List of Texas county name etymologies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of Texas county name etymologies. Also available is a list of Texas counties, an analysis of Texas county namesakes, and a list of Texas county seat name etymologies. All cover all counties in Texas.

Contents
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Top of page — See also — External links

[edit] A

County	County Seat	Named for
Anderson	Palestine	Kenneth Lewis Anderson, the last vice president of the Republic of Texas
Andrews	Andrews	Richard Andrews, the first Texan soldier to die in the Texas Revolution
Angelina	Lufkin	a Hainai Native American woman who assisted early Spanish missionaries and was named Angelina by them; Angelina County is the only county in Texas named for a woman
Aransas	Rockport	the Rio Nuestra Senora de Aranzazu, a Spanish outpost in early Texas
Archer	Archer City	Branch Tanner Archer, a commissioner for the Republic of Texas
Armstrong	Claude	any one of several Texas pioneer families
Atascosa	Jourdanton	the Spanish word for boggy
Austin	Bellville	Stephen F. Austin, the person who facilitated the Anglo American colonization of Texas and is known as the Father of Texas

[edit] B

County	County Seat	Named for
Bailey	Muleshoe	Peter James Bailey, a defender of the Alamo
Bandera	Bandera	Bandera Pass, named in turn for the Spanish word for flag
Bastrop	Bastrop	Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, an early Dutch settler who assisted Stephen F. Austin in obtaining land grants.
Baylor	Seymour	Henry Weidner Baylor, a surgeon in the Texas Rangers during the Mexican-American War
Bee	Beeville	Barnard Elliott Bee, Sr., a secretary of state of the Republic of Texas
Bell	Belton	Peter Hansborough Bell, the third governor of Texas
Bexar	San Antonio	San Antonio de Béjar, the capital of Mexican Texas and present-day San Antonio, Texas, in turn named for Saint Anthony and the Duke of Béjar, brother of the Spanish viceroy, who had died in 1686 defending Budapest from the Ottoman Empire
Blanco	Johnson City	the Blanco River (Blanco means white in Spanish)
Borden	Gail	Gail Borden, Jr., businessman, publisher, surveyor, and inventor of condensed milk
Bosque	Meridian	the Bosque River (Bosque is Spanish for "wooded")
Bowie	Boston	James Bowie, the legendary knife fighter who died at the Battle of the Alamo
Brazoria	Angleton	the Brazos River (along with Brazos County)
Brazos	Bryan	the Brazos River (along with Brazoria County)
Brewster	Alpine	Henry Percy Brewster, a secretary of war for the Republic of Texas and soldier in the Civil War (his middle name has also been given as "Persy")
Briscoe	Silverton	Andrew Briscoe, a soldier during the Texas Revolution
Brooks	Falfurrias	John Abijah Brooks, a Texas Ranger and legislator
Brown	Brownwood	Henry Stevenson Brown, a commander at the Battle of Velasco
Burleson	Caldwell	Edward Burleson, a general and statesman of the Texas Revolution
Burnet	Burnet	David Gouverneur Burnet, the first president of the Republic of Texas

