texas Revolution who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Nelson County	Kentucky	Named for Thomas Nelson, Jr. a Virginia Governor who signed the Declaration of Independence.
Nelson County	North Dakota	for Nelson E. Nelson, a ND legislator at the time.
Nelson County	Virginia	Named for Thomas Nelson, Jr. a Virginia Governor who signed the Declaration of Independence.
Nemaha County	Kansas	Chiwere word ñí-máha 'murky water.'
Nemaha County	Nebraska	Chiwere word ñí-máha 'murky water.'
Neosho County	Kansas	Neosho River, from the Osage meaning 'cold, clear water' or 'main river,'
Neshoba County	Mississippi	Nashoba, a Choctaw chief, derived from the Choctaw word nashoba, means Wolf.
Ness County	Kansas	Named for Corporal Noah V. Ness of the 7th Kansas Cavalry Regiment (US Army). Ness died of wounds suffered at the Battle of Abbeyville in Mississippi in August 1864.
Nevada County	Arkansas	The state of Nevada, which it resembles in shape.
Nevada County	California	named after the mining town of Nevada City, a name derived from the term "Sierra Nevada." The word nevada in Spanish means "snowy" or "snowcovered."
New Castle County	Delaware	William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, courtier.
New Hanover County	North Carolina	Named for the House of Hanover.
New Haven County	Connecticut	Named after its largest city and county seat, New Haven.
New Kent County	Virginia	The county of Kent, England.
New London County	Connecticut	Named after the county seat, New London, which is named for London, England.
New Madrid County	Missouri	Named after a district located in the region that was once under Spanish rule, Nuevo Madrid, after the city of Madrid, Spain.
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 almost all the area of the county.
Newaygo County	Michigan	Derived from then name of a Chippewa chief who signed the Treaty of Saginaw or from a Algonquian word meaning "much water."
Newberry County	South Carolina	Unknown; possibly named for Newbury, Berkshire, England.
Newport County	Rhode Island	Descriptive, recalling Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales
City of Newport News	Virginia	Not known with any certainty. See the "Name" section of the city's article for possibilities.
Newton County	Arkansas	Named for Thomas W. Newton, an Arkansas Congressman.
Newton County	Georgia	Named after Sgt. John Newton of the American Revolutionary War.
Newton County	Indiana
Newton County	Mississippi	Named for Sir Isaac Newton, physicist.
Newton County	Missouri	Named after Sgt. John Newton of the American Revolutionary War.
Newton County	Texas
Nez Perce County	Idaho	Named for the Nez Percé tribe of Native Americans.
Niagara County	New York	Derived from the Indian word Onguiaahra meaning the straight or thunder of waters.
Nicholas County	Kentucky	Named for George Nicholas, the "Father of the Kentucky Constitution".
Nicholas County	West Virginia	Named for Virginia Governor Wilson Cary Nicholas.
Nicollet County	Minnesota	Named for Joseph Nicolas Nicollet, a geographer-explorer.
Niobrara County	Wyoming	Omaha–Ponca languageIndian 'spreading water river.'
Noble County	Indiana	Named for James Noble, the first U.S. Senator from Indiana.
Noble County	Ohio	Named for Rep. Warren P. Noble of the Ohio House of Representatives, who was an early settler there.
Noble County	Oklahoma	for John W. Noble, Secretary of the Interior
Nobles County	Minnesota	Named for William H. Nobles, a member of the Territorial Legislature.
Nodaway County	Missouri	Named for the Nodaway River, from the Chiwere Nyi At'ąwe, "jump over water."
Nolan County	Texas	Named for Philip Nolan, one of the first American traders to visit Texas.
Nome Census Area	Alaska	Named for Nome, Alaska.
City of Norfolk	Virginia	Named for the county of Norfolk, England.
Norfolk County	Massachusetts
Norman County	Minnesota	In honor of the large number of Norwegians (endonym nordmenn), who settled in this county.
North Slope Borough	Alaska	Named for the Alaska North Slope, a region on the northern slope of the Brooks Range.
Northampton County	North Carolina	Named for James Compton, 5th Earl of Northampton.
Northampton County	Pennsylvania	Northamptonshire, England,
Northampton County	Virginia	for Spencer Compton, 2nd Earl of Northampton
Northumberland County	Pennsylvania	Named for the county of Northumberland, England.
Northumberland County	Virginia
Northwest Arctic Borough	Alaska	Named for its location in the northwest Arctic region of Alaska.
