List of counties in Mississippi
(Redirected from List of Mississippi county name etymologies)
There are 82 counties in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Mississippi is tied with Arkansas for the most counties with two county seats, at 10.
Counties of Mississippi | |
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Location | State of Mississippi |
Number | 82 |
Populations | Greatest: 214,870 (Hinds) Least: 1,256 (Issaquena) Average: 35,850 (2023) |
Areas | Largest: 920 square miles (2,400 km2) (Yazoo, by land) Smallest: 400 square miles (1,000 km2) (Alcorn) Average: 591 square miles (1,530 km2) |
Government | |
Subdivisions |
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Mississippi's postal abbreviation is MS and its FIPS state code is 28.
List
editCounty |
FIPS code[1] | County seat[2] | Smithsonian Trinomial [3] |
Est.[4] | Origin | Etymology | Population[5] | Area[4] | Map |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adams County | 001 | Natchez | AD | 1799 | One of two original counties | John Adams, second U.S. President | 28,746 | 460 sq mi (1,191 km2) |
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Alcorn County | 003 | Corinth | AL | 1870 | Formed from Tippiah and Tishomingo Counties | James L. Alcorn, Reconstruction-era U.S. Senator from Mississippi | 34,135 | 400 sq mi (1,036 km2) |
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Amite County | 005 | Liberty | AM | 1809 | Formed from Wilkinson County | Amite River | 12,442 | 730 sq mi (1,891 km2) |
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Attala County | 007 | Kosciusko | AT | 1833 | Formed from Madison County | A fictional Native American heroine from the early 19th-century novel Atala by François-René de Chateaubriand. | 17,359 | 735 sq mi (1,904 km2) |
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Benton County | 009 | Ashland | BE | 1870 | Formed from Marshall and Tippah Counties | Samuel Benton, Brigadier General of the Confederate States Army's 34th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, mustered from the same counties from which Benton County was formed in 1870 | 7,438 | 407 sq mi (1,054 km2) |
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Bolivar County | 011 | Cleveland, Rosedale |
BO | 1836 | Formed from Tallahatchie and Washington Counties | Simon Bolivar, South American democratic revolutionary | 28,968 | 876 sq mi (2,269 km2) |
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Calhoun County | 013 | Pittsboro | CN | 1852 | Formed from Chickasaw, Lafayette and Yalobusha Counties | John C. Calhoun, U.S. Senator from South Carolina and prominent supporter of states' rights | 12,685 | 587 sq mi (1,520 km2) |
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Carroll County | 015 | Carrollton, Vaiden |
CA | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes, Monroe, Washington and Yazoo Counties | Charles Carroll, last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence | 9,535 | 628 sq mi (1,627 km2) |
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Chickasaw County | 017 | Houston, Okolona |
CS | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County and Unorganized | Chickasaw Native Americans | 16,866 | 502 sq mi (1,300 km2) |
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Choctaw County | 019 | Ackerman | CH | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes, Madison, Monroe and Yazoo Counties | Choctaw Native Americans | 8,088 | 419 sq mi (1,085 km2) |
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Claiborne County | 021 | Port Gibson | CB | 1802 | Formed from Jefferson (Pickering) County | William C. C. Claiborne, Governor of the Mississippi Territory | 8,617 | 487 sq mi (1,261 km2) |
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Clarke County | 023 | Quitman | CK | 1833 | Formed from Wayne County | Joshua G. Clarke, the first chancellor of the Mississippi Chancery Courts | 15,228 | 691 sq mi (1,790 km2) |
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Clay County | 025 | West Point | CL | 1871 | Formed from Chickasaw, Lowndes, Monroe and Oktibbeha Counties (formerly (Colfax County) | Henry Clay, U.S. Senator from Kentucky and giant of 19th century politics | 18,206 | 409 sq mi (1,059 km2) |
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Coahoma County | 027 | Clarksdale | CO | 1836 | Formed from Unorganized | derives from Choctaw word meaning "red panther"[6] | 20,077 | 554 sq mi (1,435 km2) |
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Copiah County | 029 | Hazlehurst | CP | 1823 | Formed from Franklin and Hinds Counties | derives from Choctaw word meaning "calling panther"[6] | 27,664 | 777 sq mi (2,012 km2) |
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Covington County | 031 | Collins | CV | 1819 | Formed from Lawrence and Wayne Counties | Leonard Covington, War of 1812 general | 18,059 | 414 sq mi (1,072 km2) |
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DeSoto County | 033 | Hernando | DS | 1836 | Formed from Monroe and Washington Counties | Hernando de Soto, Spanish explorer of the Americas | 193,247 | 478 sq mi (1,238 km2) |
