County Name Generator

Realistic county names for maps, novels and games

Places & Geography500 namesUpdated Sep 2026Free · no sign-up

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Generate county names that sound like they belong on a real map: American-style counties named for rivers, ridges and founders, English shires, Irish and Scottish counties, and medieval counties ruled by a count for fantasy settings.

About county names

Real county names are almost never invented from scratch, which is why made-up ones often ring false. In the United States the great majority are named after a person (a founder, a general, a politician), a natural feature (Wolf Creek, Red Clay, Sawtooth) or an older Native American or Spanish place name, and the word County always follows. English counties are older and shorter, built from a town plus -shire (Oakhamshire) or from Anglo-Saxon tribal and landscape words (Norbury, Saltmarsh, Upwold). Ireland puts the word first (County Kilbrannan), and Scotland's historic counties lean on glen, loch, strath and kirk.

In a fantasy or historical setting a county is literally the land held by a count, so the form County of Vaelmont signals feudal politics rather than a modern administrative map. A good fictional county name also hints at the terrain and the people who settled it: a frontier county might be Hardscrabble or Broken Arrow, an old coastal one Pelican Bay, a prosperous farming one Wheatfield or Pecan Grove.

This county name generator mixes all of those styles. Use the surname counties for a realistic American state map, the shires for an English-flavoured setting, and the County of names for a kingdom divided among noble houses.

How to choose county names

Pick a naming logic for the whole map and stick to it: a US-style state might be one third founder surnames, one third landscape names and one third older Native or Spanish names, which matches how real states look.
Keep neighbouring counties distinct in sound and first letter so readers can tell Marlow County from Marsden County at a glance.
If the setting is feudal, use the County of X form and give the ruling family the same name as the county, or explain why it differs; that mismatch is a ready-made plot hook.
Check that a name is not already a well-known real county if you are writing something set in a real state, or embrace the coincidence and make it a deliberate nod.
Say the name with its town: Sawyer County, Sawyer Courthouse, the Sawyer County Fair. If it works in all three, it will work on the page.

Frequently asked questions

How are real US counties usually named?

Roughly half are named for people, from presidents and war heroes to local landowners. Most of the rest describe a river, mountain, tree or animal, or preserve an older Native American, Spanish or French name. Patriotic abstractions such as Liberty or Union make up a small but recognisable share.

What is the difference between a county and a shire?

They are largely the same thing. Shire is the older English word for the territory administered from a county town, and many English counties still carry the -shire ending. County came in with the Normans, so in a fantasy setting shire reads as rustic and Anglo-Saxon while county reads as feudal and continental.

Can I use these county names in a novel or game?

Yes. Place names are not protected by copyright, and every name here is either invented or a common form. If your story is set in a real state, do a quick search to make sure the name is not a real county there unless you intend it to be.

How many counties should a fictional state or kingdom have?

US states range from 3 to 254 counties, with 60 to 100 being typical. For a map readers actually need to follow, 8 to 20 named counties is plenty; give the rest a region name and only name them when the plot arrives there.

More like this

Browse categoryAll Places & Geography

All 500 county names

This is the complete list the generator above draws its random batches from, sorted A to Z and grouped by first letter.

Plain text, one name per line.

A: 19 names

Abercraig
Abernathy County
Agua Fria County
Ainsworth County
Alcott County
Alder Creek County
Alderdale
Alpine Meadow County
Alta Vista County
Ambleshire
Amity County
Anvil County
Apple Valley County
Arrowhead County
Arroyo Hondo County
Ashcombe
Ashford County
Ashgrove County
Ashwell Hundred

B: 37 names

Badger Creek County
Bald Knob County
Banffmuir
Barlow County
Barrens County
Barrowshire
Bay Ridge County
Beaumont County
Beaver Dam County
Beckfordshire
Beech Grove County
Bell Hollow County
Belle Rive County
Bent Elm County
Big Sandy County
Big Thicket County
Bitterroot County
Blackjack County
Blackwood County
Blue Mesa County
Blue Ridge County
Bluestem County
Bois Brule County
Boonsferry County
Boulder Pass County
Bounty County
Brackenridge County
Brackenshire
Brambledown
Bramwell County
Brandleigh
Brazos Bend County
Briarwood County
Broken Arrow County
Buckhorn County
Buffalo Wallow County
Burnt Cabin County

