| ALAMANCE | Formed in 1849. Name taken from an Indian word, Anamonsi, meaning unknown. |
| ALEXANDER | Formed in 1847. Named for William Julius Alexander, of Mecklenburg County, prominent civic leader of his time. |
| ALLEGHANY | Formed in 1859. Name taken from an Indian word, AIlegiwi meaning “a fine stream.” |
| ANSON | Formed in 1748. Named for Lord George Anson, an English admiral. |
| ASHE | Formed in 1799; Named for Governor Samuel Ashe. a Revolutionary Patriot of New Hanover County. |
| AVERY | Formed in 1911 as last of states 100 counties. Named for Col. Waightsill Avery, once challenged to a duel by Andrew Jackson. |
| BEAUFORT | Formed in 1705. Named for Henry Somerset, Duke of Beaufort, who became one of Carolina’s Lord Proprietors. |
| BERTIE | Formed in 1722. Named for James and Henry Bertie, two Lords Proprietors who owned an eighth of Carolina. |
| BLADEN | Formed in 1734, Named for Martin Bladen, a member of the British Board of Trade and Colonial affairs. |
| BRUNSWICK | Formed in 1764. Named for the; royal houses of England of which Kings George 1st, 2nd, and 3rd were members. |
| BUNCOMBE | Formed in 1791. Named for Col. Edward Buncombe of Tyrrell County, over the door of whose home was the inscription “Welcome all to Buncombe Hall.” |
| BURKE | Formed in 1777. Named for Dr. Thomas Burke. Governor and member of the Continental Congress. |
| CABARRUS | Formed in 1792. Named for Stephen Cabarrus of Edenton. speaker of the State House of Commons. |
| CALDWELL | Formed in 1841. Named for President Joseph Caldwell of the University of North Carolina. |
| CAMDEN | Formed in 1777. Named for Charles Pratt, Earl of Camden. |
| CARTERET | Formed in 1722. Named for Sir George Carteret, who later became a peer of England under the title of Earl Granville. |
| CASWELL | Formed in 1777. Named for General Richard Caswell of Kinston, one of the State’s first governors. |
| CATAWBA | Formed in 1842. Named for the Catawba Indians. |
| CHATHAM | Formed in 1770. Named for William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, a friend and supporter of the American colonists in the English Parliament. |
| CHEROKEE | Formed in 1839. Named for the Cherokee Nation the most powerful tribe of Indians in the state. |
| CHOWAN | Formed in 1672. Named for the Chowanoke tribe of Indians, a Tsucarora word meaning “They of the South.” |
| CLAY | Formed in 1861. Named for Henry Clay of Kentucky, one of the leading early American statesmen and orators. |
| CLEVELAND | Formed in 1841. Named for Col. Benj. Cleveland, noted Revolutionary Patriot. |
| COLUMBUS | Formed in 1808. Named for Christopher Columbus, discoverer of the New World. |
| CRAVEN | Formed in 1712. Named for William Lord Craven, one of the original Lords Proprietors of Carolina. |
| CUMBERLAND | Formed in 1754. Named for William Augustus Duke of Cumberland, and second son of King George 3rd. |
| CURRITUCK | Formed in 1672. Named for a small Algonquian tribe of Indians. |
| DARE | Formed in 1870. Named for Virginia Dare, first white child born in America. |
| DAVIDSON | Formed in 1822. Named for General William Lee Davidson, Revolutionary War hero. |
| DAVIE | Formed in 1836. Named for General William Richardson Davie, founder of the State University. |
| DUPLIN | Formed in 1749. Named for George Henry Hay, Lord Duplin. an English nobleman. |
| DURHAM | Formed in 1881. Named for Dr. Bartholomew Durham, a noted physician. |
| EDGECOMBE | Formed in 1735. Named for Richard Edgecombe, an English nobleman and Lord of the British Treasury. |
| FORSYTH | Formed in 1819. Named for Col. Benjamin Forsyth, U. S. A., killed in battle during the second War with Great Britain. |
| FRANKLIN | Formed in 1779. Named for Benjamin Franklin, famous American Patriot. |
| GASTON | Formed in 1846. Named for Associate Justice William Gaston. who wrote the official state song, “Old North State.” |
| GATES | Formed in 1779. Named for General Horatio Gates of the Revolutionary Army. |
| GRAHAM | Formed in 1872. Named for William A. Graham, Governor, United Slates Senator, Confederate Slates Senator and Secretary of the United States Navy. |
| GRANVILLE | Formed in 1746. Named for Earl Granville, Prime Minister under King George 2nd. |
| GREENE | Formed in 1799. Named for General Nathaniel Greene famous Revolutionary hero. |
| GUILFORD | Formed in 1770. Named for Francis North, Earl of Guilford, an English nobleman. |