City of Norton	Virginia	Named in 1890 after Eckstein Norton, then president of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad.
Norton County	Kansas	Named for Orloff Norton.
Nottoway County	Virginia	From the Nottoway people.
Nowata County	Oklahoma	From the Lenape word nuwita, meaning "friendly" or "welcome."
Noxubee County	Mississippi	Derived from the Choctaw word nakshobi, meaning to stink.
Nuckolls County	Nebraska	Named after Stephen F. Nuckolls, an early pioneer in this area.
Nueces County	Texas	Named for the Nueces River, whose name comes from the Spanish word for walnuts or pecans.
Nye County	Nevada	Named in honor of James W. Nye, first governor of the Nevada Territory and later U.S. Senator from the state.

O

County name	State	Origin
O'Brien County	Iowa	For William Smith O'Brien, Irish leader
Oakland County	Michigan	Named for the numerous oak openings in the county.
Obion County	Tennessee	From the Obion River, named either from an Indian word meaning 'many forks' or from an Irish-French trapper named O'Brien.
Ocean County	New Jersey	Location on the Atlantic Ocean
Oceana County	Michigan	Named "Oceana" because it borders Lake Michigan, the freshwater "ocean."
Ochiltree County	Texas	For Col. William Beck Ochiltree, Republic of Texas secretary of the treasury.
Oconee County	Georgia	For the Oconee River, which is named after a Muskogean people.
Oconee County	South Carolina
Oconto County	Wisconsin	For the Oconto River, said to mean "plenty of fish."
Ofu County	American Samoa	Named after Ofu island.
Ogemaw County	Michigan	From the Anishinaabemowin word ogimaa, meaning "chief".
Oglala Lakota County	South Dakota	For the Oglala Lakota people.
Ogle County	Illinois	For Lt. Joseph Ogle, first Methodist layman in Illinois and captain of the territorial militia.
Oglethorpe County	Georgia	For Gen. James Edward Oglethorpe, founder of Georgia and first governor
Ohio County	Indiana	Named for the Ohio River (Seneca Ohi:yo', "Good River"), which it borders.
Ohio County	Kentucky	Named for the Ohio River (Seneca Ohi:yo', "Good River"), which it used to border until Daviess County and Hancock County were carved out of it in 1829.
Ohio County	West Virginia	Named for the Ohio River (Seneca Ohi:yo', "Good River"), which it borders.
Okaloosa County	Florida	From Choctaw oka lusa, "black water."
Okanogan County	Washington	From the Syilx (Okanogan, ukʷnaqín) people.
Okfuskee County	Oklahoma	Named for the Okfuskee, a Muscogee people.
Oklahoma County	Oklahoma	From the Choctaw phrase okla humma, meaning "red people", invented by Allen Wright and applied to the Oklahoma Territory.
Okmulgee County	Oklahoma	From the Creek okimulgi meaning "boiling water."
Oktibbeha County	Mississippi	From Choctaw okti abeha, "ice therein."
Oldham County	Kentucky	Named in honor of Col. William Oldham of Jefferson County, a Revolutionary War officer.
Oldham County	Texas	named for William Simpson Oldham Sr., Texas pioneer and Confederate Senator.
Oliver County	North Dakota	Harry S. Oliver, Republican politician and member of the Dakota Territory House of Representatives
Olmsted County	Minnesota	David Olmsted, first mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Olosega County	American Samoa	Named after Olosega island (Samoan ʻOlosega, "fortress of parakeets.")
Oneida County	Idaho	Named for Oneida Lake, from which most of the early settlers had migrated.
Oneida County	New York	Named for the Oneida people.
Oneida County	Wisconsin
Onondaga County	New York	From the Onondaga (Onöñda’gaga’, "Hill Place") people
Onslow County	North Carolina	Named for Arthur Onslow, longtime Speaker of the House of Commons.
Ontario County	New York	Named for Lake Ontario (Huron Ontarí'io, "great lake.")
Ontonagon County	Michigan	Named for the Ontonagon River, from Ojibwe Nondon-organ ("hunting river") or Ontonagori ("lost bowl").
Orange County	California	Named for the orange, so the county would sound like a semi-tropical, Mediterranean region to people from the east coast.
Orange County	Florida	Named for the orange, its main crop.
Orange County	Indiana	The first settlers were from Orange County, North Carolina.
