List of Kansas county name etymologies

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This is a list of county name etymologies for Kansas. Many of these counties are named for American Civil War officers, generals and heroes, Native American tribes that lived in the regions, Kansas Territory political leaders, or national figures who were involved in the Kansas-Nebraska free-slave controversy.

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Alphabetical, by first letter

A

Allen County is named for William Allen, an U.S. senator from Ohio.
Anderson County is named for Joseph C. Anderson, a state legislator.
Atchison County is named for David Rice Atchison, an U.S. senator from Missouri.

B

Barber County is named for Thomas W. Barber, a free-stater killed December 6, 1855 in Douglas County during the "troubles" near Lawrence, Kansas which came to be known as Bloody Kansas.
Barton County is named for Clara Barton, the famous nurse.
Bourbon County is named for Bourbon County, Kentucky .
Brown County is named for Albert Gallatin Brown, an U.S. senator from Mississippi.
Butler County is named for Andrew Pickens Butler, an U.S. senator from South Carolina.

C

Chase County is named for Salmon Portland Chase, an United States Secretary of the Treasury and Chief Justice of the United States.
Chautauqua County is named for Chautauqua County, New York, home of one of the county's early residents.
Cherokee County is named for the Cherokee Native American tribe.
Cheyenne County is named for the Cheyenne Native American tribe.
Clark County is named for Charles F. Clarke, a soldier in the American Civil War who died at the Battle of Memphis; the misspelling was apparently intentional on the part of the legislature.
Clay County is named for Henry Clay, the U.S. statesman, United States Secretary of State, and presidential candidate.
Cloud County is named for William F. Cloud, a soldier in the American Civil War.
Coffey County is named for A.M. Coffey, a territorial legislator and colonel in the U.S. Army.
Comanche County is named for the Comanche Native American tribe.
Cowley County is named for Matthew Cowley, an American Civil War figure who died at the Battle of Little Rock.
Crawford County is named for Samuel J. Crawford, the third governor of Kansas.

D

Decatur County is named for Stephen Decatur, a famous American naval officer.
Dickinson County is named for Daniel Stevens Dickinson, an U.S. senator from New York.
Doniphan County is named for A.W. Doniphan, who played an important part in the Mexican-American War as a colonel.
Douglas County is named for Stephen Arnold Douglas, the U.S. senator and presidential opponent of Abraham Lincoln.

E

Edwards County is named for John H. Edwards, a state legislator.
Elk County is named for the Elk River.
Ellis County is named for George Ellis, a soldier in the American Civil War who died at the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry.
Ellsworth County is named for Fort Ellsworth.

F

Finney County is named for D.W. Finney, a lieutenant governor of Kansas.
Ford County is named for James H. Ford, a soldier in the American Civil War.
Franklin County is named for Benjamin Franklin, the Founding Father, printer, scientist, and diplomat.

G

Geary County is named for John White Geary, a governor of the Kansas Territory in 1856, general in the American Civil War and the sixteenth governor of Pennsylvania from 1867 to 1873.
Gove County is named for Grenville L. Gove, a soldier in the American Civil War who died in 1864.
Graham County is named for John L. Graham, a soldier in the American Civil War who died at the Battle of Chickamauga.
Grant County is named for Ulysses Simpson Grant, the eighteenth president of the United States and American Civil War general.
Gray County is named for Alfred Gray, a Kansas statesman.
Greeley County is named for Horace Greeley, the prominent journalist.
Greenwood County is named for Alfred B. Greenwood, an U.S. Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

H

Harper County is named for Marion Harper, a soldier in the American Civil War who died in Waldron, Arkansas.
Harvey County is named for James M. Harvey, a Kansas politician.
Haskell County is named for Dudley Chase Haskell, a U.S. representative from Kansas.
Hodgeman County is named for Amos Hodgman, a soldier in the American Civil War who died near Oxford, Mississippi.

J

Jackson County is named for Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States.
Jefferson County is named for Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States.
Jewell County is named for Lewis R. Jewell, a soldier in the American Civil War who died from wounds received in the Battle of Cane Hill, Arkansas.
Johnson County is named for Thomas Johnson, a minister and state legislator killed by bushwhackers in 1865.

K

Kearny County is named for one of two related U.S. soldiers: either Philip Kearny or his uncle, Stephen Watts Kearny.
Kingman County is named for Samuel A. Kingman, a chief justice of the Supreme Court of Kansas .
Kiowa County is named for the Kiowa Native American tribe.

L

Labette County is believed to be named for the French words la bette or the beet.
Lane County is named for James H. Lane, an U.S. senator from Kansas.
Leavenworth County is named for Henry Leavenworth, an U.S. soldier in the War of 1812 and in the American West.
Lincoln County is named for Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States.
Linn County is named for Lewis Fields Linn, an U.S. senator from Missouri.
Logan County is named for John Alexander Logan, a general in the American Civil War.
Lyon County is named for Nathaniel Lyon, the first U.S. general to be killed in the American Civil War.

M

Marion County is named for Francis Marion, the American Revolutionary War known as the "Swamp Fox".
Marshall County is named for Frank J. Marshall, an U.S. general who established a ferry on the Big Blue River at the crossing of the Independence-California road (California Trail?) in 1849.
McPherson County is named for James Birdseye McPherson, a general in the American Civil War.
Meade County is named for George Gordon Meade, a general in the American Civil War who was the U.S. commander at the Battle of Gettysburg.
Miami County is named for the Miami Native American tribe.
Mitchell County is named for William D. Mitchell, a soldier in the American Civil War.
Montgomery County is named for Richard Montgomery, a general in the American Revolutionary War.
Morris County is named for Thomas Morris, an U.S. senator from Ohio.
Morton County is named for Oliver P. Morton, the fourteenth governor of Indiana, and a prominent supporter of the Union during the Civil War.

N

Nemaha County is named for the Nemaha River.
Neosho County is named for the Neosho River.
Ness County is named for Noah V. Ness, a soldier in the American Civil War.
Norton County is named for Orloff Norton, a soldier in the American Civil War.

O

Osage County is named for the Osage River.
Osborne County is named for Vincent B. Osborne, a soldier in the American Civil War.
Ottawa County is named for the Ottawa Native American tribe.

P

Pawnee County is named for the Pawnee Native American tribe.
Phillips County is named for William Phillips, a free-stater killed December 6, 1855 in Douglas County during the "troubles" near Leavenworth which came to be known as Bloody Kansas.
Pottawatomie County is named for the Potawatomi (Pottawatomie) Native American tribe.
Pratt County is named for Caleb Pratt, a soldier in the American Civil War.

R

Rawlins County is named for John Aaron Rawlins, an United States Secretary of War.
Reno County is named for Jesse L. Reno, a soldier in the American Civil War who died at the Battle of South Mountain.
Republic County is named for the Republican River, which in turn was named for the Pawnee Republic which once existed near the river.
Rice County is named for Samuel A. Rice, a soldier in the American Civil War.
Riley County is named for Fort Riley.
Rooks County is named for John C. Rooks, a soldier in the American Civil War.
Rush County is named for Alexander Rush, a soldier in the American Civil War.
Russell County is named for Alva P. Russell, a soldier in the American Civil War.

S

Saline County is named for the Saline River.
Scott County is named for Winfield Scott, the commander-in-chief of the U.S. Army during the years leading up to the American Civil War.
Sedgwick County is named for John Sedgwick, a general in the American Civil War.
Seward County is named for William Henry Seward, the United States Secretary of State during most of the 1860s.
Shawnee County is named for the Shawnee Native American tribe.
Sheridan County is named for Philip Henry Sheridan, the American Civil War general.
Sherman County is named for William Tecumseh Sherman, the American Civil War general.
Smith County is named for Nathan Smith, a soldier in the American Civil War.
Stafford County is named for Lewis Stafford, a soldier in the American Civil War.
Stanton County is named for Edwin McMasters Stanton, the United States Secretary of War during most of the American Civil War.
Stevens County is named for Thaddeus Stevens, an American statesman.
Sumner County is named for Charles Sumner, an U.S. senator from Massachusetts.

T

Thomas County is named for U.S. Army officer George Henry Thomas, a general in the American Civil War.
Trego County is named for Edgar P. Trego, a soldier in the American Civil War who died at the Battle of Chickamauga.

W

Wabaunsee County is named for Wabaunsee, a chief of the Potawatomi tribe.
Wallace County is named for Lew Wallace, the U.S. Army general, New Mexico Territory governor, and author of Ben-Hur.
Washington County is named for George Washington, the first president of the United States.
Wichita County is named for the Wichita Native American tribe.
Wilson County is named for Hiero T. Wilson, the first white person to settle at Fort Scott.
Woodson County is named for Daniel Woodson, an acting governor of the Kansas Territory.
Wyandotte County is named for the Wyandotte Native American tribe.


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