[edit] C

County	County Seat	Named for
Caldwell	Lockhart	Mathew Caldwell, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and soldier during the Texas Revolution
Calhoun	Port Lavaca	John Caldwell Calhoun, the seventh vice president of the United States
Callahan	Baird	James Hughes Callahan, a soldier during the Texas Revolution
Cameron	Brownsville	Ewen Cameron, a soldier during the Texas Revolution who was named for Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel
Camp	Pittsburg	John Lafayette Camp, a Texas state politician
Carson	Panhandle	Samuel Price Carson, the first secretary of state of the Republic of Texas
Cass	Linden	Lewis Cass, a senator and future presidential candidate from Michigan who had favored the annexation of Texas to the United States
Castro	Dimmitt	Henri Castro, a French consul general for the Republic of Texas and founder of a colony in Texas
Chambers	Anahuac	Thomas Jefferson Chambers, an early lawyer in Texas
Cherokee	Rusk	the Cherokee Native American tribe
Childress	Childress	George Campbell Childress, one of the authors of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Clay	Henrietta	Henry Clay, the Kentucky statesman, presidential candidate, and ninth secretary of state of the United States
Cochran	Morton	Robert E. Cochran, a defender of the Alamo
Coke	Robert Lee	Richard Coke, the fifteenth governor of Texas
Coleman	Coleman	Robert M. Coleman, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and soldier at the Battle of San Jacinto
Collin	McKinney	Collin McKinney, an author of the Texas Declaration of Independence and its oldest signer (age 70 when he signed it), and early settler in the county
Collingsworth	Wellington	James Collinsworth, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and first chief justice of the Republic of Texas (spelling differs due to an error in the bill creating the county)
Colorado	Columbus	the Colorado River
Comal	New Braunfels	the Comal River
Comanche	Comanche	the Comanche Native American tribe
Concho	Paint Rock	the Concho River
Cooke	Gainesville	William Gordon Cooke, a soldier during the Texas Revolution
Coryell	Gatesville	James Coryell, a frontiersman who was killed by Native Americans
Cottle	Paducah	George Washington Cottle, who died defending the Alamo
Crane	Crane	William Carey Crane, a past president of Baylor University
Crockett	Ozona	David Crockett, the legendary frontiersman who died at the Battle of the Alamo
Crosby	Crosbyton	Stephen Crosby, a land commissioner
Culberson	Van Horn	David Browning Culberson, a lawyer and soldier in the Civil War

[edit] D

County	County Seat	Named for
Dallam	Dalhart	James Wilmer Dallam, a lawyer and newspaper publisher
Dallas	Dallas	George Mifflin Dallas, the eleventh vice president of the United States
Dawson	Lamesa	Nicholas Mosby Dawson, a soldier of the Texas Revolution
Deaf Smith	Hereford	Erastus "Deaf" Smith, a scout during the Texas Revolution
Delta	Cooper	Named for its triangular shape, much like the Greek letter Delta
Denton	Denton	John Bunyan Denton, a preacher, lawyer, and soldier killed during a raid on a Native American camp
DeWitt	Cuero	Green DeWitt, who founded an early colony in Texas
Dickens	Dickens	J. Dickens, who died at the Battle of the Alamo
Dimmit	Carrizo Springs	Philip Dimmitt, a major figure in the Texas Revolution
Donley	Clarendon	Stockton P. Donley, a frontier lawyer
Duval	San Diego	Burr Harrison DuVal, a soldier in the Texas Revolution who died in the Goliad Massacre

[edit] E

County	County Seat	Named for
Eastland	Eastland	William Mosby Eastland, a soldier during the Texas Revolution and the only officer to die as a result of the Black Bean executions
Ector	Odessa	Mathew Duncan Ector, a Confederate general in the Civil War
Edwards	Rocksprings	Haden Edwards, an early settler of Nacogdoches, Texas
El Paso	El Paso	the pass (the English translation) the Rio Grande creates flowing through the mountains on either side of the river
Ellis	Waxahachie	Richard Ellis, president of the convention that produced the Texas Declaration of Independence
Erath	Stephenville	George Bernard Erath, an early surveyor and a soldier at the Battle of San Jacinto

[edit] F

County	County Seat	Named for
Falls	Marlin	waterfalls on the Brazos River
Fannin	Bonham	James Walker Fannin, Jr., the commander of the group of Texans killed in the Goliad Massacre during the Texas Revolution
Fayette	La Grange	Marie-Joseph-Paul-Roch-Yves-Gilbert Du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, the French hero of the American Revolutionary War
Fisher	Roby	Samuel Rhoads Fisher, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and secretary of the Navy under the Republic of Texas
Floyd	Floydada	Dolphin Ward Floyd, who died on his thirty-second birthday, March 6, 1836 defending the Alamo
Foard	Crowell	Robert Levi Foard, an attorney and Civil War soldier
Fort Bend	Richmond	a blockhouse positioned in a bend of the Brazos River which was the center of life in the future county in early days
Franklin	Mount Vernon	Probably Benjamin Cromwell Franklin, an early judge and legislator in Texas
Freestone	Fairfield	Named for water in the region free of any minerals
Frio	Pearsall	the Frio River (Frio is cold in spanish).