Orange County	New York	Named for William, Prince of Orange, later King William III.
Orange County	North Carolina	Named for the ruling House of Orange-Nassau.
Orange County	Texas	Named for the orange, formerly its main crop.
Orange County	Vermont	Named for William, Prince of Orange, later King William III.
Orange County	Virginia	Named for William, Prince of Orange, later King William III.
Orangeburg County	South Carolina	Named for Orangeburg, South Carolina, which was named for William, Prince of Orange, later King William III.
Oregon County	Missouri	Named for the Oregon Territory.
Orleans County	New York	Uncertain; either to honor the Louis Philippe, Duc d'Orléans, or in reference to the 1815 Battle of New Orleans.
Orleans County	Vermont	Uncertain, believed to be named after Orléans, France.
Orleans County	Louisiana	Named for Philippe II, Duke of Orléans.
Osage County	Kansas	Named for the Osage Nation.
Osage County	Missouri	Named for the Osage River.
Osage County	Oklahoma	Named for the Osage Nation.
Osborne County	Kansas	Named for Captain Vincent B. Osborne, a Civil War soldier in the 2nd Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment on the Union side.
Osceola County	Florida	Named for the Seminole chief Osceola.
Osceola County	Iowa
Osceola County	Michigan
Oscoda County	Michigan	Believed to be a combination of two Ojibwa words, ossin (stone) and muskoda (prairie).
Oswego County	New York	Named for the Oswego River, from Mohawk for "small water flowing into that which is large."
Otero County	Colorado	Named for Miguel Antonio Otero, a prominent politician from the New Mexico Territory.
Otero County	New Mexico
Otoe County	Nebraska	Named for the Otoe people.
Otsego County	Michigan	Derived from the Mohawk word that meant either "clear water" or "meeting place."
Otsego County	New York	Named for Otsego Lake, from a Mohawk or Oneida word meaning "place of the rock", referring to the large boulder near the lake's outlet, today known as "Council Rock".
Ottawa County	Kansas	Named for the native Odawa people.
Ottawa County	Michigan
Ottawa County	Ohio
Ottawa County	Oklahoma
Otter Tail County	Minnesota	Named for the Otter Tail River.
Ouachita County	Arkansas	Named for the Ouachita River, named in turn for the Ouachita people, from the French transliteration of the Caddo word washita, meaning "good hunting ground."
Ouachita County	Louisiana
Ouray County	Colorado	Named for Chief Ouray, leader of the Uncompahgre Ute tribe and a noted statesman.
Outagamie County	Wisconsin	A French transliteration of Utagami, the Ojibwe term for the Meskwaki (Fox) Indians, meaning "dwellers on the other side of the stream," referring to their historic habitation along the St. Lawrence River
Overton County	Tennessee	Named for John Overton, judge, planter, politician and banker.
Owen County	Indiana	Named for Abraham Owen, soldier, surveyor and politician.
Owen County	Kentucky
Owsley County	Kentucky	Named for William Owsley, 16th Governor of Kentucky.
Owyhee County	Idaho	Named for some Native Hawaiian ("Owyhee") trappers who disappeared in the winter of 1819–20.
Oxford County	Maine	Possibly named for Oxford, Massachusetts.
Ozark County	Missouri	Named for the Ozarks (from the French abbreviation aux Arcs, aux Arkansas, "of/at Arkansas").
Ozaukee County	Wisconsin	From Ozaagii, the Ojibwe name for the Sauk people.

P

County name	State	Origin
Pacific County	Washington	Named for the Pacific Ocean.
Page County	Iowa	Named for Captain John Page, soldier killed in the Mexican–American War.
Page County	Virginia	Named for John Page, a governor of Virginia.
Palm Beach County	Florida	Named for Palm Beach, Florida, named for its palm trees.
Palo Alto County	Iowa	Named for the Battle of Palo Alto.
Palo Pinto County	Texas	Named for the Palo Pinto Creek (Spanish palo pinto, "painted stick").
Pamlico County	North Carolina	Named for the Pamlico people.
Panola County	Mississippi	From panolo, Choctaw and Chickasaw word for cotton.
Panola County	Texas
Park County	Colorado	Named for the South Park region.
Park County	Montana	Named for its proximity to Yellowstone National Park.
Park County	Wyoming
Parke County	Indiana	Named for Benjamin Parke, political figure.
Parker County	Texas	Named for Isaac Parker, a Texas state representative.
Parmer County	Texas	Named for Martin Parmer, signatory to the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Pasco County	Florida	Named for Samuel Pasco, a United States senator.
Pasquotank County	North Carolina	Pasquotank River, from Algonquian pashetanki, "where the current forks."
Passaic County	New Jersey	Pasaeck, a Lenape word for "valley."
Patrick County	Virginia	Named for Founding Father Patrick Henry.
Paulding County	Georgia	Named for Revolutionary War fighter John Paulding.
Paulding County	Ohio
Pawnee County	Kansas	Named for the Pawnee people.
Pawnee County	Nebraska
Pawnee County	Oklahoma
Payette County	Idaho	Named for Francois Payette, fur trader.
Payne County	Oklahoma	Named for David L. Payne, soldier and pioneer.
Peach County	Georgia	Named for the peach, a major crop.
Pearl River County	Mississippi	Named for the Pearl River.
Pecos County	Texas	Named for the Pecos River, from the Keresan term for the Pecos Pueblo.
Pembina County	North Dakota	From a Chippewa term for "stabbing."
Pemiscot County	Missouri	Named for the local bayou, taken from the Fox word, pem-eskaw, meaning "liquid mud."
Pend Oreille County	Washington	Named for the Pend d'Oreilles (French "hangs from ear") people, so called because of their shell earrings.
Pender County	North Carolina	Named for William Dorsey Pender, Confederate general.
Pendleton County	Kentucky	Named for Edmund Pendleton, planter and politician.
Pendleton County	West Virginia
Pennington County	Minnesota	Named for Edmund Pennington, President of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad.
Pennington County	South Dakota	Named for John L. Pennington, fifth Governor of Dakota Territory.
Penobscot County	Maine	Named for the Penobscot people.
Peoria County	Illinois	Named for the Peoria people.
Pepin County	Wisconsin	Named for Lake Pepin, named in turn after explorers Pierre and Jean Pepin du Chardonnets.
Perkins County	Nebraska	Named for Charles Elliott Perkins, president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.
Perkins County	South Dakota	Named for Sturgis, South Dakota official Henry E. Perkins.
Perquimans County	North Carolina	Named for the Perquimans (Perkiomen, Perkimen), an Algonquian people.
Perry County	Alabama	Named for naval officer Oliver Hazard Perry.
Perry County	Arkansas
Perry County	Illinois
Perry County	Indiana
Perry County	Kentucky
Perry County	Mississippi
Perry County	Missouri
Perry County	Ohio
Perry County	Pennsylvania
Perry County	Tennessee
Pershing County	Nevada	Named for General John J. Pershing.
Person County	North Carolina	Named for Revolutionary War fighter Thomas Person.
Petersburg Borough	Alaska	Named for Petersburg, Alaska, named for Saint Petersburg, Russia.
City of Petersburg	Virginia	Named for 17th-century soldier Peter Jones, who commanded a fort near the city's current location and opened a trading post known as Peter's Point where the city was eventually founded.
Petroleum County	Montana	Named for its petroleum fields; it was the first place in Montana where petroleum was discovered.
Pettis County	Missouri	Named for Spencer Darwin Pettis, politician; died in a famous duel.
Phelps County	Missouri	Named for John S. Phelps, Civil War general (U.S. Army) and 23rd Governor of Missouri.
Phelps County	Nebraska	Named for William Phelps, an early settler.
Philadelphia County	Pennsylvania	Named for Philadelphia, named by the city's founder William Penn from the Greek Φιλαδέλφεια, meaning "brotherly love" (from philos, "love", and adelphos, "brother").
Phillips County	Arkansas	Sylvanus Phillips, area's first known white settler and representative to the first legislature of the Arkansas Territory.
Phillips County	Colorado	R. O. Phillips, a secretary of the Lincoln Land Company.
Phillips County	Kansas	Named for William A. Phillips, journalist, soldier and politician.
Phillips County	Montana	Named for Benjamin D. Phillips, rancher and state senator.
Piatt County	Illinois	Named for James A. Piatt, an early settler.
Pickaway County	Ohio	Named for the Pekowi band of the Shawnee.
Pickens County	Alabama	Named for Andrew Pickens, militia leader in the Revolutionary War.
Pickens County	Georgia
Pickens County	South Carolina
Pickett County	Tennessee	Named for Howard L. Pickett, state legislator.
