Origin of the County Names in Florida

Origin of the County Names in Florida.
BY GEO. B. UTLEY . ( Reprinted from August number of M a g a z i n e o f H i s t o r y , by permission of author.) The following article indicates briefly the origin of the names given to the various counties of the State of Florida. So far as possible the reason for the name is given, as well as its origin. In instances where counties were named for men of national prominence there is often no apparent significance except the desire to honor the memory of a national hero. Such is the case in the naming of the counties of Washington, Franklin, Hamilton, Clay, Polk, Calhoun, De Soto, Hernando and Leon. No attempt has been made to supply data relating to persons of eminent national reputation whose careers are familiar to all .

The number preceding the name of the county indicates the chronological order of its establishment, and
the date following is that of its establishment. The total
number of counties in Florida (in 1908) is forty-six.

6. ALACHUA. December 29, 1824. From a Creek Indian word meaning “grassy" or “marshy.”

38 . BAKER. February 8, 1861. Named for James McNair Baker (1822-1892), judge fourth judicial district of Florida, and Confederate States senator, 1862-65.

35 . BRADFORD . December 21 , 1858 . Named for Captain Richard Bradford, the first Florida officer killed in the Civil War, who fell in the battle on Santa Rosa Island, western Florida, October 9, 1861. This county was originally named New County, the name being changed to Bradford, December 6, 1861.

25. BREVARD. March 14, 1844. Named for Theodore Washington Brevard ( 1804 - 1877 ) . Native of North Carolina, and one of the distinguished family of that name there ; removed to Florida, 1847 ; comptroller of the state, 1853 to 1861. The county was originally named St. Lucie, the name being changed to Brevard, January 6, 1855.

20. CALHOUN. January 26, 1838. Named for John Caldwell Calhoun, United States senator from South Carolina at the time the county was established. Then at the height of his popularity as the champion of the doctrine of states’ rights.

44. CITRUS. June 2, 1887. Named as an indication of the abundance of citrus fruit groves in the county.

19 . DADE. February 4, 1836. Named for Francis Langhorn Dade, Major United States Army, soldier in
the second Seminole Indian war. Killed near Fort King, Florida, December 28, 1835. All visitors to West Point;N. Y., will remember the beautiful. Dade Monument
there, on which are inscribed the names of the fallen, officers, and the simple yet eloquent line : “All of the detachment save three fell without an attempt to retreat;”

40. DE SOTO. May 9, 1887. Named for Hernando de Soto, the Spanish explorer of Florida. Hernando
County is named after the same man. A unique instance of the kind.

4 . DUVAL. August 12, 1822; Named for William Pope Duval (1784-1854), territorial: governor of Florida, 1822-34.

1. ESCAMBIA. July 21, 1821. Named from Escambia River, which probably derived its name from the Spanish cambiar, “to barter."

5 . GADSEN . June 24 , 1823 . Named for James Gadsden (1788-1858), American diplomatist. Native of Charleston, S. C. In 1818, as aide-de-camp to General
Jackson, he took part in the campaign against the Seminole Indians, later becoming prominent in this war. His career as a diplomatist was subsequent to the naming of this county.

22 . HERNANDO . February 24 , 1843 . Named for Hernando de Soto after whom De Soto County was also named.

18. HILLSBORO. January 25, 1834. Named for Wills Hill, second Viscount Hillsborough (1718-1793). The Earl of Hillsborough, during the English occupation of
Florida (1763-1783) received a large grant of land in Florida and was much interested in the development of the province.

27. HOLMES. January 8, 1848. Named for Holmes Creek, the eastern boundary of the county, which in turn was named from Holmes Valley, which received its name either from an Indian chieftain who had been given the English name of Holmes, or else from one Thomas J. Holmes, who settled in that vicinity from North Carolina about 1830 or ‘34.

3. JACKSON. August 12, 1822. Named for Andrew Jackson, governor of the territory of Florida, 1821-22, and previous to that time active in the Seminole Indian
wars in the territory. This county was named afterJackson before he became president, as the date of its establishment shows.

13 . JEFFERSON . January 20, 1827. Named for Thomas Jefferson, president, who died July 4th of the year preceding the establishment of the county.

