Appendix 9
Virginia Counties and Origins
| County | Origins |
| Accomack | Formed: 1634 – Original shire. Named for: Indian word meaning other-side-place/ across the water place. |
| Albemarle. | Formed: 1744 from Goochland. Named for: William Anne Keppel, second Earl of Albemarle and Governor of Virginia Colony. |
| Alleghany. | Formed: 1822 from Bath, Botetourt and Monroe, West Virginia. Named for: Indian word meaning “endless” – referring to Appalachians. |
| Amelia | Formed: 1735 from Prince George and Brunswick. Named for: Amelia Sophia Eleanora, daughter of King George II. |
| Amherst | Formed: 1761 from Albemarle. Named for: Sir Jeffrey Amherst. |
| Appomattox | Formed: 1845 from Buckingham, Prince Edward, Charlotte, Campbell. Named for: Appamatuck Indian Village. |
| Arlington | Ceded from District of Columbia: 1846. Under Virginia jurisdiction: 1847. Named for: Arlington Estate of Washington, Lee and Custis families – Custis Family Mansion. |
| Augusta | Formed: 1738 from Orange. Named for: Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, mother of King George III. |
| Bath | Formed: 1791 from Augusta, Botetourt and Greenbrier, West Virginia. Named for: Medicinal (warm) springs in the area or for town of Bath in England. |
| Bedford | Formed: 1754 from Lunenburg and Albemarle. Named for: John Russell, fourth Duke of Bedford. |
| Bland | Formed: 1861 from Giles, Wythe and Tazewell. Named for: Richard Bland – Virginia statesman. |
| Botetourt | Formed: 1770 from Augusta and Rockbridge. Named for: Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt – Royal governor of Virginia Colony. |
| Brunswick | Formed: 1720 from Surry, Isle of Wight, and Prince George. Named for: German Duchy of Brunswick-Lunenburg. |
| Buchanan | Formed: 1858 from Tazewell and Russell. Named for: James Buchanan, U.S. President. |
| Buckingham | Formed: 1761 from Albemarle. Named for: Duke of Buckingham or English county. |
| Campbell | Formed: 1782 from Bedford. Named for: General William Campbell – American Revolutionary War leader. |
| Caroline | Formed: 1728 from Essex, King William and King and Queen. Named for: Caroline of Ansbach, wife of King George II. |
| Carroll | Formed: 1842 from Grayson. Named for: Charles Carroll of Carrollton (signer of Declaration of Independence). |
| Charles City | Formed: 1634 from Original shire. Named for: Prince Charles, son of King James I (Later Princes Charles would become King Charles I of England). |
| Charlotte | Formed: 1765 from Lunenburg. Named for: Charlotte Sophia of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| Chesterfield | Formed: 1749 from Henrico. Named for: Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield. |
| Clarke | Formed: 1836 from Frederick. Named for: George Rogers Clarke – American Revolutionary War leader. |
| Craig | Formed: 1851 from Botetourt, Giles, Alleghany, Roanoke, Montgomery, and Monroe, West Virginia. Named for: Robert Craig, House Delegate of Virginia. |
| Culpeper | Formed: 1749 from Orange. Named for: Lord Culpeper Colonial Governor of Virginia (or for other family members of Culpeper family). |
| Cumberland | Formed: 1749 from Goochland. Named for: Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II. |
| Dickenson | Formed: 1880 from Russell, Wise, Buchanan. Named for: William J. Dickenson, Virginia Legislator |
| Dinwiddie | Formed: 1752 from Prince George. Named for: Robert Dinwiddie, Lt. Governor of Virginia. |
| Essex | Formed: 1692 from Rappahannock (old). Named for: English County or Earl of Essex. |
| Fairfax | Formed: 1742 from Prince William. Named for: Thomas Fairfax, Lord Fairfax. |
| Fauquier | Formed: 1759 from Prince William. Named for: Francis Fauquier, Lt. Governor of Virginia. |
| Floyd | Formed: 1831 from Montgomery. Named for: John Floyd, Governor of Virginia. |
| Fluvanna | Formed: 1777 from Albemarle. Named for: Queen Anne (based on 18th century term for upper James River, Fluvanna or River of Anne). |
| Franklin | Formed: 1786 from Bedford and Henry. Named for: Benjamin Franklin. |
| Frederick | Formed: 1738 from Orange. Named for: Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son of King George II. |
| Giles | Formed: 1806 from Montgomery, Tazewell and Monroe, West Virginia. Named for: William B. Giles, U.S. Senator and Governor of Virginia. |
| Gloucester | Formed: 1651 from York. Named for English Country of Henry, Duke of Gloucester – third son of King Charles 1. |
| Goochland | Formed: 1728 from Henrico. Named for: William Gooch, Lt. Governor of Virginia. |
| Grayson | Formed: 1793 from Wythe. Named for: William Grayson, delegate to Continental Congress and U.S. Senator. |
| Greene | Formed: 1838 from Orange. Named for: General Nathanael Greene – American Revolutionary War leader. |
| Greensville | Formed: 1781 from Brunswick. Named for: General Greene or Sir Richard Grenville, one of the leaders of the lost Roanoke colony. |
| Halifax | Formed: 1752 from Lunenburg. Named for: George Montague-Dunk, second Earl of Halifax. |
| Hanover | Formed: 1721 from New Kent. Named for: King George I of England who was at the time the Prince Elector of Hanover in Germany. |
| Henrico | Formed: 1634 – Original shire. Named for: Prince Henry, son of King James I of England. |
| Henry | Formed: 1776 from Pittsylvania. Named for: Patrick Henry, American Revolutionary War leader and Governor of Virginia. |
