This is a list of South Dakota county name etymologies:

• Aurora County: Aurora is named for Aurora, Greco-Roman goddess of the dawn.
• Beadle County: Beadle is named for military officer and local leader William Henry Harrison Beadle.
• Bennett County
• Bon Homme County: Bon Homme is named after Bon Homme Island in the Missouri River. Bon homme is French for good man.
• Brookings County: Brookings is named for Brookings, South Dakota, the county seat.
• Brown County: Brown is named for territorial legislator Alfred Brown .
• Brule County: Brule may be named for the Brule Sioux Native American people.
• Buffalo County
• Butte County
• Campbell County
• Charles Mix County
• Clark County: Clark is named after Clark House, a local inn that was the county's first headquarters.
• Clay County: Clay is probably named for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Henry Clay.
• Codington County
• Corson County: Corson is named after Dighton Corson , a Justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court .
• Custer County: Custer is named after military officer George Armstrong Custer.
• Davison County: Davison is named for Henry C. Davison , an important local merchant.
• Day County
• Deuel County: Deuel is named for early settler Jacob S. Deuel .
• Dewey County: Dewey is named for William P. Dewey , the surveyor general of Dakota Territory from 1873 until 1877.
• Douglas County
• Edmunds County: Edmunds is named for Governor of Dakota Territory Newton Edmunds .
• Fall River County
• Faulk County: Faulk is named for Governor of Dakota Territory Andrew Jackson Faulk .
• Grant County
• Gregory County: Gregory is named for C.H. Gregory , an officer stationed at Fort Randall.
• Haakon County: Haakon is named for Haakon VII of Norway.
• Hamlin County: Hamlin is named for Hannibal Hamlin, Abraham Lincoln's first Vice President.
• Hand County: Hand is named for George H. Hand , U.S. Attorney for the District of Dakota Territory .
• Hanson County
• Harding County: Harding is named for territorial legislator J. A. Harding .
• Hughes County: Hughes is named for territorial legislator Alexander Hughes .
• Hutchinson County
• Hyde County: Hyde is named for territorial legislator James Hyde .
• Jackson County: Jackson is named for territorial legislator J.R. Jackson .
• Jerauld County: Jerauld is named for territorial legislator H.A. Jerauld .
• Jones County
• Kingsbury County: Kingsbury is named for territorial legislators and brothers George W. Kingsbury and T.A. Kingsbury .
• Lake County
• Lawrence County: Lawrence is named for John Lawrence , the first treasurer of the county.
• Lincoln County: Lincoln is named for Lincoln County, Maine.
• Lyman County: Lyman is named for territorial legislator W.P. Lyman .
• Marshall County: Marshall is named for prominent county resident Marshall Vincent .
• McCook County: McCook is named for military officer and Dakota Territory secretary Edwin McCook .
• McPherson County: McPherson is named for American Civil War military officer James B. McPherson.
• Meade County: Meade is named for American Civil War general George Meade.
• Mellette County: Mellette is named for Arthur C. Mellette , the first governor of South Dakota and the last governor of Dakota Territory.
• Miner County: Miner is named for territorial legislators Nelson Miner and Ephriam Miner .
• Minnehaha County: Minnehaha's name is taken from a Native American word meaning river waterfall.
• Moody County: Moody is named for territorial legislator and later U.S. Senator Gideon C. Moody .
• Pennington County: Pennington is named for Governor of Dakota Territory John L. Pennington .
• Perkins County: Perkins is named for South Dakota state legislator Henry E. Perkins .
• Potter County: Potter is named for territorial legislator Joel A. Potter .
• Roberts County: Roberts is named for territorial legislator S. G. Roberts .
• Sanborn County: Sanborn is named for Milwaukee Railroad superintendent George W. Sanborn .
• Shannon County
• Spink County: Spink is named for secretary of the Dakota Territory S.L. Spink .
• Stanley County: Stanley is named for military officer David S. Stanley, long-time commander at Fort Sully .
• Sully County: Sully is named for Fort Sully , which is named in turn for is founder, officer Alfred Sully .
• Todd County: Todd is named for John Blair Smith Todd , the first Congressional Delegate from Dakota Territory.
• Tripp County: Tripp is named for chief justice of the Dakota Territory Supreme Court Bartlett Tripp .
• Turner County: Turner is named for territorial legislator John W. Turner .
• Union County: Union was named because of pro-Union sentiment during the American Civil War.
• Walworth County: Walworth is named for Walworth County, Wisconsin.
• Yankton County: Yankton is named for the Yankton Sioux Native American people.
• Ziebach County: Ziebach is named for local leader Frank M. Ziebach .

Source

• County Associations of South Dakota
• South Dakota Glacial Lakes County Histories - warning, not all county name etymologies

See also

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