Submitted by Janelle Taylor
| County Name |
Name Origin |
Year County Formed |
Formed From |
| Anderson |
Joseph Anderson- US Sen NC, Judge, US Comptroller |
1801 |
Knox and Grainger Counties |
| Bedford |
Thomas Bedford, Jr.- Amer. Rev, land developer |
1807 |
Rutherford and Indian Lands |
| Benton |
David Benton- 3rd TN Militia Creek Wars |
1835 |
Humphries County |
| Bledsoe |
Anthony Bledsoe- colonial/Rev. soldier, Col TN mil., killed by Indians |
1807 |
Roane and Indian Lands |
| Blount |
Gov. William Blount |
1795 |
Knox County |
| Bradley |
Edward Bradley- TN militia, Col., 1812, Shelby County Court |
1836 |
Indian Lands |
| Campbell |
Arthur Campbell- VA Burgesses, Rev. Indian wars, Ind Treaty negotiator |
1806 |
Anderson and Claiborne Counties |
| Cannon |
Newton Cannon- Creek War, 1812, US Congr., 1st TN Whig Governor |
1836 |
Rutherford, Smith and Warren Counties |
| Carroll |
William Carroll- Gen. 1812, 6-term TN Governor (the Reform Gov.) |
1821 |
Indian Lands |
| Carter |
Landon Carter-spkr. State of Franklin Senate, militia officer |
1796 |
Washington |
| Cheatham |
Edward Cheatham- businessman, Pres. of RR, Pres. State Senator |
1856 |
Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery and Robertson Counties |
| Chester |
Robert I. Chester- QM 1812; Texas Independence, US Marshall |
1879 |
Hardeman, Henderson, McNairy and Madison Counties |
| Claiborne |
Wm. C. C. Claiborne- TN judge, US Congr., US Senate, Gov. LA |
1801 |
Grainger and Hawkins Counties |
| Clay |
Henry Clay |
1870 |
Jackson and Overton Counties |
| Cocke |
Wm. Cocke, Rev.- 1812 officer; Chickasaw agent, state leg. VA, NC, TN |
1797 |
Jefferson County |
| Coffee |
John Coffee- Creek Wars, 1812 Calvary officer, land dealer, planter |
1836 |
Franklin, Warren and Bedford Counties |
| Crockett |
Davy Crockett |
1871 |
Haywood, Madison, Dyer and Gibson Counties |
| Cumberland |
Cumberland Mountains and Duke of Cumberland, Br., PM 1748 |
1855 |
White, Morgan, Fentress, Bledsoe, Rhea and Putnam Counties |
| Davidson |
Wm. Lee Davidson- NC Rev. War officer killed at Valley Forge |
1783 |
Indian Lands |
| Decatur |
Commodore Stephen Decatur |
1845 |
Perry County |
| DeKalb |
Johann DeKalb- German Baron, came with LaFayette. Killed at Camden, NJ |
1837 |
Franklin, Cannon, Jackson and White Counties |
| Dickson |
Wm. Dickson- Physician, US Congr., State Speaker, trustee U of Nash. |
1803 |
Montgomery and Robertson Counties |
| Dyer |
Robert Henry Dyer- TN militia Creek 1812 wars; Cav. Col. 1814 Seminole War |
1823 |
Indian Lands |
| Fayette |
Marquis de Fayette |
1824 |
Indian Lands |
| Fentress |
James Fentress- spkr. State Legislature |
1823 |
Morgan, Overton and White Counties |
| Franklin |
Benjamin Franklin |
1807 |
Rutherford and Indian Lands |
| Gibson |
John Gibson- Creek War with Jackson, Natchez Expedition |
1823 |
Indian Lands |
| Giles |
Wm. B. Giles- VA Congr.,advocated TN admission to Union |
1809 |
Indian Lands |
| Grainger |
Mary Grainger- dau. of Kaleb Granger, wife of Gov. Blount |
1796 |
Hawkins and Knox Counties |
| Greene |
Nathaniel Greene |
1783 |
Washington County |
| Grundy |
Felix Grundy- Chief Justice KY Supreme Court, TN Rep. and Sen., US Attorney General (personal friend of Pres. Andrew Jackson |
