How: Many Counties In England End With Shire

Let’s settle it:

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. how many counties in england end with shire

So let’s list carefully:

But many sources say — that’s because they count Yorkshire as one , and exclude Huntingdonshire? No, Huntingdonshire is historic. Let’s settle it: Wait — but what about

The most common answer given in quizzes and general knowledge is , referring to the historic counties. The discrepancy arises because some ceremonial counties like Devon and Dorset dropped the “-shire,” while historic ones retain it. Why “-shire”? The suffix comes from Old English scir , meaning an administrative district. Shires were originally governed by a sheriff ( shire reeve ). Most shires were named after their county town (e.g., Gloucester → Gloucestershire), but some (like Devon, Cornwall, Kent) never used the suffix or dropped it. So let’s list carefully: But many sources say