33 . LAFAYETTE. December 23, 1856. Named for the Marquis de Lafayette. Congress granted him a township of land in Florida lying just east of Tallahassee,
in token of gratitude for his services, and though he never visited Florida, he took an interest in the territory and sent thither many French emigrants.

7 . LEON. December 29, 1824. Named for Juan Ponce de Leon, discoverer of Florida.

26. LEVY. March 10, 1845. Named for David Levy Yulee (1811-1886) territorial delegate to U. S. Congress from Florida, 1841-45, the latter date being that
on which Florida was admitted to statehood. U. S. Senator from Florida, 1845-51, and 1855-61, when he
retired to join the Southern Confederacy. His name was originally David Levy, but in 1845 he added the name of his grandfather, Yulee.

32. LIBERTY. December 15, 1855. Named to voice the sentiment of the American people.

15. MADISON. December 26 , 1827 . Named for James Madison, president, the county being largely settled by Virginia colonists.

31 . MANATEE. January 9, 1855. Named from the manatee, or sea-cow, found in the waters of its coast, and nowhere in the United States, except in Florida.

24. MARION. March 14, 1844. Named for General Francis Marion. The county was largely settled by emigrants from South Carolina.

8. MONROE. December 29, 1824. Named for James Monroe, president of the United States at the time the county was established.

10. NASSAU. December 29, 1824. Probably named from Nassau, the principal town of the Bahama Islands, as many emigrants came from the Bahamas to this section during the English occupation of Florida. An unique instance of an English name given American territory after the War of 1812.

9. ORANGE. December 24, 1824. Named from the abundant orange groves in the county. Originally named Mosquito County. Changed to Orange, January 30, 1845.

41 . OSCEOLA . May 12, 1887. Named from the famous chief of the Seminole Indians, who was kidnapped by General Jesup, near St. Augustine, in October, 1837, and died in confinement at Fort Moultrie, S. C., January, 1838.

45. PASCO. June 2, 1887. Named for Samuel Pasco (born 1834), U. S. Senator from Florida, who was speaker of the Florida House of Representatives when the county was established, and who had also just been elected U. S. Senator.

28. PUTNAM. January 13, 1849. Named for Benjamin A. Putnam, a resident of St. Augustine, prominent lawyer, officer in the second Seminole Indian War.

2. ST. JOHN. July 21, 1821. Named from the St. John’s River, called by the Spanish discoverers San Juan Bautista, from the saint’s day upon which it was discovered

46. ST. LUCIE. July 1, 1905. Named for St. Lucy, of Syracuse; saint of the Roman Catholic Church. Name first given to a fort built by the Spanish near Cape Canaveral, 1565.

21. SANTA ROSA. February 18, 1842. Named for St . Rosa , of Viterbo , saint of the Roman Catholic Church. Name was probably first given to Santa Rosa Island.

29 . SUMTER. January 8, 1853. Named for Gen. Thomas Sumter (1736-1832); patriot officer-in-the Revolutionary army, prominent in the southern campaigns; He was a native of South Carolina, and the last surviving general, officer of the Revolutionary army. This county was largely settled by emigrants from South Carolina.

37 . SUWANEE . December 21 , 1858 . From an Indian word; sawani, meaning “echo river.” One of the few counties in the United States whose name has been immortalized in song.

34 . TAYLOR. December 23, 1856 . Named for Zachary Taylor, president, prominent in the second Seminole Indian war, defeating the Indians in the decisive battle of Okechobee, for which he received the brevet of brigadier-general, and in 1838 the chief command in Florida.

30. VOLUSIA. December 29, 1854. Named from a settlement within its limits supposed to have been named from one Volus, an English settler.

23 . WAKULLA . March 11 , 1843 . Named from an Indian word meaning “mystery,” applied to the famous spring within its limits.

11 . WALTON. December 29, 1824. Named for Colonel George Walton, secretary of West Florida during the territorial governorship of Andrew Jackson, 1821- 22; and secretary of the entire territory, 1822-26. Son of George Walton, governor of Georgia and Signer of the Declaration of Independence. Tallahassee (meaning beautiful land) was so named by Walton’s daughter, Octavia.

source: Vol. I. OCTOBER, 1908. No. 3 Historical Quarterlies. Submitted by J. Rice and Dale Donlon