List of United Kingdom county nicknames
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This is a list of nicknames for counties of the United Kingdom. This includes the counties of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Counties are only included if they have a nickname.
List[]
County | Nickname | Origins and notes |
---|---|---|
Bedfordshire | Clangers | From Bedfordshire clangers |
Berkshire | Berks The Royal County |
Shortening of Berkshire Due to Windsor Castle being in the county |
Berwickshire | Duns-shire | Due to Duns being the county town |
Buckinghamshire | Bucks | Shortening of Buckinghamshire |
Cambridgeshire | Cambs | Shortening of Cambridgeshire |
Carmarthenshire | Carms / Sir Gar | Shortening of Carmarthenshire / Welsh for Carmarthenshire |
Ceredigion | Cardiganshire | Ceredigion is from the ancient kingdom but Cardiganshire is sometimes colloquially used instead |
Clackmannanshire | Clacks | Shortening of Clackmannanshire |
Cornwall | Kernow | Cornish name for Cornwall |
County Antrim | The Glenmen | From the Glens of Antrim |
County Armagh | The Orchard County The Cathedral County |
Due to large number of orchards Due to the Primate of All Ireland being based in the county |
County Down | The Mourne County | From the Mourne Mountains |
County Fermanagh | The Maguire County | From the Medieval Lord, Baron Maguire |
County Londonderry | The Oak-Leaf County | Derry, an anglicisation of Doire, is Irish for oak grove, leading to an oak leaf being used on the county crest |
County Tyrone | The Red Hand County | From the Red Hand of Ulster on the county's GAA crest |
Derbyshire | Derbys | Shortening of Derbyshire |
Denbighshire / Sir Ddinbych | Denbs / Ddinbych | Shortening of Denbighshire / Shorthand from Welsh |
Fife | Kingdom of Fife | Referring to the old Kingdom of Fife |
Flintshire / Sir y Fflint | Flints / Fflint | Shortening of Flintshire / Shorthand from Welsh |
Gloucestershire | Glos | Shortening of Gloucestershire |
Hampshire | Hants | Shortening of Hampshire |
Hertfordshire | Herts | Shortening of Hertfordshire |
Isle of Anglesey / Ynys Môn | Môn | Shortened from the Welsh name for Anglesey |
Kent | The Garden of England | From the county's produce of fruit and agricultural crops |
Kincardineshire | The Mearns | From the Anglicisation of the Scots Gaelic word for The Stewartry |
Lancashire | The Red Rose County | From the red rose symbol of the Duchy of Lancaster |
Leicestershire | Leics | Shortening of Leicestershire |
Lincolnshire | Lincs | Shortening of Lincolnshire |
Middlesex | Middx | Shortening of Middlesex |
Monmouthshire / Sir Fynwy | Mons / Fynwy | Shortening of Monmouthshire / Shorthand from Welsh |
Northamptonshire | Northants | Shortening of Northamptonshire |
Northumberland | Northd | Shortening of Northumberland |
Nottinghamshire | Notts | Shortening of Nottinghamshire |
Oxfordshire | Oxon | Shortening of Oxfordshire |
Peeblesshire | Tweeddale | Due to being part of the district of Tweeddale |
Pembrokeshire / Sir Benfro | Pembs / Benfro | Shortening of Pembrokeshire / Shorthand from Welsh |
Shetland | Zetland | From the archaic spelling for Shetland |
Shropshire | Salop | From old abbreviations for Shropshire |
Staffordshire | Staffs | Shortening of Staffordshire |
Sussex | Sx | Shortening of Sussex |
Warwickshire | Warks | Abbreviation for Warwickshire |
Wiltshire | Wilts | Shortening of Wiltshire |
Worcestershire | Worcs | Shortening of Worcestershire |
Yorkshire | God's Own County | Self-proclaimed |
See also[]
Categories:
- Lists of counties of the United Kingdom
- Lists of regional nicknames