Formation Maryland Counties

Formation of Maryland Counties

Links below are to Wikipedia

County
County seat
Established
Origin
Source of Name

Allegany County Cumberland 1789 Formed from part of Washington County. From the Lenape Indian word oolikhanna, which means "beautiful stream"

Anne Arundel County Annapolis 1650 Formed from part of St. Mary's County. Anne Arundell was the maiden name of the wife of Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Between 1654 and 1658 it was known as Providence County by Puritan settlers

Baltimore County Towson 1659 Formed from unorganized territory Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, first proprietor of the Maryland colony

Baltimore City Baltimore City 1851 Founded in 1729. Detached in 1851 from Baltimore County Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, first proprietor of the Maryland colony

Calvert County Prince Frederick 1654 Formed as Patuxent County from unorganized territory. Renamed Calvert County in 1658 The Calvert family; prior to 1658 it was called Patuxent County, after the Patuxent Indians, a branch of the Algonquians

Caroline County Denton 1773 From parts of Dorchester County and Queen Anne's County Lady Caroline Eden, daughter of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore

Carroll County Westminster 1837 From parts of Baltimore County and Frederick County Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a representative to the Continental Congress and signatory of the Declaration of Independence

Cecil County Elkton 1672 From parts of Baltimore County and Kent County Cecil is an Anglicized form of the first name of Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore

Charles County La Plata 1658 From unorganized territory Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore, second proprietor of the Maryland colony

Dorchester County Cambridge 1668 From unorganized territory Dorchester in Dorset, England; the Earl of Dorset was a friend of the Calvert family

Frederick County Frederick 1748 From part of Prince George's County Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore, final proprietor of the Maryland colony

Garrett County Oakland 1872 From part of Allegany County John Work Garrett, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad

Harford County Bel Air 1773 From part of Baltimore County Henry Harford, illegitimate son of Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore

Howard County Ellicott City 1851 From parts of Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County John Eager Howard, an American Revolutionary War officer and governor of Maryland

Kent County Chestertown 1642 From unorganized territory The English county of Kent

Montgomery County Rockville 1776 From part of Frederick County Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general

Prince George's County Upper Marlboro 1696 From parts of Calvert County and Charles County Prince George of Denmark, husband to Queen Anne of Great Britain

Queen Anne's County Centreville 1706 From parts of Talbot County Anne, Queen of Great Britain

Saint Mary's County Leonardtown 1637 From unorganized territory. Was named Potomac County between 1654 and 1658. The Virgin Mary, first county named in a colony intended to be a haven for Catholics

Somerset County Princess Anne 1666 From unorganized territory. Mary, Lady Somerset, sister-in-law of Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore

Talbot County Easton 1662 From part of Kent County Grace, Lady Talbot, sister of Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore

Washington County Hagerstown 1776 From part of Frederick County George Washington, first President of the United States

Wicomico County Salisbury 1867 From parts of Somerset County and Worcester County The Wicomico River; in Lenape, wicko mekee indicated "a place where houses are built," possibly in reference to a settlement

Worcester County Snow Hill 1742 From part of Somerset County Mary Arundell, the wife of Sir John Somerset, son of the 1st Marquess of Worcester, and sister of Anne Arundell, wife of Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore

County	County seat	Established	Origin	Source of Name
Allegany County	Cumberland	1789	Formed from part of Washington County.	From the Lenape Indian word oolikhanna, which means "beautiful stream"
Anne Arundel County	Annapolis	1650	Formed from part of St. Mary's County.	Anne Arundell was the maiden name of the wife of Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Between 1654 and 1658 it was known as Providence County by Puritan settlers
Baltimore County	Towson	1659	Formed from unorganized territory	Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, first proprietor of the Maryland colony
Baltimore City	Baltimore City	1851	Founded in 1729. Detached in 1851 from Baltimore County	Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, first proprietor of the Maryland colony
Calvert County	Prince Frederick	1654	Formed as Patuxent County from unorganized territory. Renamed Calvert County in 1658	The Calvert family; prior to 1658 it was called Patuxent County, after the Patuxent Indians, a branch of the Algonquians
Caroline County	Denton	1773	From parts of Dorchester County and Queen Anne's County	Lady Caroline Eden, daughter of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore
Carroll County	Westminster	1837	From parts of Baltimore County and Frederick County	Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a representative to the Continental Congress and signatory of the Declaration of Independence
Cecil County	Elkton	1672	From parts of Baltimore County and Kent County	Cecil is an Anglicized form of the first name of Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore
Charles County	La Plata	1658	From unorganized territory	Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore, second proprietor of the Maryland colony
Dorchester County	Cambridge	1668	From unorganized territory	Dorchester in Dorset, England; the Earl of Dorset was a friend of the Calvert family
Frederick County	Frederick	1748	From part of Prince George's County	Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore, final proprietor of the Maryland colony
Garrett County	Oakland	1872	From part of Allegany County	John Work Garrett, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Harford County	Bel Air	1773	From part of Baltimore County	Henry Harford, illegitimate son of Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore
Howard County	Ellicott City	1851	From parts of Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County	John Eager Howard, an American Revolutionary War officer and governor of Maryland
Kent County	Chestertown	1642	From unorganized territory	The English county of Kent
Montgomery County	Rockville	1776	From part of Frederick County	Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general
Prince George's County	Upper Marlboro	1696	From parts of Calvert County and Charles County	Prince George of Denmark, husband to Queen Anne of Great Britain
Queen Anne's County	Centreville	1706	From parts of Talbot County	Anne, Queen of Great Britain
Saint Mary's County	Leonardtown	1637	From unorganized territory. Was named Potomac County between 1654 and 1658.	The Virgin Mary, first county named in a colony intended to be a haven for Catholics
Somerset County	Princess Anne	1666	From unorganized territory.	Mary, Lady Somerset, sister-in-law of Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore
Talbot County	Easton	1662	From part of Kent County	Grace, Lady Talbot, sister of Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore
Washington County	Hagerstown	1776	From part of Frederick County	George Washington, first President of the United States
Wicomico County	Salisbury	1867	From parts of Somerset County and Worcester County	The Wicomico River; in Lenape, wicko mekee indicated "a place where houses are built," possibly in reference to a settlement
Worcester County	Snow Hill	1742	From part of Somerset County	Mary Arundell, the wife of Sir John Somerset, son of the 1st Marquess of Worcester, and sister of Anne Arundell, wife of Cï¿½cilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore