How Many Uk Counties End In Shire Jun 2026

In a ceremonial or historical context, you would add:

If you look at a map of (the areas with a Lord Lieutenant, used mostly for geography and protocol rather than local government), the number is higher.

The "-shire" suffix is also prevalent in Scotland and Wales , though modern administrative reorganizations have changed how these names are used officially. Administrative Area1 United Kingdom

There are currently 27 administrative counties in the UK with "shire" in their name (26 in England, 1 in Scotland). how many uk counties end in shire

Includes Aberdeenshire , Ayrshire , Dumfriesshire , Lanarkshire , Perthshire , and Stirlingshire . Administrative Area1 United Kingdom

: There are 23 traditional shire names, though some like (Forfarshire) or Midlothian (Edinburghshire) often go by their non-shire titles today.

The word "shire" comes from the Old English , meaning a district, care, or official charge. In a ceremonial or historical context, you would

Examples include:

Not included: counties like “Berkshire” (still -shire) — but not areas like “Cumbria” or “Essex” that never used the ending. Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have no counties ending in “-shire,” except Scottish “counties” historically described as “Shire of …” (e.g., Aberdeenshire).

Note: Some counties like Devon and Somerset historically ended in "shire" but the suffix has largely dropped out of common usage, though they still have "shire" in their ceremonial definitions. While Yorkshire is a single "shire

If you’d like the full list of the 24, just let me know.

If you need the modern, administrative government answer, the number is 27 . If you are counting historical "shires," the number is closer to 40+.

While Yorkshire is a single "shire," it is often officially divided into administrative areas like North, South, and West Yorkshire. Additionally, Huntingdonshire is a traditional English shire, but it is currently administered as a district of Cambridgeshire. Scottish and Welsh Shires

So the total of counts: England (historic/ceremonial): 21 (e.g., Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, etc.) Scotland (historic counties as “X-shire”): 3 (Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Berwickshire — plus maybe Kincardineshire, but often counted separately; narrow list gives 3–4, but most agreed count is 24 total for UK in common lists).