"Shire" also refers, in a narrower sense, to ancient counties with names that ended in "shire". These counties are typically (though not always) named after their
county town. The suffix
-shire is attached to most of the names of English, Scottish and Welsh counties. It tends not to be found in the names of shires that were pre-existing divisions.
Essex,
Kent, and
Sussex, for example, have never borne a
-shire, as each represents a former
Anglo-Saxon kingdom. Similarly
Cornwall was a
Brittonic kingdom before it became an English county. The term "shire" is not used in the names of the
six traditional counties of
Northern Ireland.
Shire names in England — red indicates "-shire" counties, orange indicates where the "-shire" suffix is occasionally used Counties in England bearing the "-shire" suffix are: These counties, on their
historical boundaries, cover a little more than half the area of England. The counties that do not use "-shire" are mainly in three areas, in the south-east, south-west and far north of England. Several of these counties no longer exist as administrative units, or have had their administrative boundaries reduced by local government reforms. Several of the successor authorities retain the "-shire" county names, such as
North Yorkshire,
East Riding of Yorkshire,
South Yorkshire, and
West Yorkshire. The county of
Devon was historically known as Devonshire, although this is no longer the official name. Indeed, it was retained by the
Devonshire and Dorset Regiment until amalgamation in 2007. Similarly,
Dorset,
Rutland and
Somerset were formerly known as Dorsetshire, Rutlandshire and Somersetshire, but these terms are no longer official, and are rarely used outside the local populations.
Hexhamshire was a county in the north-east of England from the early 12th century until 1572, when it was incorporated into
Northumberland.
Shire names in Scotland Scotland was barely affected by the
Norman conquest of England, and the word "shire" prevailed over "county" until the 19th century. Earliest sources have the same usage of the "-shire" suffix as in England (although in Scots this was most often ). Later, "Shire" appears as a separate word. "Shire" names in Scotland are: In Scotland four shires have alternative names with the "-shire" suffix:
Angus (Forfarshire),
East Lothian (Haddingtonshire),
Midlothian (Edinburghshire) and
West Lothian (Linlithgowshire).
Sutherland is occasionally still referred to as Sutherlandshire. Similarly,
Argyllshire,
Buteshire,
Caithness-shire and
Fifeshire are sometimes found. Also, Morayshire was previously called Elginshire. There is debate about whether Argyllshire was ever really used.
Shire names in Wales Shires in
Wales bearing the "-shire" suffix ( preceding the name in Welsh) are: The counties of
Merioneth and
Glamorgan are occasionally referred to with the "shire" suffix. The only traditional Welsh county that never takes "shire" in English is
Anglesey; in Welsh it is called .
Non-county "shires" England Historically, the suffix "-shire" could be a generalised term referring to a district. It did not acquire the strong association with
county until later. Other than these, the term was used for several other districts.
Bedlingtonshire,
Craikshire,
Norhamshire and
Islandshire were
exclaves of County Durham, and were
incorporated into Northumberland or Yorkshire in 1844. The suffix was also used for many
hundreds,
wapentakes and
liberties such as: Also carrying the "shire" suffix were
counties corporate such as
Hullshire, and other districts such as
Applebyshire,
Bamburghshire,
Carlisleshire,
Cravenshire,
Hallamshire, and
Mashamshire.
Richmondshire was, from 1974 to 2023, the name of a
local government district of
North Yorkshire.
Scotland Non-county shires were very common in Scotland.
Kinross-shire and
Clackmannanshire are arguably survivals from such districts. Non-county "shires" in Scotland include
Coldinghamshire and
Yetholmshire.
"The Shires" Colloquially, the term "the Shires" has become used to refer to those counties, particularly of the southern
Midlands, which are still largely rural and which are stereotypically thought of as places where a more
bucolic lifestyle is possible. ==Shires in the United States==