[edit] G

County	County Seat	Named for
Gaines	Seminole	James Gaines, merchant and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Galveston	Galveston	Bernardo de Gálvez, a Spanish governor of the Louisiana Territory and an ally of the United States during the American Revolution
Garza	Post	a pioneer Bexar County family
Gillespie	Fredricksburg	Robert Addison Gillespie, a merchant and soldier in the Mexican-American War
Glasscock	Garden City	George Washington Glasscock, an early settler of the Austin, Texas area
Goliad	Goliad	its county seat, which preceded the modern county
Gonzales	Gonzales	its county seat
Gray	Pampa	Peter W. Gray, a lawyer and soldier in the Civil War
Grayson	Sherman	Peter Wagener Grayson, an attorney general of the Republic of Texas
Gregg	Longview	John Gregg, a Confederate war hero who died in the Civil War
Grimes	Anderson	Jesse Grimes, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and early settler of the future county
Guadalupe	Seguin	the Guadalupe River

[edit] H

County	County Seat	Named for
Hale	Plainview	John C. Hale, a lieutenant killed in action at the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution
Hall	Memphis	Warren DeWitt Clinton Hall, a secretary of war for the Republic of Texas
Hamilton	Hamilton	James Hamilton Jr., the twenty-eighth governor of South Carolina who gave financial aid to the Republic of Texas
Hansford	Spearman	John M. Hansford, a Texas state congressman and judge, who was shot and killed by a mob
Hardeman	Quanah	Bailey Hardeman and Thomas Jones Hardeman, two early Texas politicians and legislators
Hardin	Kountze	the Hardin family in Liberty County, Texas
Harris	Houston	John Richardson Harris, an early settler of the future county
Harrison	Marshall	Jonas Harrison, a lawyer and Texas revolutionary
Hartley	Channing	Oliver Cromwell Hartley and Rufus K. Hartley, two early Texas legislators and lawmakers
Haskell	Haskell	Charles Ready Haskell, killed in the Goliad Massacre
Hays	San Marcos	John Coffee Hays, a leading Texas Ranger and Mexican-American War officer
Hemphill	Canadian	John Hemphill, a judge and Confederate congressman
Henderson	Athens	James Pinckney Henderson, the first governor of Texas
Hidalgo	Edinburg	Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the priest who raised the call for Mexico's independence from Spain
Hill	Hillsboro	George Washington Hill, a secretary of war and secretary of the navy under the Republic of Texas
Hockley	Levelland	George Washington Hockley, Chief of Staff of the Texas Army during the Texas Revolution, artillery commander during the Battle of San Jacinto, and secretary of war of the Republic of Texas
Hood	Granbury	John Bell Hood, a Confederate lieutenant general and the commander of Hood's Texas Brigade
Hopkins	Sulphur Springs	the family of David Hopkins, an early settler in the future county
Houston	Crockett	Sam Houston, one of the most important figures in the history of Texas, having won Texas its complete independence at the Battle of San Jacinto, as well as being the second and fourth president of the Republic of Texas and seventh governor of Texas
Howard	Big Spring	Volney Eskine Howard, an U.S. Representative from Texas
Hudspeth	Sierra Blanca	Claude Benton Hudspeth, a state congressman, rancher, and newspaper publisher
Hunt	Greenville	Memucan Hunt, a secretary of the navy under the Republic of Texas
Hutchinson	Stinnett	Andrew Hutchinson, an early attorney in Texas

[edit] I

County	County Seat	Named for
Irion	Mertzon	Robert Anderson Irion, a secretary of state in the Republic of Texas

[edit] J

County	County Seat	Named for
Jack	Jacksboro	Patrick Churchill Jack, attorney and early Texas colonist, and his brother William Houston Jack, both veterans of the Texas Revolution
Jackson	Edna	Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States
Jasper	Jasper	William Jasper, an American Revolutionary War hero who was killed at Savannah, Georgia in 1779
Jeff Davis	Fort Davis	Jefferson Davis, the only president of the Confederate States of America
Jefferson	Beaumont	Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States
Jim Hogg	Hebbronville	James Stephen Hogg, the twentieth governor of Texas
Jim Wells	Alice	James Babbage Wells Jr., a powerful politician in southern Texas
Johnson	Cleburne	Middleton Tate Johnson, a Texas Ranger, soldier, and politician
Jones	Anson	Anson Jones, the fifth president of the Republic of Texas