1844 |
Coffee, Warren and Franklin Counties |
| Hamblen |
Hezekiah Hamblen- circuit and county court of Hawkins Co. |
1870 |
Jefferson, Grainger and Greene Counties |
| Hamilton |
Alexander Hamilton |
1819 |
Rhea and Indian Lands |
| Hancock |
John Hancock |
1844 |
Hawkins and Claiborne Counties |
| Hardeman |
Thomas James Hardeman- Creek War, 1812, Texas Independence |
1823 |
Hardin and Indian Lands |
| Hardin |
Joseph Hardin- Amer. Rev., Speaker House for State of Franklin |
1819 |
Indian Lands |
| Hawkins |
Benjamin Hawkins- NC Cont. Congress rep., Indian Agent |
1786 |
Sullivan County |
| Haywood |
John Haywood- NC and TN supreme judge, author of TN History |
1823 |
Indian Lands |
| Henderson |
James Henderson- commander TN troops prior to Battle of New Orleans |
1821 |
Indian Lands |
| Henry |
Patrick Henry |
1821 |
Indian Lands |
| Hickman |
Edwin Hickman- longhunter, killed on survey mission on Piney River |
1807 |
Dickson |
| Houston |
Sam Houston |
1871 |
Dickson, Humphries, Montgomery and Stewart Counties |
| Humphries |
Perry Wayne Humphreys- judge, US Rep TN |
1809 |
Stewart County |
| Jackson |
Andrew Jackson |
1801 |
Smith and Indian Lands |
| Jefferson |
President Jefferson |
1792 |
Greene and Hawkins Counties |
| Johnson |
Thomas Johnson- early settler Carter Co., 1st magistrate for Johnson Co. |
1836 |
Carter County |
| Knox |
Henry Knox- Amer. Rev., 1st Sect'y of War |
1792 |
Greene and Hawkins Counties |
| Lake |
Named for Reelfoot Lake |
1870 |
Obion County |
| Lauderdale |
James Lauderdale- Indian War, War 1812 (killed 1814 at New Orleans |
1835 |
Haywood, Dyer and Tipton |
| Lawrence |
James Lawrence- Capt. Chesapeake, killed 1813 "Don't give up the ship" |
1817 |
Hickman and Indian Lands |
| Lewis |
Meriweather Lewis |
1843 |
Hickman, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne Counties |
| Lincoln |
Benjamin Lincoln- Rev. War, US Sect'y War; Lt. Gov. Massachusetts |
1809 |
Bedford |
| Loudon |
Ft. Loudon, named for Earl of Loudon, Brit., Gen. French Indian War |
1807 |
Roane, Blount, McMinn and Monroe Counties |
| Macon |
Nathaniel Macon- Rev. War, US Congr., Senator NC |
1842 |
Smith and Sumner Counties |
| Madison |
President Madison |
1821 |
Indian Lands |
| Marion |
Francis Marion- "The Swamp Fox" |
1817 |
Indian Lands |
| Marshall |
John Marshall |
1836 |
Giles, Bedford, Lincoln and Maury Counties |
| Maury |
Abraham Poindexter Maury- farmer, lawyer, civil engineer- laid out Franklin |
1807 |
Williamson and Indian Lands |
| McMinn |
Joseph McMinn- Supt. Cherokee Agency, Gov. TN |
1819 |
Indian Lands |
| McNairy |
John McNairy- judge NC, US Dist. Judge, Constitutional Convention1796 |
1823 |
Hardin |
| Meigs |
Return Jonathan Meigs- Amer. Rev., Indian Agent (mar. Jane Ross, dau. of Chief John Ross |
1836 |
Rhea County |
| Monroe |
President Monroe |
1819 |
Indian Lands |
| Montgomery |
John Montgomery- Rev. War, explorer, founder Clarksville, Cumberland Compact |
1796 |
Tennessee County |
| Moore |
Wm. Moore- 1812 War, toll pike operator, Lincoln Co. Justice of the Peace |
1871 |
Bedford, Lincoln and Franklin Counties |
| Morgan |