| HALIFAX | Formed in 1758. Named for George Montagu Dunk, Earl of Halifax. |
| HARNETT | Formed in 1855. Named for Cornelius Harnett of Wilmington. noted Revolutionary Patriot. |
| HAYWOOD | Formed in 1808. Named for John Haywood of Raleigh, State Treasurer for forty years. |
| HENDERSON | Formed in 1838. Named for Chief Justice Leonard Henderson, of the North Carolina Supreme Court. |
| HERTFORD | Formed in 1759. Named for Francis Seymour Conway, Marquis of Hertford. |
| HOKE | Formed in 1911. Named for Major General Robert F. Hoke, of the Confederate army, who was designated by General Robert E. Lee for his successor should General Lee become disabled. |
| HYDE | Formed in 1705. Named for Governor Edward Hyde of North Carolina. |
| IREDELL | Formed in 1788. Named for James Iredell of Edenton, an Associated Justice of the United States Supreme Court. |
| JACKSON | Formed in 1851. Named for Andrew Jackson, President of the United States. |
| JOHNSTON | Formed in 1746. Named in honor of Gabriel Johnston, Governor of North Carolina. |
| JONES | Formed in 1778. Named for Willie Jones of Halifax, President of the Council of Safety during the Revolution. |
| LEE | Formed in 1907. Named for General Robert E. Lee. |
| LENOIR | Formed in 1791. Named for General William Lenoir, of the Revolutionary Army. |
| LINCOLN | Formed in 1779. Named for General Benjamin Lincoln of the Revolutionary Army. |
| MACON | Formed in 1828. Named for Nathaniel Macon of Warren County, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and United States Senator. |
| MADISON | Formed in 185l. Named for James Madison, Fourth President of the United States. |
| MARTIN | Formed in 1774. Named for Josiah Martin, last Royal Governor of North Carolina. |
| McDOWELL | Formed in 1842. Named for Col. Joseph McDowell, of the Revolutionary Army. |
| MECKLENBURG | Formed in 1762. Named for Duchess Charlotte, of Mecklenburg, Germany, wife of King George 3rd of England. |
| MITCHELL | Formed in 1861. Named for Dr. Elisha Mitchell, of the University of North Carolina, for whom Mt. Mitchell also is named. |
| MONTGOMERY | Formed in 1778. Named for General Richard Montgomery of the Revolution- ary Army. |
| MOORE | Formed in 1781, Named for Captain Alfred Moore a Revolutionary patriot and later an associated Justice of the United States Supreme Court. |
| NASH | Formed in 1777. Named for General Francis Nash of the Revolutionary Army. |
| NEW HANOVER | Formed in 1729. Named for the Kingdom of Hanover in Germany. |
| NORTH HAMPTON | Formed in 1741. Named forGeorge, Earl of North Hampton. |
| ONSLOW | Formed in 1734. Named for Arthur Onslow. for more than 30 years Speaker of the British House of Commons. |
| ORANGE | Formed in 1753. Named for Prince William of Orange, in the Netherlands, who became King William 3rd of England. |
| PAMLICO | Formed in 1872. Named for a tribe of Indians. The old form of spelling was Pampticough. |
| PASQUOTANK | Formed in 1672. Named for a tribe of Indians. |
| PENDER | Formed in 1875. Named for General William Dorsey Pender of the Confederate Army. |
| PERQUIMANS | Formed in 1672. Named for a tribe of Indians. |
| PERSON | Formed in 1791. Named for Thomas Person, Revolutionary Army Officer and Trustee and Benefactor of the University of North Carolina. |
| PITT | Formed in 1760. Named for William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, for whom Chatham County also is named. |
| POLK | Formed in 1855. Named for Col. William Polk of the Revolutionary Army. |
| RANDOLPH | Formed in 1779. Named for Peyton Randolph of Virginia, President of the First Continental Congress. |
| RICHMOND | Formed in 1779. Named for Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond. |
| ROBESON | Formed in 1786. Named for Col. Thos. Robeson, of the Revolutionary Army. |
| ROCKINGHAM | Formed in 1785. Named for Charles Watson Wentworth, Marquis of Rockingham, and Advocate of American Independence. |
| ROWAN | Formed in 1757. Named for Matthew Rowan, a leader in North Carolina before the Revolution. |
| RUTHERFORD | Formed in 1779. Named for General F. Griffith Rutherford, a leading Revolutionary Patriot. |
| SAMPSON | Formed in 1784, Named for Col. John Sampson, a Member of the Council of Governor Alexander Martin. |
-Historic Facts Concerning Buncombe County Government, 1935, George A. Digges, Jr.