C: 109 names

Cabin Creek County
Cabot County
Caldera County
Calderfordshire
Callum County
Cambershire
Candlewood County
Cane River County
Canyon Rim County
Carrickbraes
Carvell County
Catamount County
Cattail County
Cedar Bluff County
Chalk Mountain County
Chalkdown
Chandler County
Cherry Fork County
Chestnut Ridge County
Chimney Rock County
Cielo Alto County
Cinder Ridge County
Clearbrook County
Clearwater Bluff County
Cloudcroft County
Clover Bottom County
Clydesmuir
Coal Hollow County
Cobblestone County
Cohutta County
Cold Spring County
Coldmoor
Coldwater County
Concord County
Copper Basin County
Cotterdale
Cottonmouth County
County Ardcullen
County Ardfinnan
County Ardnagh
County Ballinahinch
County Ballymore
County Carrigeen
County Clonderry
County Corcaragh
County Drumlish
County Dunbeg
County Glenmurry
County Inishlough
County Kilbrannan
County Kilcarra
County Kilmorragh
County Knockfinn
County Lisgarvan

C, continued

County Lough Ennis
County Moyvane
County of Aldemar
County of Ardremont
County of Beloryn
County of Brennoc
County of Calvenne
County of Cassovar
County of Drelmont
County of Dunhallow
County of Elsinmoor
County of Estremar
County of Faldoran
County of Fennwick
County of Galdorne
County of Greyhollow
County of Harrowmere
County of Hollenbrook
County of Hollisvane
County of Iskar
County of Kaldris
County of Lorvane
County of Lusienne
County of Marrowick
County of Morhaven
County of Nimbrith
County of Norrenvale
County of Orvandel
County of Ostwyn
County of Pellos
County of Perrault
County of Quenmoor
County of Ravensholt
County of Rennmark
County of Sarnwick
County of Selvanne
County of Thessamar
County of Tremaine
County of Ulmarch
County of Vaelmont
County of Vossmere
County of Wintermarch
County of Wyrmford
County of Yvressa
County Rathkeel
County Tullamere
County Tyrmore
Coyote Wells County
Crabapple County
Crane Lake County
Crestline County
Crooked River County
Cross Timbers County
Crystal Springs County
Cypress Bend County

D: 16 names

Danesford
Danforth County
Deer Lick County
Delacroix County
Dogwood County
Dorsey County
Dos Rios County
Dove Creek County
Driftwood County
Dry Gulch County
Dunes County
Dunfallon
Dunmore County
Dunning County
Dunwold
Dutchman County

E: 14 names

Eagle Rock County
East Harling
Eastbrook County
Easterly County
Eel River County
Elderberry County
Eldridge County
Elk Fork County
Ellenshire
Ellesbury
Ellsmere County
Elmhurst County
Escatawpa County
Evergreen County

F: 17 names

Fairbanks County
Fairhaven County
Fairweather County
Fallbrook County
Falling Water County
Fenleigh
Fenwick County
Fernhill County
Fiddlers Gap County
Fidelity County
Firebrand County
Flatwoods County
Flint Hill County
Fontaine County
Fox Run County
Foxhamshire
Frostburg County

G: 22 names

Gallowmoor
Gannet County
Garrison County
Gilmartin County
Glen Orrin
Glenardoch
Glenkirk
Glenwood County
Gold Hill County
Goose Prairie County
Gorsedale
Grand Mesa County
Granger County
Granite Falls County
Grapevine County
Gray Wolf County
Great Bend County
Green Fork County
Greyling County
Greywold
Grosse Isle County
Gunpowder County

H: 29 names

Half Moon County
Halloway County
Hallowshire
Hanging Rock County
Hardscrabble County
Hargrove County
Harmony County
Harrow County
Harrowdenshire
Harvest County
Haskin County
Hatcher County
Hatfield Bend County
Havenshire
Hawksmere
Hawthorne County
Hazel Dell County
Hemlock County
Heron Marsh County
Hickory Flat County
High Plains County
Highbridge County
Hilltop County
Holderness Riding
Hollow Oak County
Holloway County
Honeysuckle County
Horsehead County
Hurricane Ridge County

I: 7 names

Ice Harbor County
Indigo County
Ingram County
Invermuir
Iron Mountain County
Ironwood County
Isley County

J: 5 names

Jackpine County
Jarvis County
Jasper Ridge County
Jessup County
Juniper County

K: 13 names

Kaskata County
Kelsmere
Kendrick County
Kesteven Parts
Kestrel County
Kettle Falls County
Kilgore County
Kincaid County
Kincardy
Kingsmarsh
Kinnikinnick County
Kirkbrae
Knob Creek County