[edit] K

County	County Seat	Named for
Karnes	Karnes City	Henry Wax Karnes, a soldier in the Texas Revolution
Kaufman	Kaufman	David Spangler Kaufman, a Jewish Texas state senator and first Texas Jewish member of the United States House of Representatives
Kendall	Boerne	George Wilkins Kendall, an early journalist and sheep rancher
Kenedy	Sarita	Mifflin Kenedy, an early rancher in the area
Kent	Jayton	Andrew Kent, who died at the Battle of the Alamo
Kerr	Kerrville	James Kerr, an early colonist in Texas and soldier in the Texas Revolution
Kimble	Junction	George C. Kimbell, who died at the Battle of the Alamo
King	Guthrie	William Phillip King, who died at the Battle of the Alamo
Kinney	Brackettville	Henry Lawrence Kinney, an unsuccessful land speculator
Kleberg	Kingsville	Robert Justus Kleberg, an early German settler and soldier at the Battle of San Jacinto
Knox	Benjamin	Henry Knox, the first secretary of war of the United States

[edit] L

• La Salle County, Texas: La Salle was named for René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, the French explorer who traveled through the Texas coast near the future county.
• Lamar County, Texas: Lamar is named for Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, the third president of the Republic of Texas.
• Lamb County, Texas: Lamb is named for George A. Lamb, who lost his life at the Battle of San Jacinto.
• Lampasas County, Texas: Lampasas is named for either the city of Lampasas, Mexico or the Lampasas River. Lampasas is Spanish for lilies.
• Lavaca County, Texas: Lavaca is named for the Lavaca River. Taken from la vaca, Spanish for "cow".
• Lee County, Texas: Lee is named for Robert Edward Lee, the commanding general of the Confederate forces during the Civil War.
• Leon County, Texas: Leon is named for either Martin De Leon, the founder of Victoria, Texas, or a yellow wolf which lived in the area and was nicknamed "lion" ("leon" in Spanish).
• Liberty County, Texas: Liberty is named for its first county seat, Liberty, Texas.
• Limestone County, Texas: Limestone is named for the limestone deposits in the region.
• Lipscomb County, Texas: Lipscomb is named for Abner Smith Lipscomb, an early Texas lawyer, justice of the Texas Supreme Court and secretary of state of the Republic of Texas.
• Live Oak County, Texas: Live Oak is named for the Texas live oak tree under which the petition for a new county was signed.
• Llano County, Texas: Llano is named for the Llano River. Llano is Spanish for plains.
• Loving County, Texas: Loving is named for Oliver Loving, a cattle rancher and pioneer of the cattle drive who with Charles Goodnight developed the Goodnight-Loving Trail. He was mortally wounded by Native Americans while on a cattle drive in the vicinity of the county.
• Lubbock County, Texas: Lubbock is named for Thomas Saltus Lubbock, a Texas Ranger and soldier in the Confederate army during the Civil War. (Some sources give his first name as "Thompson".)
• Lynn County, Texas: Lynn is named for William Lynn (also sometimes spelled Linn), a soldier in the Texas Revolution from Massachusetts who is believed to have died defending the Alamo.

