List of counties in Mississippi
Appearance
(Redirected from List of Mississippi county name etymologies)
Counties of Mississippi | |
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Location | State of Mississippi |
Number | 82 |
Populations | Greatest: 214,870 (Hinds) Least: 1,256 (Issaquena) Average: 35,850 (2023) |
Areas | Largest: 933.9 square miles (2,419 km2) (Yazoo, by land) Smallest: 401.3 square miles (1,039 km2) (Alcorn) Average: 591 square miles (1,530 km2) |
Government | |
Subdivisions |
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There are 82 counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Mississippi is tied with Arkansas for the most counties with two county seats (10).
According to 2023 U.S. Census Data, the average population of Mississippi's 82 counties is 35,850, with Hinds County as the most populous (214,870) and Issaquena County the least (1,256).[1] The average land area is 591 square miles (1,530 km2).
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code is used by the United States Federal government to uniquely identify counties. In the table below, each code links to the U.S. Census "quick facts" page for that county. Mississippi's FIPS state code is 28.
List
[edit]County |
FIPS code[2] | County seat[3] | Smithsonian Trinomial [4] |
Est.[5][3] | Origin[5] | Etymology[6][7] | Population (2023)[1] |
Total Area[8] | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adams County | 001 | Natchez | AD | 1799 | One of two original counties in the Mississippi Territory formed by Governor Winthrop Sargent[9] | John Adams (1735–1826), Founding Father and 2nd U.S. President | 28,746 | 487.9 sq mi (1,264 km2) |
|
Alcorn County | 003 | Corinth | AL | 1870 | Formed from Tippiah and Tishomingo Counties | James L. Alcorn (1816–1894), 28th Governor of Mississippi and U.S. Senator | 34,135 | 401.3 sq mi (1,039 km2) |
|
Amite County | 005 | Liberty | AM | 1809 | Formed from Wilkinson County | Amite River | 12,442 | 731.7 sq mi (1,895 km2) |
|
Attala County | 007 | Kosciusko | AT | 1833 | Formed from Madison County | A fictional Native American heroine from the early 19th-century novel Atala by François-René de Chateaubriand. | 17,359 | 736.7 sq mi (1,908 km2) |
|
Benton County | 009 | Ashland | BE | 1870 | Formed from Marshall and Tippah Counties | Thought to be named for U.S. Senator Thomas Benton of Missouri, the true namesake is Samuel Benton (1820–1864), Brigadier General of the Confederate States Army's 34th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, mustered from the same counties from which Benton County was formed in 1870[10][11] | 7,438 | 408.6 sq mi (1,058 km2) |
|
Bolivar County | 011 | Cleveland, Rosedale |
BO | 1836 | Formed from Tallahatchie and Washington Counties and Unorganized | Simon Bolivar (1783–1830), South American democratic revolutionary | 28,968 | 905.7 sq mi (2,346 km2) |
|
Calhoun County | 013 | Pittsboro | CN | 1852 | Formed from Chickasaw, Lafayette and Yalobusha Counties | John C. Calhoun (1782–1850), 7th U.S. Vice President | 12,685 | 588 sq mi (1,523 km2) |
|
Carroll County | 015 | Carrollton, Vaiden |
CA | 1833 | Formed from Unorganized and Lowndes, Monroe, and Washington Counties | Charles Carroll (1737–1832), last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence | 9,535 | 634.5 sq mi (1,643 km2) |
|
Chickasaw County | 017 | Houston, Okolona |
CS | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County and Unorganized | Chickasaw Native Americans | 16,866 | 504.3 sq mi (1,306 km2) |
|
Choctaw County | 019 | Ackerman | CH | 1833 | Formed from Unorganized and Lowndes, Madison, and Monroe Counties | Choctaw Native Americans | 8,088 | 420.3 sq mi (1,089 km2) |
|
Claiborne County | 021 | Port Gibson | CB | 1802 | Formed from Jefferson (Pickering) County | William C. C. Claiborne (c. 1773–1775–1817), 2nd Governor of Mississippi Territory | 8,617 | 500.9 sq mi (1,297 km2) |
|
Clarke County | 023 | Quitman | CK | 1833 | Formed from Wayne County | Joshua G. Clarke (1780–1828), Mississippi Supreme Court Justice and 1st Chancellor of the Mississippi Chancery Courts | 15,228 | 693.4 sq mi (1,796 km2) |
|
Clay County | 025 | West Point | CL | 1871 | Formed from Chickasaw, Lowndes, Monroe and Oktibbeha Counties as Colfax County (named for Schuyler Colfax) | Henry Clay (1777–1852), 9th U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. Senator | 18,206 | 415.9 sq mi (1,077 km2) |
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Coahoma County | 027 | Clarksdale | CO | 1836 | Formed from Unorganized | derives from Choctaw word meaning "red panther" | 20,077 | 583.1 sq mi (1,510 km2) |
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Copiah County | 029 | Hazlehurst | CP | 1823 | Formed from Franklin, Hinds, and Lawrence Counties | Copiah Creek, derives from the Choctaw word meaning "calling panther" | 27,664 | 779.4 sq mi (2,019 km2) |
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Covington County | 031 | Collins | CV | 1819 | Formed from Lawrence and Wayne Counties | Leonard Covington (1768–1813), U.S. House Representative and War of 1812 brigadier general | 18,059 | 414.9 sq mi (1,075 km2) |
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DeSoto County | 033 | Hernando | DS | 1836 | Formed from Monroe and Washington Counties | Hernando de Soto (c. 1497–1542), Spanish explorer of the Americas | 193,247 | 497.2 sq mi (1,288 km2) |
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Forrest County | 035 | Hattiesburg | FO | 1908 | Formed from Perry County | Nathan B. Forrest (1821–1877), Confederate general and 1st Grand Wizard of the First Ku Klux Klan[12] | 78,208 | 470.2 sq mi (1,218 km2) |
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Franklin County | 037 | Meadville | FR | 1809 | Formed from Adams, Amite, and Wilkinson Counties | Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), Founding Father, drafter and signer of the Declaration of Independence, and influential polymath | 7,610 | 566.5 sq mi (1,467 km2) |
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George County | 039 | Lucedale | GE | 1910 | Formed from Greene and Jackson Counties | James Z. George (1826–1897), U.S. Senator and Confederate colonel[13] | 25,619 | 483.6 sq mi (1,253 km2) |
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Greene County | 041 | Leakesville | GN | 1811 | Formed from Wayne County | Nathanael Greene (1742–1786), American Revolutionary War general | 13,601 | 718.7 sq mi (1,861 km2) |
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Grenada County | 043 | Grenada | GR | 1870 | Formed from Carroll, Choctaw, Tallahatchie and Yalobusha Counties | Spanish province of Granada | 21,065 | 449.4 sq mi (1,164 km2) |
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Hancock County | 045 | Bay St. Louis | HA | 1812 | Formed from Mobile County (AL) | John Hancock (1737–1793), Founding Father, first signer of the Declaration of Independence, and 4th and 13th President of the Continental Congress | 46,159 | 484 sq mi (1,254 km2) |
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Harrison County | 047 | Gulfport, Biloxi |
HR | 1841 | Formed from Hancock and Jackson Counties | William Henry Harrison (1773–1841), 9th U.S. president | 210,612 | 584.5 sq mi (1,514 km2) |
|
Hinds County | 049 | Jackson, Raymond |
HI | 1821 | Formed from Unorganized land acquired in the Treaty of Doak's Stand | Thomas Hinds (1780–1840), U.S. House Representative and War of 1812 major general | 214,870 | 877.3 sq mi (2,272 km2) |
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Holmes County | 051 | Lexington | HO | 1833 | Formed from Yazoo County | David Holmes (1769–1832), 1st and 5th Governor of Mississippi and U.S. Senator | 15,777 | 764.5 sq mi (1,980 km2) |
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Humphreys County | 053 | Belzoni | HU | 1918 | Formed from Holmes, Sharkey, Sunflower, Washington and Yazoo Counties | Benjamin G. Humphreys (1808–1882), 26th Governor of Mississippi and Confederate brigadier general[14] | 7,216 | 431.3 sq mi (1,117 km2) |
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Issaquena County | 055 | Mayersville | IS | 1844 | Formed from Washington County | Issaquena Creek, derives from Choctaw meaning "deer river" | 1,256 | 436.7 sq mi (1,131 km2) |
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Itawamba County | 057 | Fulton | IT | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | Itawamba(c. 1759–1834), Chickasaw chief | 24,093 | 540.4 sq mi (1,400 km2) |
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Jackson County | 059 | Pascagoula | JA | 1812 | Formed from Mobile County (AL) | Andrew Jackson (1767–1845), 7th U.S. president and War of 1812 hero | 146,389 | 740.8 sq mi (1,919 km2) |
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Jasper County | 061 | Bay Springs, Paulding |
JS | 1833 | Formed from Jones and Wayne Counties | William Jasper (c. 1750–1779), Revolutionary War sergeant | 16,013 | 677.4 sq mi (1,754 km2) |
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Jefferson County | 063 | Fayette | JE | 1799 | Origianlly known as Pickering, one of two original counties in the Mississippi Territory formed by Governor Winthrop Sargent[9] | Thomas Jefferson, third U.S. President and principal author of the Declaration of Independence | 6,941 | 527.1 sq mi (1,365 km2) |
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Jefferson Davis County | 065 | Prentiss | JD | 1906 | Formed from Covington and Lawrence Counties | Jefferson Davis, C.S. President[15] | 10,969 | 409.2 sq mi (1,060 km2) |