L: 22 names

La Joya County
Lac du Cygne County
Ladbrokeshire
Laguna Seca County
Lake Marrow County
Langford County
Larch County
Larkspur County
Lattimer County
Laurel Fork County
Lead Hill County
Lindenshire
Loamshire
Lochailsh
Lockridge County
Locust Grove County
Lone Tree County
Longleaf County
Lookout Mountain County
Loon Lake County
Lost Creek County
Loyal County

M: 27 names

Macallister County
Maddox County
Magnolia Bend County
Manitou County
Maple Rapids County
Marble Hill County
Marchbank County
Marlow County
Marlowshire
Marrow Creek County
McBride County
Meadowlark County
Mereshire
Merriweather County
Middlewold
Midsomershire
Mill Pond County
Millbend County
Mineral Springs County
Minnetaka County
Mockingbird County
Monte Vista County
Mornayshire
Moss Point County
Mountain Home County
Mud Lake County
Muskrat County

N: 11 names

Naylor County
Needle Peak County
Nettle Creek County
New Hope County
Nine Oaks County
Nokomis County
Norbury
Norcross County
North Fork County
North Star County
North Wendling

O: 13 names

Oak Flat County
Oakhamshire
Oakhaven County
Old Ferry County
Oldcastle County
Orchard County
Ormsby County
Oro Fino County
Osprey County
Ossineke County
Oswaya County
Owl Creek County
Ox Bow County

P: 24 names

Painted Rock County
Panther Gap County
Pawpaw County
Peach Orchard County
Pecan Grove County
Pelican Bay County
Pembrook County
Pendergast County
Penmarrow
Pettibone County
Piedra Negra County
Pigeon Roost County
Pine Barren County
Pinewood County
Plum Island County
Pocataw County
Pointe Claire County
Poplar Bluff County
Possum Trot County
Prairie du Loup County
Prairie Fire County
Prairie View County
Prescott County
Prosper County

Q: 5 names

Quail Ridge County
Quarry Ridge County
Quartz Hill County
Quillshire
Quimby County

R: 23 names

Rabbit Ears County
Radcliffe County
Rainbow Falls County
Rattlesnake County
Raven Rock County
Ravenhurst County
Ravensmoor
Red Cedar County
Red Clay County
Redfern County
Redstone County
Renfro County
Rio Bravo County
Rio Seco County
River Bend County
Rocheblave County
Rockfish County
Rolling Fork County
Rookhaven
Ross and Cawdor
Rum River County
Rush Creek County
Rutledge County

S: 36 names

Sable County
Saddleback County
Sage Flat County
Salt Cedar County
Salt Fork County
Saltlick County
Saltmarsh
San Felipe County
San Isidro County
Sand Hill County
Santa Elena County
Santa Lucia County
Sawtooth County
Sequoia County
Shady Grove County
Shawnoga County
Sheep Mountain County
Sheffield County
Shiloh County
Shoal Creek County
Sierra Blanca County
Silver Falls County
Sixmile County
Slate Creek County
Smoky Hollow County
Sorrel County
South Dunmere
Split Rock County
Stallworth County
Stanwickshire
Stony Point County
Strathearn Mor
Strathmorne
Sugarloaf County
Sutherland County
Sweetgum County

T: 16 names

Tallgrass County
Tallmadge County
Tamarack County
Tanner County
Ten Mile County
Thackeray County
Thornbury County
Thornsley
Tilbury Hundred
Tilden County
Tonawa County
Tres Piedras County
Truesdale County
Tupelo Ridge County
Turkey Foot County
Twin Buttes County

U: 4 names

Umberland County
Unity County
Upshaw County
Upwold

V: 5 names

Vale County
Vanderburg County
Vandermeer County
Vaneshire
Vista Grande County

W: 20 names

Wabasso County
Wagon Mound County
Wapiti County
Waverly County
Wendell County
Wendlesham
Wequetong County
West Alderton
Westcott County
Westmarch
Whetstone County
White Birch County
Whitlock County
Whitmore County
Wickhamshire
Wild Horse County
Willow Bend County
Wolf Creek County
Wrenfold
Wrexhamshire

Y: 5 names

Yardley County
Yarrow County
Yeldershire
Yellow Jacket County
Yellow Pine County

Z: 1 name

Zelner County