[edit] M

• Madison County, Texas: Madison is named for James Madison, the fourth president of the United States.
• Marion County, Texas: Marion is named for Francis Marion, the American Revolutionary War general whose nickname was the "Swamp Fox".
• Martin County, Texas: Martin is named for Wylie Martin, an early settler in Texas.
• Mason County, Texas: Mason is named for Fort Mason which was located in the future county.
• Matagorda County, Texas: Matagorda is named for the canebrakes that once lined the Gulf of Mexico coastline (Matagorda is Spanish for "thick bush").
• Maverick County, Texas: Maverick is named for Samuel Augustus Maverick, an early legislator and later rancher near the future county. From his name is derived the word "maverick" due to his practice of not branding his cattle.
• McCulloch County, Texas: McCulloch is named for Benjamin McCulloch, a famous Texas Ranger and Confederate general who was killed at the Battle of Pea Ridge (Battle of Elkhorn Tavern).
• McLennan County, Texas: McLennan is named for Neil McLennan, an early settler in the future county.
• McMullen County, Texas: McMullen is named for John McMullen, an Irish founder of a colony in Texas.
• Medina County, Texas: Medina is named for the Medina River.
• Menard County, Texas: Menard is named for Michel Branamour Menard, the founder of Galveston, Texas.
• Midland County, Texas: Midland is named for its location midway between Fort Worth and El Paso on the Texas and Pacific Railroad.
• Milam County, Texas: Milam is named for Benjamin Rush Milam, an early Texas colonizer and soldier in the early Texas Revolution, who was killed in a successful siege of San Antonio, Texas.
• Mills County, Texas: Mills is named for John T. Mills, an early judge in Texas.
• Mitchell County, Texas: Mitchell is named for Asa Mitchell and Eli Mitchell, two early settlers and soldiers in the Texas Revolution.
• Montague County, Texas: Montague is named for Daniel Montague, a state senator and early surveyor in the future county.
• Montgomery County, Texas: Montgomery is named for Montgomery, Texas, which was the largest settlement in the county when it was formed.
• Moore County, Texas: Moore is named for Edwin Ward Moore, the commodore of the Texan navy during the Republic of Texas.
• Morris County, Texas: Morris is named for William Wright Morris, a legislator and planter in the area.
• Motley County, Texas: Motley is named for Junius William Mottley, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence who was killed at the Battle of San Jacinto.

[edit] N

• Nacogdoches County, Texas: Nacogdoches is named for the Nacogdoches Native American tribe.
• Navarro County, Texas: Navarro is named for José Antonio Navarro, a leading Tejano participant in the Texas Revolution and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
• Newton County, Texas: Newton is named for John Newton, a veteran of the Revolutionary War.
• Nolan County, Texas: Nolan is named for Philip Nolan, a mustanger who was killed by Spanish troops in 1801 while on a mission into Texas for uncertain reasons.
• Nueces County, Texas: Nueces is named for the Nueces River. Nueces is Spanish for nuts; early explorers noted numerous pecan trees along its banks.

[edit] O

• Ochiltree County, Texas: Ochiltree is named for William Beck Ochiltree, an early settler in Texas, judge, and legislator.
• Oldham County, Texas: Oldham is named for Williamson Simpson Oldham, a Confederate legislator in Texas.
• Orange County, Texas: Orange is named for the orange grove planted by early settlers at the mouth of the Sabine River, according to most sources.

[edit] P

• Palo Pinto County, Texas: Palo Pinto is named for Palo Pinto Creek. Name is Spanish for painted stick.
• Panola County, Texas: Panola is named for a Native American word meaning "cotton".
• Parker County, Texas: Parker is named for Isaac Parker, an early legislator in the state. He also was the uncle of Cynthia Ann Parker and thus the great-uncle of Quanah Parker.
• Parmer County, Texas: Parmer is named for Martin Parmer, an early legislator, judge, and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
• Pecos County, Texas: Pecos is named for the Pecos River.
• Polk County, Texas: Polk is named for James Knox Polk, the eleventh president of the United States.
• Potter County, Texas: Potter is named for Robert Potter, an early legislator, secretary of the navy for the Republic of Texas, and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence who was killed in the Regulator-Moderator War.
• Presidio County, Texas: Presidio is named for Presidio del Norte, an eighteenth-century fort and settlement on the south side of the Rio Grande.

