List of Missouri county name etymologies
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This is a list of Missouri county name etymologies. Missouri counties tend to be named after American Revolutionary War generals, soldiers from other early American wars, pioneer settlers, Presidents of the United States, Governors of Missouri, state legisators, U.S. Senators and Congressmen from Missouri, geographical features, early explorers of the American West and Missouri in particular.
- Adair County, Missouri: Adair is named after John Adair, the eighth governor of Kentucky.
- Andrew County, Missouri: Andrew is named after Andrew Jackson Davis, an important citizen in St. Louis, Missouri and Savannah, Missouri.
- Atchison County, Missouri: Atchison is named after David Rice Atchison, an U. S. senator from Missouri.
- Audrain County, Missouri: Audrain is named after James H. Audrain, a state legislator.
- Barry County, Missouri: Barry is named after William Taylor Barry, an United States Postmaster General.
- Barton County, Missouri: Barton is named after David Barton, an U. S. senator from Missouri.
- Bates County, Missouri: Bates is named after Frederick Bates, the second governor of Missouri.
- Benton County: Benton is named after Thomas Hart Benton, an U. S. senator from Missouri.
- Bollinger County, Missouri: Bollinger is named after George Frederick Bollinger, a pioneer and Missouri state legislator.
- Boone County: Boone is named after Daniel Boone.
- Buchanan County: Buchanan is named for U.S. Senator, later President James Buchanan.
- Butler County: Butler is named after Kentucky U.S. Congressman William Orlando Butler.
- Caldwell County: Caldwell is either named after John Caldwell, an Indian scout; Colonel John Caldwell, a famous soldier; or Mathew Caldwell.
- Callaway County: Callaway is named after James Callaway, a "Missouri ranger" killed by Native Americans during the War of 1812.
- Camden County: Camden is named after Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden.
- Cape Girardeau County: Cape Girardeau is believed to have been named after Sieur Jean Baptiste de Girardot.
- Carroll County: Carroll is named after Founding Father Charles Carroll of Carrollton.
- Carter County: Carter is named after pioneer Zimri A. Carter.
- Cass County: Cass is named after Michigan U.S. Senator Lewis Cass.
- Cedar County: Cedar is named after Cedar Creek, a tributary of the Sac River, which in turn is named for the Eastern redcedar, a common tree of the area.
- Chariton County: Chariton is named from the Chariton River.
- Christian County: Christian is named after William Christian, a Kentucky soldier of the American Revolutionary War.
- Clark County: Clark is named after William Clark, leader of the Lewis and Clark expedition and later a Governor of Missouri Territory.
- Clay County: Clay was named in honor of U.S. Representative Henry Clay from Kentucky, later member of the United States Senate and United States Secretary of State.
- Clinton County: Clinton is named after Governor of New York DeWitt Clinton.
- Cole County: Cole is named after pioneer Capt. Stephen Cole, who came from Virginia in 1807.
- Cooper County: Cooper is named for Sarshall Cooper, who was killed by Indians near Arrow Rock in 1814.
- Crawford County: Crawford is named after Georgia U.S. Senator William H. Crawford.
- Dade County: Dade is named after Major Francis L. Dade of Virginia, who was killed in the Seminole War in 1835.
- Dallas County: Dallas is named after U.S. Vice President George M. Dallas.
- Daviess County: Daviess is named after Col. Joseph H. Daviess of Kentucky, who fell in 1811 at the Battle of Tippecanoe.
- DeKalb County: De Kalb is named after the American Revolutionary War general Johann de Kalb.
- Dent County: Dent is named after pioneer Lewis Dent.
- Douglas County: Douglas is named after Illinois U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas.
- Dunklin County: Dunklin is named after Governor of Missouri Daniel Dunklin.
- Franklin County: Franklin is named after Founding Father Benjamin Franklin.
- Gasconade County: Supposedly the inhabitants of this region had the same boastful character as the inhabitants of Gascony in France. Hence the name Gasconade, meaning 'Gascon-like'.
- Gentry County: Gentry is named after Col. Richard Gentry of Boone County, Missouri who fell in the Seminole War in 1837.
- Greene County: Greene is named after the American Revolutionary War general Nathaniel Greene.
- Grundy County: Grundy is named after U.S. Attorney General Felix Grundy.
- Harrison County: Harrison is named after U.S. Congressman from Missouri Albert G. Harrison.
- Henry County: Henry is named after the American patriot Patrick Henry.
- Hickory County: Hickory is named after U.S. President Andrew Jackson, nicknamed "Old Hickory."
- Holt County: Holt is named after Missouri state legislator David Rice Holt.
- Howard County: Howard is named after Benjamin Howard, governor of Louisiana Territory.
- Howell County: Howell was either named after pioneer James Howell or possibly a man named Thomas J. Howell.
- Iron County: Iron is named from the iron deposits found within its borders.
- Jackson County: Jackson is named after U.S. President Andrew Jackson.
- Jasper County: Jasper is named after the American Revolutionary War soldier William Jasper.
- Jefferson County: Jefferson is named after U.S. President Thomas Jefferson.
- Johnson County: Johnson is named after U.S. Vice President Richard Mentor Johnson.
- Knox County: Knox is named after the American Revolutionary War soldier Henry Knox.