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Jones County | 067 | Laurel, Ellisville |
JO | 1826 | Formed from Covington and Wayne Counties | John Paul Jones, Revolutionary War naval captain | 66,250 | 699.7 sq mi (1,812 km2) |
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Kemper County | 069 | De Kalb | KE | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes, Rankin and Wayne Counties | Reuben Kemper, American pioneer and revolutionary in Spanish Florida | 8,584 | 767 sq mi (1,987 km2) |
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Lafayette County | 071 | Oxford | LA | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | Marquis de la Fayette, French-born Revolutionary War general | 58,467 | 679.3 sq mi (1,759 km2) |
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Lamar County | 073 | Purvis | LM | 1904 | Formed from Marion and Pearl River Counties | Lucius Q. C. Lamar, Confederate colonel, U.S. Senator from Mississippi, United States Secretary of the Interior, and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | 66,217 | 500.4 sq mi (1,296 km2) |
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Lauderdale County | 075 | Meridian | LD | 1833 | Formed from Rankin and Wayne Counties | James Lauderdale, War of 1812 colonel | 70,527 | 715.3 sq mi (1,853 km2) |
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Lawrence County | 077 | Monticello | LW | 1814 | Formed from Marion County | James Lawrence, War of 1812 naval captain | 11,741 | 435.8 sq mi (1,129 km2) |
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Leake County | 079 | Carthage | LK | 1833 | Formed from Madison and Rankin Counties | Walter Leake, U.S. Senator and Governor of Mississippi | 21,258 | 585.4 sq mi (1,516 km2) |
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Lee County | 081 | Tupelo | LE | 1866 | Formed from Itawamba and Pontotoc Counties | Robert E. Lee, General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States | 82,799 | 453.1 sq mi (1,174 km2) |
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Leflore County | 083 | Greenwood | LF | 1871 | Formed from Carroll and Sunflower Counties | Greenwood LeFlore, Chief of the Choctaw Nation and state senator | 26,378 | 606.3 sq mi (1,570 km2) |
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Lincoln County | 085 | Brookhaven | LI | 1870 | Formed from Amite, Copiah, Franklin, Lawrence and Pike Counties | Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth U.S. President | 34,702 | 588.2 sq mi (1,523 km2) |
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Lowndes County | 087 | Columbus | LO | 1830 | Formed from Monroe County and Unorganized | William Jones Lowndes, U.S. Representative from South Carolina | 57,283 | 516.3 sq mi (1,337 km2) |
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Madison County | 089 | Canton | MD | 1828 | Formed from Yazoo County | James Madison, fourth U.S. President | 112,511 | 742.2 sq mi (1,922 km2) |
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Marion County | 091 | Columbia | MA | 1811 | Formed from Unorganized and Amite, Franklin and Wayne Counties | Francis Marion, Revolutionary War general | 24,224 | 548.7 sq mi (1,421 km2) |
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Marshall County | 093 | Holly Springs | MR | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States who shaped the Supreme Court's power | 34,123 | 709.7 sq mi (1,838 km2) |
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Monroe County | 095 | Aberdeen | MO | 1821 | Formed from Unorganized land acquired in the Treaty of Turkeytown | James Monroe, fifth U.S. President | 33,609 | 772.1 sq mi (2,000 km2) |
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Montgomery County | 097 | Winona | MT | 1871 | Formed from Carroll and Choctaw Counties | Richard Montgomery, Revolutionary War general | 9,600 | 407.8 sq mi (1,056 km2) |
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Neshoba County | 099 | Philadelphia | NE | 1833 | Formed from Jones, Madison, Rankin and Wayne Counties | Choctaw word for "wolf" | 28,789 | 571.7 sq mi (1,481 km2) |
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Newton County | 101 | Decatur | NW | 1836 | Formed from Neshoba County | Isaac Newton, English scientist | 21,019 | 579.6 sq mi (1,501 km2) |
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Noxubee County | 103 | Macon | NO | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes and Rankin Counties | Named for the Noxubee River, Noxubee derives from Choctaw for “to smell as newly caught fish; to stink, as fish", "strong smelling", or "offensive odor" | 9,914 | 700.1 sq mi (1,813 km2) |