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Forrest County | 035 | Hattiesburg | FO | 1906 | Formed from Perry County | Nathan B. Forrest, Confederate general | 78,208 | 467 sq mi (1,210 km2) |
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Franklin County | 037 | Meadville | FR | 1809 | Formed from Adams County | Benjamin Franklin, writer, orator, publisher, and U.S. founding father | 7,610 | 565 sq mi (1,463 km2) |
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George County | 039 | Lucedale | GE | 1910 | Formed from Greene and Jackson Counties | James Z. George, U.S. Senator from Mississippi | 25,619 | 478 sq mi (1,238 km2) |
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Greene County | 041 | Leakesville | GN | 1811 | Formed from Wayne County | Nathanael Greene, American Revolutionary War general | 13,601 | 713 sq mi (1,847 km2) |
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Grenada County | 043 | Grenada | GR | 1870 | Formed from Carroll, Choctaw, Tallahatchie and Yalobusha Counties | Spanish province of Granada (spelling variation) | 21,065 | 422 sq mi (1,093 km2) |
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Hancock County | 045 | Bay St. Louis | HA | 1812 | Formed from Unorganized | John Hancock, first signer of the Declaration of Independence | 46,159 | 477 sq mi (1,235 km2) |
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Harrison County | 047 | Gulfport, Biloxi |
HR | 1841 | Formed from Hancock County | William Henry Harrison, ninth U.S. President | 210,612 | 581 sq mi (1,505 km2) |
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Hinds County | 049 | Jackson, Raymond |
HI | 1821 | Formed from Unorganized (Choctaw Cession of 1820) | Thomas Hinds, War of 1812 general and U.S. Representative from Mississippi | 214,870 | 869 sq mi (2,251 km2) |
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Holmes County | 051 | Lexington | HO | 1833 | Formed from Yazoo County | David Holmes, first Governor of Mississippi | 15,777 | 756 sq mi (1,958 km2) |
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Humphreys County | 053 | Belzoni | HU | 1918 | Formed from Holmes, Sunflower, Washington and Yazoo Counties | Benjamin G. Humphreys, Reconstruction-era Governor of Mississippi | 7,216 | 418 sq mi (1,083 km2) |
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Issaquena County | 055 | Mayersville | IS | 1844 | Formed from Washington County | Choctaw word meaning "Deer River"[6] | 1,256 | 413 sq mi (1,070 km2) |
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Itawamba County | 057 | Fulton | IT | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | Itawamba, Chickasaw chief | 24,093 | 532 sq mi (1,378 km2) |
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Jackson County | 059 | Pascagoula | JA | 1812 | Formed from Unorganized | Andrew Jackson, War of 1812 hero and seventh U.S. President | 146,389 | 727 sq mi (1,883 km2) |
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Jasper County | 061 | Bay Springs, Paulding |
JS | 1833 | Formed from Jones and Wayne Counties | William Jasper, Revolutionary War sergeant | 16,013 | 676 sq mi (1,751 km2) |
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Jefferson County | 063 | Fayette | JE | 1799 | One of two original Counties (formerly Pickering) | Thomas Jefferson, third U.S. President and principal author of the Declaration of Independence | 6,941 | 519 sq mi (1,344 km2) |
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Jefferson Davis County | 065 | Prentiss | JD | 1906 | Formed from Covington and Lawrence Counties | Jefferson Davis, C.S. President | 10,969 | 408 sq mi (1,057 km2) |
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Jones County | 067 | Laurel, Ellisville |
JO | 1826 | Formed from Covington and Wayne Counties (formerly Davis (1865-1869 (Civil War)) | John Paul Jones, Revolutionary War naval captain | 66,250 | 694 sq mi (1,797 km2) |
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Kemper County | 069 | De Kalb | KE | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes, Rankin and Wayne Counties | Reuben Kemper, American pioneer and revolutionary in Spanish Florida | 8,584 | 766 sq mi (1,984 km2) |
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Lafayette County | 071 | Oxford | LA | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | Marquis de la Fayette, French-born Revolutionary War general | 58,467 | 631 sq mi (1,634 km2) |
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Lamar County | 073 | Purvis | LM | 1904 | Formed from Marion and Pearl River Counties | Lucius Q. C. Lamar, U.S. Senator from Mississippi and United States Secretary of the Interior | 66,217 | 497 sq mi (1,287 km2) |
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Lauderdale County | 075 | Meridian | LD | 1833 | Formed from Rankin and Wayne Counties | James Lauderdale, War of 1812 colonel | 70,527 | 704 sq mi (1,823 km2) |
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Lawrence County | 077 | Monticello | LW | 1814 | Formed from Marion County | James Lawrence, War of 1812 naval captain | 11,741 | 431 sq mi (1,116 km2) |