| Highland | Formed: 1847 from Bath and Pendleton, West Virginia. Named for: the topography – terrain. |
| Isle of Wight | Formed: 1634 – Original shire formerly Warrosquyoake. Named for: Isle of Wight, England. |
| James City | Formed: 1634 – Original shire. Named for: King James I. |
| King George | Formed: 1721 from Richmond. Named for: King George I. |
| King and Queen | Formed: 1691 from New Kent. Named for: William III and Mary II. |
| King William | Formed: 1702 from King and Queen. Named for: King William III (William of Orange). |
| Lancaster | Formed: 1651 from York and Northumberland. Named for: English county. |
| Lee | Formed: 1793 from Russell. Named for: Henry Lee, Governor of Virginia. |
| Loudoun | Formed: 1757 from Fairfax. Named for: John Campbell, fourth Earl of Loudoun. Colonial governor of Virginia. |
| Louisa | Formed: 1742 from Hanover. Named for: Princess Louise, daughter of King George II. |
| Lunenburg | Formed: 1746 from Brunswick. Named for: Duchy of Brunswick-Lunenburg (Germany). |
| Madison | Formed: 1793 from Culpeper. Named for: James Madison, U.S. President. |
| Mathews | Formed: 1791 from Gloucester. Named for: Thomas Mathews, Virginia Legislator. |
| Mecklenburg | Formed: 1765 from Lunenburg. Named for: Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Wife of King George III. |
| Middlesex | Formed: 1674 from Lancaster. Named for: English county. |
| Montgomery | Formed: 1776 from formerly Fincastle. Named for: General Richard Montgomery, American Revolutionary War general. |
| Nelson | Formed: 1808 from Amherst. Named for: Thomas Nelson, Jr., Governor of Virginia. |
| New Kent | Formed: 1654 from York. Named for: English county of Kent or Kent Island in Chesapeake Bay. |
| Northampton | Formed: 1634 – Original shire, formerly Accomack. Named for: English county. |
| Northumberland | Formed: 1648 – Original county. Named for: English county. |
| Nottoway | Formed: 1789 from Amelia. Named for: Nadowa Indians. |
| Orange | Formed: 1735 from Spotsylvania. Named for: William III of England, (William of Orange). |
| Page | Formed: 1831 from Rockingham, Shenandoah. Named for: John Page, Governor of Virginia. |
| Patrick | Formed: 1791 from Henry. Named for: Patrick Henry, American Revolutionary War Leader and Governor of Virginia. |
| Pittsylvania | Formed: 1767 from Halifax. Named for: William Pitt, Earl of Chatham. |
| Powhatan | Formed: 1777 from Cumberland. Named for: Indian Chief Powhatan. |
| Prince Edward | Formed: 1754 from Amelia. Named for: Prince Edward Augustus, brother of King George III. |
| Prince George | Formed: 1703 – Original shire, formerly Charles City. Named for: Prince George of Denmark, husband of Queen Anne of England. |
| Prince William | Formed: 1731 from Stafford, King George. Named for: Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II. |
| Pulaski | Formed: 1839 from Montgomery and Wythe. Named for: General Casimir Pulaski, Polish military strategist who served with the Continental Army during American Revolutionary War. |
| Rappahannock | Formed: 1833 from Culpeper. Named for: Indian word meaning river of quick rising water. |
| Richmond | Formed: 1692 from Rappahannock (old). Named for: English county or Duke of Richmond. |
| Roanoke | Formed: 1838 from Botetourt and Montgomery. Named for: Rawrenoc – Indian currency – “shell money”. |
| Rockbridge | Formed: 1778 from Augusta and Botetourt. Named for: the natural rock bridge. |
| Rockingham | Formed: 1778 from Augusta. Named for: Charles Watson-Wentworth, second Marquess of Rockingham, British Prime Minister. |
| Russell | Formed: 1786 from Washington. Named for: William Russell, Virginia Legislator. |
| Scott | Formed: 1814 from Washington, Lee, Russell. Named for: General Winfield Scott, War of 1812 leader. |
| Shenandoah | Formed: 1772 from Frederick (Dunmore). Named for: Indian word meaning daughter of the stars – Shenandoah river. |
| Smyth | Formed: 1832 from Wythe and Washington. Named for: General Alexander Smyth, Virginia and U.S. Legislator. |
| Southampton | Formed: 1749 from Isle of Wight. Named for: town of Southampton in England or Henry Wriothesley, third Earl of Southampton. |
| Spotsylvania | Formed: 1721 from Essex, King William, and King and Queen. Named for: Alexander Spotswood, Lt. Gov., Virginia. |
| Stafford | Formed: 1664 from Westmoreland. Named for: English county. |
| Surry | Formed: 1652 from James City. Named for: English county. |
| Sussex | Formed: 1754 from Surry. Named for: English county. |
| Tazewell | Formed: 1800 from Wythe and Russell. Named for: Henry Tazewell, U.S. Senator. |
| Warren | Formed: 1836 from Frederick and Shenandoah. Named for: Joseph Warren, American Revolutionary War leader. |
| Washington | Formed: 1777 from formerly Fincastle. Named for: George Washington, Commander of the Continental Army and subsequently U.S. President. |
| Westmoreland | Formed: 1653 from Northumberland. Named for: English county. |
| Wise | Formed: 1856 from Lee, Scott and Russell. Named for: Henry A. Wise, Governor of Virginia. |
| Wythe | Formed: 1790 from Montgomery. Named for: George Wythe, signer of Declaration of Independence. |
| York | Formed:1642-3 – Original shire (Charles River County – 1634). Named for: James II of England, Duke of York. |