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Oktibbeha County | 105 | Starkville | OK | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes County | Named for Tibbee Creek, Choctaw for "fighting water" or "blocks of ice therein" | 51,203 | 462 sq mi (1,197 km2) |
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Panola County | 107 | Batesville, Sardis |
PA | 1836 | Formed from Monroe and Washington Counties and Unorganized | Choctaw for "cotton" | 32,669 | 705.2 sq mi (1,826 km2) |
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Pearl River County | 109 | Poplarville | PR | 1890 | Formed from Hancock and Marion Counties | Pearl River | 57,978 | 819.1 sq mi (2,121 km2) |
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Perry County | 111 | New Augusta | PE | 1820 | Formed from Greene County | Oliver Hazard Perry, War of 1812 naval captain | 11,315 | 650.2 sq mi (1,684 km2) |
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Pike County | 113 | Magnolia | PI | 1815 | Formed from Marion County | Zebulon Pike, western explorer | 39,394 | 410.6 sq mi (1,063 km2) |
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Pontotoc County | 115 | Pontotoc | PO | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | Deriving from the Chickasaw name for a nearby creek, meaning "hanging grapes" or "cattail prairie" | 31,535 | 501 sq mi (1,298 km2) |
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Prentiss County | 117 | Booneville | PS | 1870 | Formed from Itawamba and Tishomingo Counties | Seargent Smith Prentiss, U.S. Representative from Mississippi | 25,135 | 418.2 sq mi (1,083 km2) |
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Quitman County | 119 | Marks | QU | 1877 | Formed from Coahoma, Panola, Tallahatchie and Tunica Counties | John A. Quitman, Governor of Mississippi and U.S. Senator | 5,546 | 406.4 sq mi (1,053 km2) |
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Rankin County | 121 | Brandon | RA | 1828 | Formed from Hinds County | Christopher Rankin, U.S. Representative from Mississippi | 160,417 | 805.9 sq mi (2,087 km2) |
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Scott County | 123 | Forest | SC | 1833 | Formed from Covington, Jones and Rankin Counties | Abram M. Scott, Governor of Mississippi | 27,507 | 610.4 sq mi (1,581 km2) |
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Sharkey County | 125 | Rolling Fork | SH | 1876 | Formed from Issaquena and Washington Counties | William L. Sharkey, Provisional Governor of Mississippi and Mississippi Supreme Court justice | 3,336 | 435.3 sq mi (1,127 km2) |
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Simpson County | 127 | Mendenhall | SI | 1824 | Formed from Copiah County | Josiah Simpson, first federal judge appointed in the state | 25,715 | 590.5 sq mi (1,529 km2) |
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Smith County | 129 | Raleigh | SM | 1833 | Formed from Covington, Jones and Rankin Counties | David Smith, Revolutionary War major general | 14,099 | 637.3 sq mi (1,651 km2) |
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Stone County | 131 | Wiggins | ST | 1916 | Formed from Harrison County | John M. Stone, Governor of Mississippi[16] | 18,756 | 448.1 sq mi (1,161 km2) |
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Sunflower County | 133 | Indianola | SU | 1844 | Formed from Bolivar County | Sunflower River | 24,468 | 706.9 sq mi (1,831 km2) |
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Tallahatchie County | 135 | Charleston, Sumner |
TL | 1833 | Formed from Washington and Monroe Counties and Unorganized | Tallahatchie River | 11,837 | 652.2 sq mi (1,689 km2) |
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Tate County | 137 | Senatobia | TA | 1873 | Formed from DeSoto and Marshall Counties | Thomas Simpson Tate, one of the county's original settlers | 28,261 | 411 sq mi (1,064 km2) |
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Tippah County | 139 | Ripley | TI | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | Chickasaw for "to eat one another" | 21,287 | 459.9 sq mi (1,191 km2) |
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Tishomingo County | 141 | Iuka | TS | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | Chief Tishomingo, Chickasaw leader | 18,507 | 444.6 sq mi (1,152 km2) |
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Tunica County | 143 | Tunica | TU | 1836 | Formed from Washington County and Unorganized | Tunica Native Americans | 9,234 | 480.8 sq mi (1,245 km2) |
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Union County | 145 | New Albany | UN | 1870 | Formed from Lee, Pontotoc and Tippah Counties | Reunion of Confederacy with the United States | 28,284 | 416.9 sq mi (1,080 km2) |