[edit] R

• Rains County, Texas: Rains is named for Emory Rains, an early legislator and surveyor of the future county.
• Randall County, Texas: Randall is named for Horace Randal, a Confederate brigadier general who was killed at the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry.
• Reagan County, Texas: Reagan is named for John Henninger Reagan, postmaster general of the Confederacy, U.S. representative and Senator, and leader of the United States Democratic Party in Texas.
• Real County, Texas: Real is named for Julius Real, a rancher and legislator who was the only Republican in the state senate when the county was formed.
• Red River County, Texas: Red River is named for the Red River, which forms its northern border.
• Reeves County, Texas: Reeves is named for George Robertson Reeves, a state legislator and colonel in the Confederate army.
• Refugio County, Texas: Refugio is named for Nuestra Señora del Refugio Mission which was located near the future county.
• Roberts County, Texas: Roberts is named for Oran Milo Roberts, the seventeenth governor of Texas, and John S. Roberts, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
• Robertson County, Texas: Robertson is named for Sterling Clack Robertson, a founder of a colony in early Texas.
• Rockwall County, Texas: Rockwall is named for its county seat of Rockwall, Texas as well as a geological wall of rock running under the county.
• Runnels County, Texas: Runnels is named for Hiram George Runnels, the ninth governor of Mississippi and planter in Texas.
• Rusk County, Texas: Rusk is named for Thomas Jefferson Rusk, a general in the Texas Revolution and leading statesman in the new state.

[edit] S

• Sabine County, Texas: Sabine is named for the Sabine River, which forms its eastern border. Sabine is Spanish for cypress.
• San Augustine County, Texas: San Augustine is named for supposedly Saint Augustine of Hippo.
• San Jacinto County, Texas: San Jacinto is named for the Battle of San Jacinto, which won Texas its independence from Mexico.
• San Patricio County, Texas: San Patricio is named for the Mexican Municipality of San Patricio. The area was originally settled in 1828 by Irish Catholics from New York. They founded the town of San Patricio de Hibernia and the municipality of San Patricio.
• San Saba County, Texas: San Saba is named for the San Saba River.
• Schleicher County, Texas: Schleicher is named for Gustav Schleicher, an early engineer and legislator in Texas.
• Scurry County, Texas: Scurry is named for William Read Scurry, a Texas state legislator and Confederate general who was killed at the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry.
• Shackelford County, Texas: Shackelford is named for Jack Shackelford, a soldier of the Texas Revolution.
• Shelby County, Texas: Shelby is named for Isaac Shelby, a Revolutionary War soldier from Tennessee and the first governor of Kentucky.
• Sherman County, Texas: Sherman is named for Sidney Sherman, a soldier in the Texas Revolution.
• Smith County, Texas: Smith is named for James Smith, a general during the Texas Revolution.
• Somervell County, Texas: Somervell is named for Alexander Somervell, a soldier in the Texas Revolution and leader of the Somervell Expedition, a military strike into Mexico that failed during the days of the Republic of Texas.
• Starr County, Texas: Starr is named for James Harper Starr, a treasurer for the Republic of Texas and Confederate official.
• Stephens County, Texas: Stephens is named for Alexander Hamilton Stephens, the only vice-president of the Confederate States of America.
• Sterling County, Texas: Sterling is named for W. S. Sterling, an early rancher, buffalo hunter, and Native American fighter.
• Stonewall County, Texas: Stonewall is named for Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, the famous Confederate General.
• Sutton County, Texas: Sutton is named for John Schuyler Sutton, a Texas Ranger and soldier in the Texas Revolution and Mexican-American War as well as a Confederate officer in the Civil War.
• Swisher County, Texas: Swisher is named for James Gibson Swisher, a soldier of the Texas Revolution.

[edit] T

• Tarrant County, Texas: Tarrant is named for Edward H. Tarrant, a general who drove the Native Americans out of the future county, opening it up for settlement. (His middle initial may stand for "Hampton".)
• Taylor County, Texas: Taylor is named for Edward Taylor, George Taylor, and James Taylor, three brothers who died at the Alamo.
• Terrell County, Texas: Terrell is named for Alexander Watkins Terrell, attorney, judge, state legislator, diplomat, and Confederate cavalry officer.
• Terry County, Texas: Terry is named for Benjamin Franklin Terry, a Confederate colonel and commander of Terry's Texas Rangers (Eighth Texas Cavalry).
• Throckmorton County, Texas: Throckmorton is named for William Edward Throckmorton, an early Collin County settler.
• Titus County, Texas: Titus is named for Andrew Jackson Titus, a state legislator and planter.
• Tom Green County, Texas: Tom Green is named for Thomas Green, a Confederate brigadier general.
• Travis County, Texas: Travis is named for William Barret Travis, the commander of the Texian forces at the Alamo.
• Trinity County, Texas: Trinity is named for the Trinity River.
• Tyler County, Texas: Tyler is named for John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States.