Pierce County	Georgia	Named for Franklin Pierce, U.S. President 1853–1857.
Pierce County	Nebraska
Pierce County	North Dakota	Named for Gilbert A. Pierce, author, journalist, playwright and politician.
Pierce County	Washington	Named for Franklin Pierce, U.S. President 1853–1857.
Pierce County	Wisconsin
Pike County	Alabama	Named for soldier and explorer Zebulon Pike.
Pike County	Arkansas
Pike County	Georgia
Pike County	Illinois
Pike County	Indiana
Pike County	Kentucky
Pike County	Mississippi
Pike County	Missouri
Pike County	Ohio
Pike County	Pennsylvania
Pima County	Arizona	Named for the Pima people.
Pinal County	Arizona	Named for the Pinal Mountains, named for their pine trees.
Pine County	Minnesota	Named for its pine trees.
Pinellas County	Florida	From Spanish Punta Piñal, "point of pines."
Pipestone County	Minnesota	Named for the presence of pipestone (catlinite) in its rocks.
Piscataquis County	Maine	The Piscataquis River, from an Abenaki word meaning "branch of the river."
Pitkin County	Colorado	Named for Frederick Walker Pitkin, who was Governor of Colorado at the time of the county's formation.
Pitt County	North Carolina	Named for William Pitt the Elder, then Secretary of State for the Southern Department and Leader of the House of Commons, later Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Pittsburg County	Oklahoma	Named because its coal production rivaled Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Pittsylvania County	Virginia	Named for William Pitt the Elder, then Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Piute County	Utah	Named for the Southern Paiute people.
Placer County	California	Named for the practice of placer mining.
Plaquemines County	Louisiana	From a Louisiana French word for the persimmon, derived from the Atakapa piakimin.
Platte County	Missouri	Named for the Platte River (probably from the French plate, "flat"), or the Platte Purchase.
Platte County	Nebraska	Named for the Platte River (probably from the French plate, "flat").
Platte County	Wyoming	Named for the North Platte River.
Pleasants County	West Virginia	Named for James Pleasants, 22nd Governor of Virginia.
Plumas County	California	From the Spanish name of the Feather River (Río de las Plumas).
Plymouth County	Iowa	Named for the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, named in turn for Plymouth, England, from where the Mayflower sailed to America.
Plymouth County	Massachusetts
Pocahontas County	Iowa	Named for the Powhatan princess Pocahontas.
Pocahontas County	West Virginia
Poinsett County	Arkansas	Named for Joel Roberts Poinsett, physician, diplomat and Secretary of War.
Pointe Coupee Parish	Louisiana	From French Pointe-Coupée, "point of the cutoff."
Polk County	Arkansas	Named for James K. Polk, President of the United States 1845–49.
Polk County	Florida
Polk County	Georgia
Polk County	Iowa
Polk County	Minnesota
Polk County	Missouri
Polk County	Nebraska
Polk County	North Carolina	Named for William Polk, a colonel in the American Revolution and a member of that state's House of Commons.
Polk County	Oregon	Named for James K. Polk, President of the United States 1845–49.
Polk County	Tennessee	Named for James K. Polk before he became President; he was governor of Tennessee at the time the county was established.
Polk County	Texas	Named for James K. Polk, President of the United States 1845–49.
Polk County	Wisconsin
Pondera County	Montana	Named for the Pend d'Oreilles people, whose name is French for "ear pendant."
Pontotoc County	Mississippi	From a Chickasaw word for the region meaning either "cattail prairie" or"land of hanging grapes."
Pontotoc County	Oklahoma
Pope County	Arkansas	Named for John Pope, 3rd Governor of Arkansas Territory.
Pope County	Illinois	Named for Nathaniel Pope, Secretary of the Illinois Territory.
Pope County	Minnesota	Named for John Pope, Union general in the Civil War.
City of Poquoson	Virginia	From pocosin, an Algonquian word meaning "a low, marshy, woody place covered by water in the winter, but dry in the summer."
Portage County	Ohio	Named for the portage between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers
Portage County	Wisconsin	Named for the portage between the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers
Porter County	Indiana	Named for David Porter, a notable Commodore for the Americans during the War of 1812.
City of Portsmouth	Virginia	Named for Portsmouth, England.
Posey County	Indiana	Named for Thomas Posey, a governor of Indiana Territory.
Pottawatomie County	Kansas	Named for the Potawatomi people.
