List of Iowa county name etymologies
This is a list of Iowa county name etymologies. Many counties in Iowa were named after Native American subjects, while others were named after political leaders in the United States.
Counties, by first letter
A
- Adair County, Iowa: Adair is named for John Adair, a general in the War of 1812 and eighth governor of Kentucky.
- Adams County, Iowa: Adams is named for either John Adams, the second president of the United States, or his son, John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States. (Sources differ.)
- Allamakee County, Iowa: Allamakee is named for either Allan Makee, a trapper and trader, or is of Native American origin. (Sources differ.)
- Appanoose County, Iowa: Appanoose is named for Appanoose, a chief of the Sac and Fox Native American tribes who headed the peace party during the Black Hawk War.
- Audubon County, Iowa: Audubon is named for John James Audubon, the famous naturalist and painter.
B
- Benton County, Iowa: Benton is named for Thomas Hart Benton, a senator from Missouri who pushed for westward expansion of the United States.
- Black Hawk County, Iowa: Black Hawk is named for Black Hawk, the Sac and Fox Native American chief who led a revolt against resettlement of his tribe in the Black Hawk War.
- Boone County, Iowa: Boone is named for Daniel Boone, the famous frontiersman, and his son, Nathan Boone, a colonel in the U. S. Dragoons.
- Bremer County, Iowa: Bremer is named for
- Buchanan County, Iowa: Buchanan is named for
- Buena Vista County, Iowa: Buena Vista is named for
- Butler County, Iowa: Butler is named for
C
- Calhoun County, Iowa: Calhoun is named for
- Carroll County, Iowa: Carroll is named for
- Cass County, Iowa: Cass is named for
- Cedar County, Iowa: Cedar is named for
- Cerro Gordo County, Iowa: Cerro Gordo is named for
- Cherokee County, Iowa: Cherokee is named for
- Chickasaw County, Iowa: Chickasaw is named for
- Clarke County, Iowa: Clarke is named for
- Clay County, Iowa: Clay is named for
- Clayton County, Iowa: Clayton is named for
- Clinton County, Iowa: Clinton is named for
- Crawford County, Iowa: Crawford is named for
D
- Dallas County, Iowa: Dallas is named for
- Davis County, Iowa: Davis is named for
- Decatur County, Iowa: Decatur is named for
- Delaware County, Iowa: Delaware is named for
- Des Moines County, Iowa: Des Moines is named for
- Dickinson County, Iowa: Dickinson is named for
- Dubuque County, Iowa: Dubuque is named for
E
- Emmet County, Iowa: Emmet is named for
F
- Fayette County, Iowa: Fayette is named for
- Floyd County, Iowa: Floyd is named for
- Franklin County, Iowa: Franklin is named for
- Fremont County, Iowa: Fremont is named for
G
- Greene County, Iowa: Greene is named for
- Grundy County, Iowa: Grundy is named for
- Guthrie County, Iowa: Guthrie is named for
H
- Hamilton County, Iowa: Hamilton is named for
- Hancock County, Iowa: Hancock is named for
- Hardin County, Iowa: Hardin is named for
- Harrison County, Iowa: Harrison is named for
- Henry County, Iowa: Henry is named for
- Howard County, Iowa: Howard is named for
- Humboldt County, Iowa: Humboldt is named for
I
- Ida County, Iowa: Ida is named for
- Iowa County, Iowa: Iowa is named for
J
- Jackson County, Iowa: Jackson is named for
- Jasper County, Iowa: Jasper is named for
- Jefferson County, Iowa: Jefferson is named for
- Johnson County, Iowa: Johnson is named for
- Jones County, Iowa: Jones is named for
K
- Keokuk County, Iowa: Keokuk is named for
- Kossuth County, Iowa: Kossuth is named for
L
- Lee County, Iowa: Lee is named for
- Linn County, Iowa: Linn is named for
- Louisa County, Iowa: Louisa is named for
- Lucas County, Iowa: Lucas is named for
- Lyon County, Iowa: Lyon is named for
M
- Madison County, Iowa: Madison is named for
- Mahaska County, Iowa: Mahaska is named for
- Marion County, Iowa: Marion is named for
- Marshall County, Iowa: Marshall is named for
- Mills County, Iowa: Mills is named for
- Mitchell County, Iowa: Mitchell is named for
- Monona County, Iowa: Monona is named for
- Monroe County, Iowa: Monroe is named for
- Montgomery County, Iowa: Montgomery is named for
- Muscatine County, Iowa: Muscatine is named for
O
- O'Brien County, Iowa: O'Brien is named for
- Osceola County, Iowa: Osceola is named for
P
- Page County, Iowa: Page is named for
- Palo Alto County, Iowa: Palo Alto is named for
- Plymouth County, Iowa: Plymouth is named for
- Pocahontas County, Iowa: Pocahontas is named for
- Polk County, Iowa: Polk is named for
- Pottawattamie County, Iowa: Pottawattamie is named for
- Poweshiek County, Iowa: Poweshiek is named for
R
- Ringgold County, Iowa: Ringgold is named for
S
- Sac County, Iowa: Sac is named for
- Scott County, Iowa: Scott is named for
- Shelby County, Iowa: Shelby is named for
- Sioux County, Iowa: Sioux is named for
- Story County, Iowa: Story is named for
T
- Tama County, Iowa: Tama is named for
- Taylor County, Iowa: Taylor is named for
U
- Union County, Iowa: Union is named for
V
- Van Buren County, Iowa: Van Buren is named for
W
- Wapello County, Iowa: Wapello is named for
- Warren County, Iowa: Warren is named for
- Washington County, Iowa: Washington is named for
- Wayne County, Iowa: Wayne is named for
- Webster County, Iowa: Webster is named for
- Winnebago County, Iowa: Winnebago is named for
- Winneshiek County, Iowa: Winneshiek is named for
- Woodbury County, Iowa: Woodbury is named for
- Worth County, Iowa: Worth is named for
- Wright County, Iowa: Wright is named for