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Leake County | 079 | Carthage | LK | 1833 | Formed from Madison and Rankin Counties | Walter Leake, Governor of Mississippi | 21,258 | 583 sq mi (1,510 km2) |
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Lee County | 081 | Tupelo | LE | 1866 | Formed from Itawamba and Pontotoc Counties | Robert E. Lee, General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States | 82,799 | 450 sq mi (1,165 km2) |
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Leflore County | 083 | Greenwood | LF | 1871 | Formed from Carroll and Sunflower Counties | Greenwood LeFlore, mixed-race advocate of citizenship for Native Americans and state senator | 26,378 | 592 sq mi (1,533 km2) |
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Lincoln County | 085 | Brookhaven | LI | 1870 | Formed from Amite, Copiah, Franklin, Lawrence and Pike Counties | Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth U.S. President | 34,702 | 586 sq mi (1,518 km2) |
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Lowndes County | 087 | Columbus | LO | 1830 | Formed from Monroe County and Unorganized | William Jones Lowndes, U.S. Representative from South Carolina | 57,283 | 502 sq mi (1,300 km2) |
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Madison County | 089 | Canton | MD | 1828 | Formed from Yazoo County | James Madison, fourth U.S. President | 112,511 | 719 sq mi (1,862 km2) |
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Marion County | 091 | Columbia | MA | 1811 | Formed from Amite, Franklin and Wayne Counties | Francis Marion, Revolutionary War general | 24,224 | 542 sq mi (1,404 km2) |
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Marshall County | 093 | Holly Springs | MR | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States who shaped the Supreme Court's power | 34,123 | 706 sq mi (1,829 km2) |
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Monroe County | 095 | Aberdeen | MO | 1821 | Formed from Unorganized (Chickasaw Cession of 1816) | James Monroe, fifth U.S. President | 33,609 | 764 sq mi (1,979 km2) |
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Montgomery County | 097 | Winona | MT | 1871 | Formed from Carroll and Choctaw Counties | Richard Montgomery, Revolutionary War general | 9,600 | 407 sq mi (1,054 km2) |
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Neshoba County | 099 | Philadelphia | NE | 1833 | Formed from Jones, Madison, Rankin and Wayne Counties | Choctaw word for "gray wolf"[6] | 28,789 | 570 sq mi (1,476 km2) |
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Newton County | 101 | Decatur | NW | 1836 | Formed from Neshoba County | Isaac Newton, English scientist | 21,019 | 578 sq mi (1,497 km2) |
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Noxubee County | 103 | Macon | NO | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes and Rankin Counties | Choctaw for "stinking water" | 9,914 | 695 sq mi (1,800 km2) |
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Oktibbeha County | 105 | Starkville | OK | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes County | Choctaw word for "bloody water" | 51,203 | 458 sq mi (1,186 km2) |
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Panola County | 107 | Batesville, Sardis |
PA | 1836 | Formed from Monroe and Washington Counties | Choctaw for "cotton" | 32,669 | 684 sq mi (1,772 km2) |
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Pearl River County | 109 | Poplarville | PR | 1890 | Formed from Hancock and Marion Counties | Pearl River | 57,978 | 812 sq mi (2,103 km2) |
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Perry County | 111 | New Augusta | PE | 1820 | Formed from Greene County | Oliver Hazard Perry, War of 1812 naval captain | 11,315 | 647 sq mi (1,676 km2) |
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Pike County | 113 | Magnolia | PI | 1815 | Formed from Marion County | Zebulon Pike, western explorer | 39,394 | 409 sq mi (1,059 km2) |
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Pontotoc County | 115 | Pontotoc | PO | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | Chickasaw for "land of hanging grapes" | 31,535 | 497 sq mi (1,287 km2) |
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Prentiss County | 117 | Booneville | PS | 1870 | Formed from Itawamba and Tishomingo Counties | Seargent Smith Prentiss, U.S. Representative from Mississippi | 25,135 | 415 sq mi (1,075 km2) |
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Quitman County | 119 | Marks | QU | 1877 | Formed from Coahoma, Panola, Tallahatchie and Tunica Counties | John A. Quitman, Governor of Mississippi | 5,546 | 405 sq mi (1,049 km2) |
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Rankin County | 121 | Brandon | RA | 1828 | Formed from Hinds County | Christopher Rankin, U.S. Representative from Mississippi | 160,417 | 775 sq mi (2,007 km2) |
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Scott County | 123 | Forest | SC | 1833 | Formed from Covington, Jones and Rankin Counties | Abram M. Scott, Governor of Mississippi | 27,507 | 609 sq mi (1,577 km2) |