Pottawatomie County	Oklahoma
Pottawattamie County	Iowa
Potter County	Pennsylvania	Named for James Potter, 4th Vice-President of Pennsylvania.
Potter County	South Dakota	Named for Joel A. Potter, territorial legislator.
Potter County	Texas	Named for Robert Potter, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and Texas Secretary of the Navy.
Powder River County	Montana	Named for the Powder River.
Powell County	Kentucky	Named for Lazarus W. Powell, 19th Governor of Kentucky.
Powell County	Montana	Named for Mount Powell, which was named in turn for John Wesley Powell.
Power County	Idaho	Named for the power plant at American Falls Dam.
Poweshiek County	Iowa	Named for Poweshiek, a Meskwaki chief.
Powhatan County	Virginia	Named for the Powhatan people.
Prairie County	Arkansas	Named for the Grand Prairie.
Prairie County	Montana	Named for its prairie landscape.
Pratt County	Kansas	Named for Caleb S. Pratt, U.S. Army soldier in the Bleeding Kansas conflict.
Preble County	Ohio	Named for Edward Preble, naval officer.
Prentiss County	Mississippi	Named for Seargent Smith Prentiss, orator and politician.
Presidio County	Texas	Named for Presidio del Norte ("Presidio of the North"), a border settlement established around 1760.
Presque Isle County	Michigan	Derived from a French term for "peninsula," literally "nearly an island."
Preston County	West Virginia	Named for James Patton Preston, 20th Governor of Virginia.
Price County	Wisconsin	Named for William T. Price, politician.
Prince Edward County	Virginia	Named for Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales, who was son of King George II.
Prince George County	Virginia	Named for Prince George of Denmark, husband of Queen Anne.
Prince George's County	Maryland
Prince William County	Virginia	Named for Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II.
Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area	Alaska	Named for Prince of Wales Island and Hyder, Alaska, named in turn after George, Prince of Wales (later George IV) and mining engineer Frederick Hyder respectively.
Providence County	Rhode Island	Named for Providence Plantations, named in turn for Divine Providence.
Prowers County	Colorado	Named for pioneer John W. 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	Named for Casimir Pulaski (Kazimierz Pułaski), Polish count who fought in the Revolutionary War.
Pulaski County	Georgia
Pulaski County	Illinois
Pulaski County	Indiana
Pulaski County	Kentucky
Pulaski County	Missouri
Pulaski County	Virginia
Pushmataha County	Oklahoma
Putnam County	Florida	Named for Benjamin A. Putnam, soldier and politician.
Putnam County	Georgia	Named for Revolutionary War general Israel Putnam.
Putnam County	Illinois
Putnam County	Indiana
Putnam County	Missouri
Putnam County	New York
Putnam County	Ohio
Putnam County	Tennessee
Putnam County	West Virginia

Q

County name	State	Origin
Quay County	New Mexico	Named for Pennsylvania senator Matthew Quay, who supported New Mexican statehood.
Queen Anne's County	Maryland	Named for Anne, Queen of Great Britain, who reigned when the county was established in 1706.
Queens County	New York	Named for the then-queen consort, Catherine of Braganza, the Catholic wife of Charles II.
Quitman County	Georgia	Named after General John A. Quitman, leader in the Mexican War, and two-time Governor of Mississippi.
Quitman County	Mississippi

R

County name	State	Origin
Rabun County	Georgia	Named for William Rabun, 29th Governor of Georgia.
Racine County	Wisconsin	Named for the city of Racine, Wisconsin, itself named after the Root River, racine being French for "root."
City of Radford	Virginia	Named for Dr. John B. Radford, early inhabitant.
Rains County	Texas	Named for Emory Rains, politician in the Republic of Texas.
Raleigh County	West Virginia	Named for Walter Raleigh, English writer, soldier, politician, spy and explorer.
Ralls County	Missouri	Named for Daniel Ralls, Missouri state legislator.
Ramsey County	Minnesota	Named for Alexander Ramsey, first territorial governor of Minnesota and second governor after statehood, and United States Secretary of War 1879–81.
Ramsey County	North Dakota
Randall County	Texas	Named for Horace Randal (sic), Confederate soldier.
Randolph County	Alabama	Named for John Randolph of Roanoke, planter and politician.
Randolph County	Arkansas
Randolph County	Georgia
Randolph County	Illinois	Named for Edmund Randolph, first Attorney General of the United States.
Randolph County	Indiana	Named for Randolph County, North Carolina.
Randolph County	Missouri	Named for John Randolph of Roanoke, planter and politician.
Randolph County	North Carolina	Named for Peyton Randolph, first President of the Continental Congress.
Randolph County	West Virginia	Named for Edmund Randolph, seventh Governor of Virginia and first U.S. Attorney General.
Rankin County	Mississippi	Named for Christopher Rankin, politician.
Ransom County	North Dakota	Named for Fort Ransom, named in turn for Thomas E.G. Ransom.
Rapides Parish	Louisiana	Named for the rapids (French rapides) on the Red River of the South.
Rappahannock County	Virginia	Named for the Rappahannock River, from the Algonquian lappihanne, meaning "river of quick, rising water" or "where the tide ebbs and flows."
Ravalli County	Montana	Named for Antonio Ravalli, Italian Jesuit missionary.
Rawlins County	Kansas	Named for John Aaron Rawlins, Civil War Union general and Secretary of War in 1869.
Ray County	Missouri	Named for John Ray, Missouri state legislator.
Reagan County	Texas	Named for John Henninger Reagan, Confederate cabinet member.
Real County	Texas	Named for Julius Real, member of the Texas State Senate.
Red Lake County	Minnesota	Named for the Red Lake River.
Red River County	Texas	Named for the Red River of the South.
Red River Parish	Louisiana
Red Willow County	Nebraska	Named for the Red Willow Creek, a mistranslation of the Dakota name Chanshasha Wakpala, "Red Dogwood Creek."
Redwood County	Minnesota	Named for the Redwood River, named for the dogwoods with reddish bark.
Reeves County	Texas	Named for George R. Reeves, Speaker of the House of the State of Texas and Confederate colonel.
Refugio County	Texas	Named for the city of Refugio, Texas, itself named for the Rancho Nuestra Señora del Refugio.
Reno County	Kansas	Named for Jesse L. Reno, soldier.
Rensselaer County	New York	Named for Kiliaen van Rensselaer, Dutch merchant and founder of New Netherland.
Renville County	Minnesota	Named for Joseph Renville, interpreter, translator and soldier.
Renville County	North Dakota
Republic County	Kansas	Named for the Republican River, which was named after a band of Pawnee nicknamed "the republicans."
Reynolds County	Missouri	Named for Thomas Reynolds, 7th Governor of Missouri.
Rhea County	Tennessee	Named for John Rhea, Irish-American Revolutionary War soldier and Congressman.
Rice County	Kansas	Named for Samuel Allen Rice, Civil War colonel.
Rice County	Minnesota	Named for Henry Mower Rice, fur trader and politician.
Rich County	Utah	Named for Charles C. Rich, early Latter Day Saints leader, one of the Council of Fifty and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles 1849–83.
Richardson County	Nebraska	Named for William Alexander Richardson, 5th Governor of Nebraska Territory.
Richland County	Illinois	Named for Richland County, Ohio, where many of the county's influential settlers came from.
Richland County	Montana	Named for the richness of its soil, in order to attract settlers.
Richland County	North Dakota	Named for Morgan T. Rich, early settler.
Richland County	Ohio	Named for the richness of its soil.
Richland County	South Carolina
Richland County	Wisconsin
Richland Parish	Louisiana
City of Richmond	Virginia	Named for Richmond, Surrey, England, because the view of the James River was supposedly similar to the view of the River Thames from Richmond Hill.
Richmond County	Georgia	Named for Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond, British politician; Secretary of State for the Southern Department and a supporter of the colonists during the Revolutionary War.
Richmond County	New York	Named for Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, illegitimate son of King Charles II.
Richmond County	North Carolina	Named for Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond, British politician; Secretary of State for the Southern Department and a supporter of the colonists during the Revolutionary War.
Richmond County	Virginia	Named for Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, illegitimate son of King Charles II.
Riley County	Kansas	Named for Bennet C. Riley, 7th Military Governor of California.
Ringgold County	Iowa	Named for Samuel Ringgold, artillery officer.
Rio Arriba County	New Mexico	Named for its location on the upper Rio Grande (río arriba means "upriver" in Spanish)
Rio Blanco County	Colorado	Named for the White River (known in Spanish as the Río Blanco), which runs through the county.
Rio Grande County	Colorado	Named for the Rio Grande, which runs through the county.