Daniel Morgan- Rev. Commander at Cowpens, US Rep. VA |
1817 |
Anderson and Roane Counties |
| Obion |
Obion River (meaning 'obscure') |
1823 |
Indian Lands |
| Overton |
John Overton- TN Supr. Judge, with Jackson; Jas Winchester founded Memphis |
1806 |
Jackson and Indian Lands |
| Perry |
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, war 1812 |
1819 |
Humphries and Hickman Counties |
| Pickett |
Howell Pickett- Atty, member TN leg., moved to AZ political figure there |
1879 |
Fentress and Overton Counties |
| Polk |
President Polk |
1839 |
McMinn and Bradley Counties |
| Putnam |
Israel Putnam- Fr. Ind. War, commander Bunker Hill, Long Island |
1854 |
Fentress, Jackson, Overton, Smith and White Counties |
| Rhea |
John Rhea- US Congr., member TN leg., Choctaw Treaty Commission |
1807 |
Roane County |
| Roane |
Archibald Roane- TN Supr. Court; Gov. |
1801 |
Knox and Indian Lands |
| Robertson |
? Robertson- Founder of Watauga and Nashville |
1796 |
Tennessee and Sumner Counties |
| Rutherford |
Giffith Rutherford- NC leg., Ind. War, Chairman Leg. Terr. South Ohio River |
1803 |
Davidson, Williamson and Wilson Counties |
| Scott |
Gen. Winfield Scott |
1849 |
Anderson, Campbell, Fentress and Morgan Counties |
| Sequatchie |
Cherokee Chief Sequactchie- "opossum he grins or runs" |
1857 |
Hamilton, Marion and Warren Counties |
| Sevier |
John Sevier |
1794 |
Jefferson County |
| Shelby |
Isaac Shelby- Kings Mnt., 1st Gov. KY, Chickasaw land purchase |
1819 |
Indian Lands |
| Smith |
Daniel Smith- Rev. War, US Sen., cartographer (1st map of TN) |
1799 |
Sumner and Indian Lands |
| Stewart |
Duncan Stewart- NC leg., TN leg., Surveyor- Gen. MS Territory |
1803 |
Montgomery County |
| Sullivan |
John Sullivan- Rev. War, Cont. Congress, Gov. NH |
1799 |
Washington County |
| Sumner |
Jethro Sumner- Fr. Ind. War, Rev. War commander Brandywine, Charstn, Germantown |
1786 |
Davidson County |
| Tipton |
Jacob Tipton- org. of defense of NW Territory; killed by Indians while he was leading an attack on them |
1823 |
Indian Lands |
| Trousdale |
? Trousdale- Creek War, Mex. War, TN Governor, minister to Brazil |
1870 |
Wilson, Macon, Smith and SumnerCounties |
| Unicoi |
Indian name from mountain name "u'nika" meaning white, fog-like or fog draped |
1875 |
Washington and Carter Counties |
| Union |
From the fragments of the five county union that made up the county |
1850 |
Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Grainger and Knox Counties |
| Van Buren |
President Van Buren |
1840 |
Warren and White Counties |
| Warren |
Joseph Warren- sent Paul Revere on Ride, killed at Bunker Hill |
1807 |
Jackson, Smith, White, and Indian Lands |
| Washington |
President Washington |
1777 |
North Carolina |
| Wayne |
"Mad" Anthony Wayne |
1817 |
Hickman County |
| Weakley |
Robert Weakley- Rev., US Congr. Commission to Treat with Chickasaw |
1823 |
Indian Lands |
| White |
John White- Rev. Brandywine, Stony Point, Germantown, 1st White in White County |
1806 |
|
| Williamson |
Hugh Williamson- NC Soldier, Surgeon-General, Cont. Congr. |
1799 |
Davidson County |
| Wilson |
David Wilson- Rev. War, NC leg., leg. Terr. South of Ohio |
1799 |
Sumner County |
