How Many Counties In England End With Shire [verified] Jun 2026

Wait — but what about , West Yorkshire ? They are metropolitan counties but also ceremonial — they do not end in “-shire” (they end in “Yorkshire” as two words). So no.

The number can change depending on whether you are looking at historic boundaries or modern administrative ones. how many counties in england end with shire

England has a total of 48 ceremonial counties. Among these, six counties have names that end with the suffix "-shire". Here are the counties in England that end with "shire": Wait — but what about , West Yorkshire

, as some historic shires like Yorkshire are now split into multiple administrative units (e.g., North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire) or have been absorbed into other districts (e.g., Huntingdonshire is now part of Cambridgeshire). Wikipedia +6 List of Counties Ending in "-shire" The following counties are widely recognized as having the suffix: Bedfordshire Berkshire Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire Cheshire Derbyshire Gloucestershire Hampshire Herefordshire Hertfordshire Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Northamptonshire Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire Shropshire Staffordshire Warwickshire Wiltshire Worcestershire Yorkshire Other Variations: Huntingdonshire : Historically a separate county, now usually a district within Cambridgeshire. Occasional/Former Usage : Devon ( Devonshire ), Dorset ( Dorsetshire ), Rutland ( Rutlandshire ), and Somerset ( Somersetshire ). Wikipedia +2 Historical Context The term "shire" comes from the Old English The number can change depending on whether you

Let me clarify: In the (used for lieutenancy), Huntingdonshire is not separate — it’s part of Cambridgeshire. So we must remove it from the ceremonial list.

| Type of county | Number ending in “-shire” | |----------------|---------------------------| | Ceremonial (modern) | 22 | | Historic (traditional) | 24 |

The following 25 modern counties currently use the suffix : Bedfordshire Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire Derbyshire Gloucestershire Herefordshire Hertfordshire Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Northamptonshire Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire Shropshire Staffordshire Warwickshire Worcestershire East Yorkshire North Yorkshire South Yorkshire West Yorkshire