This is a list of North Carolina county name etymologies.

Alphabetical, by first letter

A

• Alamance County, North Carolina: Alamance is named for the Alamance River .
• Alexander County, North Carolina: Alexander is named for the Alexander family, of whom several members were leaders in colonial North Carolina.
• Alleghany County, North Carolina: Alleghany is named for a corruption of the Native American Delaware tribe's word for the Allegheny River, which is said to have meant "a fine stream".
• Anson County, North Carolina: Anson is named for George Anson, 1st Baron Anson, a British admiral assigned to defend North Carolina's shipping from pirates.
• Ashe County, North Carolina: Ashe is named for Samuel Ashe, the ninth governor of North Carolina and a Revolutionary War patriot.
• Avery County, North Carolina: Avery is named for Waightstill Avery , a Revolutionary War colonel and attorney general of North Carolina.

B

• Beaufort County, North Carolina: Beaufort is named for Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort.
• Bertie County, North Carolina: Bertie is named for either James Bertie or Henry Bertie , two Lord proprietars of colonial North Carolina.
• Bladen County, North Carolina: Bladen is named for Martin Bladen , a British politician and Commissioner of Trade and Plantations.
• Brunswick County, North Carolina: Brunswick is named for King George I of Great Britain, the Duke of Brunswick.
• Buncombe County, North Carolina: Buncombe is named for Edward Buncombe , a soldier in the American Revolutionary War killed in 1778.

M

• Mecklenburg County: Mecklenburg is named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of George III of Great Britain.

See also

• North Carolina
• List of North Carolina counties
• Lists of U.S. county name etymologies
• County (United States)