. Wikipedia +1 While there are 48 ceremonial counties in total, the "-shire" suffix is primarily found in the Midlands and Northern England. Counties in the south-east and south-west often retain names from ancient Saxon kingdoms (like Essex and Sussex) or Celtic tribes (like Cornwall) and do not use the suffix. Wikipedia +3 Counties Ending in "-shire" These 23 counties officially use the suffix in their ceremonial names: Bedfordshire Berkshire Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire Cheshire Derbyshire Gloucestershire Hampshire Herefordshire Hertfordshire Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Northamptonshire Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire Shropshire Staffordshire Warwickshire Wiltshire Worcestershire Yorkshire (Specifically its four ceremonial divisions: East Riding of Yorkshire , North Yorkshire , South Yorkshire , and West Yorkshire ). Wikipedia +1 Notable Exceptions and Historic Variations Huntingdonshire : Historically a county ending in "-shire," it is now administered as a district within Cambridgeshire rather than as a standalone ceremonial county
The suffix "-shire" is attached to the name of a county town or a geographical feature. how many counties in england end in shire