- Laclede County: Leclede is named after the founder of St. Louis, Pierre Laclede Liguest.
- Lafayette County: Lafayette is named after the Marquis de la Fayette.
- Lawrence County: Lawrence is named after the U.S. naval hero of the War of 1812, James Lawrence.
- Lewis County: Lewis is named after Meriwether Lewis, leader of the Lewis and Clark expedition and later a Governor of Louisiana Territory.
- Lincoln County: Lincoln is named after the American Revolutionary War general Benjamin Lincoln.
- Linn County: Linn is named after U.S. Senator Lewis Linn.
- Livingston County: Livingston is named after U.S. Secretary of State Edward Livingston.
- Macon County: Macon is named after Nathaniel Macon.
- Madison County: Madison is named after U.S. President James Madison.
- Maries County: Maries is named from the Maries River and Little Maries River, 'Maries' being from the French marais, meaning marsh, lake or pond.
- Marion County: Marion is named after the American Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion, aka The Swamp Fox.
- McDonald County: McDonald is named for Sgt. Alexander McDonald from the American Revolutionary War.
- Mercer County: Mercer is named after the American Revolutionary War general John F. Mercer.
- Miller County: Miller is named after Governor of Missouri John Miller.
- Mississippi County: Mississippi is named from the Mississippi River.
- Moniteau County: Montineau is named after Moniteau Creek. 'Moniteau' is a French spelling of Manitou, Algonquin for the Great Spirit.
- Monroe County: Monroe is named after U.S. President James Monroe.
- Montgomery County: Montgomery is named after the American Revolutionary War general Richard Montgomery.
- Morgan County: Morgan is named after the American Revolutionary War general Daniel Morgan.
- New Madrid County: New Madrid is named after Madrid, Spain.
- Newton County: Newton is named after the American Revolutionary War soldier John Newton.
- Nodaway County: Nodaway is named from the Nodaway River. There is debate whether it is a Native American term for "placid", "crossed without canoe", or "snake". See the river entry for the etymology.
- Oregon County: Oregon is named from the Oregon Territory.
- Osage County: Osage is named after the indigenous Osage Nation.
- Ozark County: Ozark is named from the Ozark Mountains.
- Pemiscot County: Pemiscot is Native American word meaning liquid mud.
- Perry County: Perry is named after U.S. naval officer Oliver Hazard Perry.
- Pettis County: Pettis is named after Missouri U.S. Congressman Spencer Pettis.
- Phelps County: Phelps is named after Governor of Missouri John S. Phelps.
- Pike County: Pike is named after explorer Zebulon Pike.
- Platte County: Platte is named after the Platte Purchase and the Platte River, which are, in turn, named after the French word for flat or shallow.
- Polk County: Polk is named after either U.S. President James K. Polk; or Ezekiel Polk, the grandfather of both the president and an early settler in the county.
- Pulaski County: Pulaski is named after the American Revolutionary War general Casimir Pulaski.
- Putnam County: Putnam is named after the American Revolutionary War general Israel Putnam.
- Ralls County: Ralls is named after the Missouri state legislator Daniel Ralls.
- Randolph County: Randolph is named after the Virginia U.S. Senator John Randolph of Roanoke.
- Ray County: Ray is named for John Ray, a member of the first state constitutional convention.
- Reynolds County: Reynolds is named after the Governor of Missouri Thomas Reynolds.
- Ripley County: Ripley is named after the War of 1812 soldier Eleazar W. Ripley.
- St. Charles County: St. Charles is named after the Italian Cardinal St. Charles Borromeo.
- St. Clair County: St. Clair is named after the American Revolutionary War general Arthur St. Clair.
- St. Francois County: St. Francois is named from the St. Francois River, which in turn is probably named after Saint Francis of Assisi.
- St. Louis County: St. Louis is named after St. Louis, aka King Louis IX of France, who was the patron saint of King Louis XV of France.
- Ste. Genevieve County: Sainte Genevieve is named after Sainte Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris.
- Saline County: Saline is named from the area's salt springs.
- Schuyler County: Schuyler is named after the American Revolutionary War soldier Philip Schuyler.
- Scotland County: Scotland is named after Scotland.
- Scott County: Scott is named after U.S. Congressman from Missouri John Scott.
- Shannon County: Shannon is named after George Shannon a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
- Shelby County: Shelby is named after Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky and American Revolutionary War soldier.
- Stoddard County: Stoddard is named after Amos Stoddard, the first American Civil Commandant of Upper Louisiana.
- Stone County: Stone is named after William Stone, pioneer judge of Taney County.
- Sullivan County: Sullivan is named after the American Revolutionary War general John Sullivan.
- Taney County: Taney is named after the Chief Justice of the United States Roger B. Taney.
- Texas County: Texas is named after the Republic of Texas.
- Vernon County: Vernon is named after Missouri state legislator Miles Vernon.
- Warren County: Warren is named after the American Revolutionary War general Joseph Warren.
- Washington County: Washington is named after U.S. President George Washington.
- Wayne County: Wayne is named after Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
- Webster County: Webster is named after the U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster.
- Worth County: Worth is named after soldier William Jenkins Worth who fought in the Mexican-American War and the Seminole Wars.
- Wright County: Wright is named after U.S. Senator from New York Silas Wright.
See also
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