[edit] U

• Upshur County, Texas: Upshur is named for Abel Parker Upshur, the fifteenth secretary of state of the United States. (The county seat, Gilmer, was named for Capt. Thomas W. Gilmer, United States Secretary of the Navy; both Upshur and Gilmer were killed in 1844 when a new Naval gun exploded during a demonstration aboard the USS Princeton on the Potomac.)
• Upton County, Texas: Upton is named for John Cunningham Upton and his brother William Felton Upton, two lieutenant colonels in the Confederate army. John Upton was killed at the Second Battle of Manassas and William Upton later served Fayette County in the Texas Legislature.
• Uvalde County, Texas: Uvalde is named for the Cañón de Ugalde, a nearby battlefield where Spanish General Juan de Ugalde won a surprise battle against 300 Apaches in the Sabinal River canyon on January 9, 1790.

[edit] V

• Val Verde County, Texas: Val Verde is named for the Civil War Battle of Valverde, which took place near present-day Socorro, New Mexico.
• Van Zandt County, Texas: Van Zandt is named for Isaac Van Zandt, early Texas settler, attorney, Texas legislator, and diplomat, considered by many to be the founder of Marshall, Texas.
• Victoria County, Texas: Victoria is named for Guadalupe Victoria, the first president of Mexico.

[edit] W

• Walker County, Texas: Walker is named for Samuel Hamilton Walker, a Texas Ranger and soldier in the Mexican-American War.
• Waller County, Texas: Waller is named for Edwin Waller, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and the first mayor of Austin, Texas.
• Ward County, Texas: Ward is named for Thomas William Ward, a commissioner for the General Land Office of Texas and mayor of Austin, Texas.
• Washington County, Texas: Washington is named for George Washington, the first president of the United States.
• Webb County, Texas: Webb is named for James Webb, who served as secretary of the Treasury, secretary of State, and Attorney General of the Republic of Texas, and later United States District Judge in the State of Texas.
• Wharton County, Texas: Wharton is named for William Harris Wharton and John Austin Wharton, two brothers and leaders in revolutionary Texas.
• Wheeler County, Texas: Wheeler is named for Royal Tyler Wheeler, the second Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court.
• Wichita County, Texas: Wichita is named for the Wichita Native American tribe.
• Wilbarger County, Texas: Wilbarger is named for Josiah Pugh Wilbarger and Mathias Wilbarger, two brothers and early settlers; Josiah Wilbarger survived being scalped by a group of Comanches.
• Willacy County, Texas: Willacy is named for John G. Willacy, a farmer, real estate developer, and Texas state senator who was the author of the bill that established the county.
• Williamson County, Texas: Williamson is named for Robert McAlpin Williamson, a leader and veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto.
• Wilson County, Texas: Wilson is named for James Charles Wilson, a Texas state senator, member of the ill-fated Somervell Expedition into Mexico, and Methodist minister.
• Winkler County, Texas: Winkler is named for Clinton McKamy Winkler, a judge and Confederate colonel.
• Wise County, Texas: Wise is named for Henry Alexander Wise, the future thirty-eighth governor of Virginia who supported the annexation of Texas while a member of the United States House of Representatives.
• Wood County, Texas: Wood is named for George Tyler Wood, the second governor of Texas. The county is also heavily timbered.

[edit] Y

• Yoakum County, Texas: Yoakum is named for Henderson King Yoakum, soldier, attorney, and Texas historian.
• Young County, Texas: Young is named for William Cocke Young, early Texas settler, attorney, sheriff, and United States Marshal who also commanded Texas regiments in both the Mexican-American War and the Civil War.

[edit] Z

• Zapata County, Texas: Zapata is named for Antonio Zapata, a local rancher and rebel against the Mexican government.
• Zavala County, Texas: Zavala is named for Lorenzo de Zavala, a Mexican rancher, politician, and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence who served as the first Vice-President of the Republic of Texas.

[edit] Sources

• The Handbook of Texas Online
• A list of all 254 etymologies from TexasBob.com

Contents
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Top of page — See also — External links

Lists of county name etymologies in the United States (parishes in Louisiana; boroughs and census areas in Alaska)

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