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Sharkey County | 125 | Rolling Fork | SH | 1876 | Formed from Issaquena, Warren and Washington Counties | William L. Sharkey, Mississippi Supreme Court justice | 3,336 | 428 sq mi (1,109 km2) |
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Simpson County | 127 | Mendenhall | SI | 1824 | Formed from Copiah County | Josiah Simpson, first federal judge appointed in the state | 25,715 | 589 sq mi (1,526 km2) |
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Smith County | 129 | Raleigh | SM | 1833 | Formed from Covington, Jones and Rankin Counties | David Smith, Revolutionary War major | 14,099 | 636 sq mi (1,647 km2) |
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Stone County | 131 | Wiggins | ST | 1916 | Formed from Harrison County | John M. Stone, Governor of Mississippi | 18,756 | 445 sq mi (1,153 km2) |
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Sunflower County | 133 | Indianola | SU | 1844 | Formed from Bolivar County | Sunflower River | 24,468 | 694 sq mi (1,797 km2) |
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Tallahatchie County | 135 | Charleston, Sumner |
TL | 1833 | Formed from Washington and Yazoo Counties | Tallahatchie River | 11,837 | 644 sq mi (1,668 km2) |
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Tate County | 137 | Senatobia | TA | 1873 | Formed from DeSoto and Marshall Counties | Thomas Simpson Tate, the county's original settler | 28,261 | 404 sq mi (1,046 km2) |
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Tippah County | 139 | Ripley | TI | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | Chickasaw word for "cut off" | 21,287 | 458 sq mi (1,186 km2) |
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Tishomingo County | 141 | Iuka | TS | 1836 | Formed from Monroe County | Chief Tishomingo, Chickasaw leader | 18,507 | 424 sq mi (1,098 km2) |
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Tunica County | 143 | Tunica | TU | 1836 | Formed from Washington County and Unorganized | Tunica Native Americans | 9,234 | 455 sq mi (1,178 km2) |
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Union County | 145 | New Albany | UN | 1870 | Formed from Lee, Pontotoc and Tippah Counties | Reunion of Confederacy with the United States | 28,284 | 416 sq mi (1,077 km2) |
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Walthall County | 147 | Tylertown | WL | 1912 | Formed from Marion and Pike Counties | Edward Walthall, U.S. Senator from Mississippi | 13,863 | 404 sq mi (1,046 km2) |
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Warren County | 149 | Vicksburg | WR | 1809 | Formed from Claiborne County | Joseph Warren, Revolutionary War general | 42,298 | 587 sq mi (1,520 km2) |
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Washington County | 151 | Greenville | WS | 1827 | Formed from Warren and Yazoo Counties | George Washington, first U.S. President | 41,946 | 724 sq mi (1,875 km2) |
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Wayne County | 153 | Waynesboro | WA | 1809 | Formed from Washington County (AL) | Anthony Wayne, Revolutionary War general | 19,703 | 810 sq mi (2,098 km2) |
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Webster County | 155 | Walthall | WE | 1874 | Formed from Chickasaw, Choctaw and Montgomery Counties (formerly Sumner County) | Daniel Webster, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and giant of Nineteenth Century politics | 9,988 | 423 sq mi (1,096 km2) |
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Wilkinson County | 157 | Woodville | WK | 1802 | Formed from Adams County | James Wilkinson, Revolutionary War general | 8,058 | 677 sq mi (1,753 km2) |
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Winston County | 159 | Louisville | WI | 1833 | Formed from Lowndes, Rankin, and Wayne Counties | Louis L. Winston, Mississippi Territory official | 17,416 | 607 sq mi (1,572 km2) |
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Yalobusha County | 161 | Water Valley, Coffeeville |
YA | 1833 | Formed from Monroe, Washington and Yazoo Counties | Yalobusha River, from Choctaw name meaning "tadpole place" | 12,386 | 467 sq mi (1,210 km2) |
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Yazoo County | 163 | Yazoo City | YZ | 1823 | Formed from Hinds County | Yazoo River, named for the Yazoo people | 25,796 | 920 sq mi (2,383 km2) |
References
edit- ^ "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA.gov. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
- ^ Bureau of the Census, USA. "GeoHive - USA, Mississippi state population statistics". Archived from the original on April 7, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
- ^ Mississippi Department of Archives and History.[full citation needed]
- ^ a b National Association of Counties. "NACo - Find a county". Archived from the original on October 25, 2007. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
- ^ Bureau of the Census, U.S.A. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Mississippi". Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Baca, Keith A. (2007). Native American Place Names in Mississippi. University Press of Mississippi. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-60473-483-6.