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Walthall County | 147 | Tylertown | WL | 1910[a] | Formed from Marion and Pike Counties | Edward Walthall, Confederate general and U.S. Senator from Mississippi[18] | 13,863 | 404.3 sq mi (1,047 km2) |
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Warren County | 149 | Vicksburg | WR | 1809 | Formed from Claiborne County and Unorganized | Joseph Warren, Revolutionary War general | 42,298 | 620.1 sq mi (1,606 km2) |
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Washington County | 151 | Greenville | WS | 1827 | Formed from Warren and Yazoo Counties | George Washington, first U.S. President | 41,946 | 760.9 sq mi (1,971 km2) |
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Wayne County | 153 | Waynesboro | WA | 1809 | Formed from Washington County (AL) | Anthony Wayne, Revolutionary War general and Senior Officer of the United States Army | 19,703 | 813.5 sq mi (2,107 km2) |
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Webster County | 155 | Walthall | WE | 1874 | Formed from Chickasaw, Choctaw and Montgomery Counties as Sumner County | Daniel Webster, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and influential politician of the Nineteenth Century | 9,988 | 422.8 sq mi (1,095 km2) |
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Wilkinson County | 157 | Woodville | WK | 1802 | Formed from Adams County | James Wilkinson, Revolutionary War general | 8,058 | 687.2 sq mi (1,780 km2) |
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Winston County | 159 | Louisville | WI | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes, Madison, and Rankin Counties | Louis L. Winston, Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court | 17,416 | 610.1 sq mi (1,580 km2) |
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Yalobusha County | 161 | Water Valley, Coffeeville |
YA | 1833 | Formed from Monroe and Washington Counties and Unorganized | Yalobusha River, from Choctaw name meaning "tadpole place" | 12,386 | 495 sq mi (1,282 km2) |
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Yazoo County | 163 | Yazoo City | YZ | 1823 | Formed from Hinds County | Yazoo River, named for the Yazoo people | 25,796 | 933.9 sq mi (2,419 km2) |
Footnotes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Bureau of the Census, U.S.A. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Mississippi". Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA.gov. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
- ^ a b "County Government" (PDF). 2020-2024 Mississippi Blue Book. Mississippi Secretary of State. 2021.
- ^ "Mississippi Standards for Archaelogical Practices" (PDF). Mississippi Department of Archives and History. January 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
- ^ a b "Mississippi". Atlas of Historical County Boundaries Project. Newberry Library. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ Baca, Keith A. (2007). Native American Place Names in Mississippi. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin Of Certain Place Names (PDF). Washington: Government Printing Office.
- ^ "Mississippi County Map". GIS Geography. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Toulmin, Harry (1807). The Statutes of the Mississippi Territory, Revised and Digested by the Authority of the General Assembly. Natchez: Published by Authority. pp. 2–3.
- ^ "Benton County". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for Study of Southern Culture. April 13, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ^ "Confederate Mississippi Troops: 34th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry". National Park Service. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ^ "Forrest County". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for Study of Southern Culture. April 30, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ "George County". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for Study of Southern Culture. April 14, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ "Humphreys County". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for Study of Southern Culture. April 14, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ "Jefferson Davis County". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for Study of Southern Culture. April 14, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ "History". Stone County. Stone County Board of Supervisors. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ "Historical Info". Walthall County. Walthall County Board of Supervisors and Walthall County Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ "Walthall County". Mississippi Encyclopedia. Center for Study of Southern Culture. April 15, 2018. Retrieved December 9, 2024.