The word derives from the Old English scīr , meaning a district under the care of an official. In the 10th century, as the Kingdom of Wessex expanded its control over England, the land was divided into shires to streamline tax collection and military mobilization. Each shire was overseen by an "ealdorman" and a "shire-reeve"—the latter being the linguistic ancestor of the modern word "sheriff." English Shires: The Heartland
The influence of the British Empire exported the "shire" naming convention across the globe.
Houses the Peak District, the UK's first national park. counties ending in shire
| County Name | County Town | Notes | |-------------|-------------|-------| | | Aberdeen | Modern council area also called Aberdeenshire | | Ayrshire | Ayr | Historic; now East, North, South Ayrshire | | Banffshire | Banff | Historic; now part of Moray/Aberdeenshire | | Berwickshire | Duns | Historic; now part of Scottish Borders | | Caithness | Wick | Rarely suffixed, but historically “Caithness-shire” | | Clackmannanshire | Alloa | Smallest historic county; still a council area | | Cromartyshire | Cromarty | Historic; part of Highland | | Dumfriesshire | Dumfries | Historic; part of Dumfries & Galloway | | Fife | Glenrothes | Not suffixed; known as “County of Fife” | | Inverness-shire | Inverness | Historic; part of Highland | | Kincardineshire | Stonehaven | Historic; part of Aberdeenshire | | Kinross-shire | Kinross | Historic; part of Perth & Kinross | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Kirkcudbright | Historic; part of Dumfries & Galloway | | Lanarkshire | Lanark | Historic; now North & South Lanarkshire | | Midlothian | Edinburgh | Historic; now a council area | | Morayshire (Elginshire) | Elgin | Historic; now Moray | | Nairnshire | Nairn | Historic; part of Highland | | Peeblesshire | Peebles | Historic; part of Scottish Borders | | Perthshire | Perth | Historic; part of Perth & Kinross | | Renfrewshire | Renfrew | Modern council area (and historic) | | Ross-shire | Dingwall | Historic; part of Highland (Ross & Cromarty) | | Roxburghshire | Jedburgh | Historic; part of Scottish Borders | | Selkirkshire | Selkirk | Historic; part of Scottish Borders | | Stirlingshire | Stirling | Historic; part of Stirling council area | | Wigtownshire | Wigtown | Historic; part of Dumfries & Galloway |
If you'd like to dive deeper into a specific region, I can provide: for the most scenic English shires The word derives from the Old English scīr
), but the "-shire" has largely been dropped in modern official use.
The gateway to the Highlands and Royal Deeside. Houses the Peak District, the UK's first national park
In many Australian states, a "Shire" is a type of local government area, such as the Sutherland Shire in Sydney.
While rare, the suffix persists in New Hampshire and in various county names like Berkshire County, Massachusetts.