Ripley County	Indiana	Named for Eleazer Wheelock Ripley, an officer of the War of 1812.
Ripley County	Missouri
Ritchie County	West Virginia	Named for writer and publisher Thomas Ritchie.
Riverside County	California	Named for Riverside, California, the county seat, which in turn was named for its location beside the Santa Ana River.
Roane County	Tennessee	Named for Archibald Roane, second Governor of Tennessee.
Roane County	West Virginia	Named for Spencer Roane, politician and judge.
City of Roanoke	Virginia	Named for Roanoke County, Virginia.
Roanoke County	Virginia	Named for the Roanoke River, named from rawrenok, an Algonquian word for wampum.
Roberts County	South Dakota	Named for S. G. Roberts, fur trader.
Roberts County	Texas	Named for Oran Milo Roberts, 17th Governor of Texas.
Robertson County	Kentucky	Named for George Robertson, judge and politician.
Robertson County	Tennessee	Named for James Robertson, explorer, soldier and Indian agent.
Robertson County	Texas	Named for Sterling C. Robertson, empresario during Mexican Texas.
Robeson County	North Carolina	Named for Thomas Robeson, Revolutionary War soldier.
Rock County	Minnesota	Named for the Rock River.
Rock County	Nebraska	Named for Rock Creek, which flows in the county; or the rocky condition of the soil in the area.
Rock County	Wisconsin	Named for the Rock River.
Rock Island County	Illinois	Named for Rock Island (now Arsenal Island) in the Mississippi River.
Rockbridge County	Virginia	Named for the Natural Bridge.
Rockcastle County	Kentucky	Named for the Rockcastle River.
Rockdale County	Georgia	Named for Rockdale Baptist Church in Conyers, Georgia.
Rockingham County	New Hampshire	Named for Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, Prime Minister of Great Britain 1765–66 (and 1782).
Rockingham County	North Carolina
Rockingham County	Virginia
Rockland County	New York	Named for its rocky land.
Rockwall County	Texas	Named for Rockwall, Texas, which was named after rock walls thought to be man-made but later found to be natural clastic dikes.
Roger Mills County	Oklahoma	Named for Roger Q. Mills, Confederate officer and Texas politician.
Rogers County	Oklahoma	Named for Clement Vann Rogers, Cherokee settler and rancher.
Rolette County	North Dakota	Named for Joseph Rolette, fur trader and politician.
Rooks County	Kansas	Named for John C. Rooks, soldier in the U.S. Army during the Civil War.
Roosevelt County	Montana	Named for Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States 1901–1909.
Roosevelt County	New Mexico
Roscommon County	Michigan	Named for County Roscommon, Ireland; itself named for Roscommon (Irish Ros Comáin, "Coman's wooded height.")
Roseau County	Minnesota	Named for Roseau Lake and Roseau River (from the French roseau, "reed", a translation of the Ojibwe Ga-shashagunushkokawi-sibi, "place of rushes river").
Rosebud County	Montana	Named for the Rosebud River, a tributary of the Stillwater River, named for its wild roses.
Ross County	Ohio	Named for James Ross, Pennsylvania Senator.
Routt County	Colorado	Named for John Long Routt, the last Territorial and first State Governor of Colorado.
Rowan County	Kentucky	Named for John Rowan, politician.
Rowan County	North Carolina	Named for Matthew Rowan, acting governor of North Carolina 1753–54.
Runnels County	Texas	Named for Hiram Runnels, Mississippi politician.
Rush County	Indiana	Named for Founding Father Benjamin Rush.
Rush County	Kansas	Named for Alexander Rush, Union Army captain and Civil War hero.
Rusk County	Texas	Named for Thomas Jefferson Rusk, political and military leader of the Republic of Texas.
Rusk County	Wisconsin	Named for Jeremiah McLain Rusk, 15th Governor of Wisconsin.
Russell County	Alabama	Named for Gilbert C. Russell, soldier.
Russell County	Kansas	Named for Avra P. Russell, Union captain and Civil War hero.
Russell County	Kentucky	Named for William Russell, soldier, pioneer, and politician.
Russell County	Virginia	Named for William Russell, Revolutionary War soldier and settler.
Rutherford County	North Carolina	Named for Griffith Rutherford, Revolutionary War soldier.
Rutherford County	Tennessee
Rutland County	Vermont	Named for Rutland, Massachusetts, named in turn for the county of Rutland, England.

See also

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