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English County Names

Crafted by Trivia Architect riotgrrl

Fun Trivia : Quizzes : Place Names : English County Names

Introduction:
"Do you know where the names of English counties came from? This quiz tests your knowledge of language and history rather than the geography of England."


1. Where does the name 'Kent' originate?
    From 'cant', Middle English for slope, as the county is hilly
    As an abbreviation of Canterbury, Kent's main city
    From the past tense of 'ken', meaning to know, as the area was well-explored
    From the Celtic Cantii people


2. Where does the 'Hamp' in Hampshire come from?
    It is of unknown origin
    From the fields of hemp grown there in the Middle Ages
    From the Norman town of 'Hamptun'
    From the humps or barrows found in the area


3. Where does the name 'Suffolk' originate?
    From the Anglo-Norman for 'subordinates'
    From the Suffolc, a legendary giant said to have created the county
    From the Old Norse for 'oak forests'
    It was the Saxon for 'Southern Folk'


4. And where does the 'Wilt' in 'Wiltshire' come from?
    From the tendency of crops to wilt, due to the infertile soil
    From the white chalk hills in the county
    From the Wilsaetan Saxons, who lived in the area
    From the village of Wilbury, near Salisbury


5. Next, why 'Middlesex'?
    It means 'middle county' in Old English
    Meaning 'land of the Middle Saxons'
    Middle from 'midden' (toilet) due to London's notorious stench, Sex from 'Saxon'
    As a corruption of 'middle six', the six boroughs nearest London


6. Where does 'Northumberland' come from?
    Umber from the colour of the earth there, north from its location in England
    From a Saxon kingdom located north of the Humber Estuary
    From the Northumbe river which flows through the county
    From north, and umber for its shadiness (as in penumbra)


7. And the name 'Cumbria' arises from where?
    From the long umbra, or shadows, of the mountains
    As a corruption of 'Cumberland', a former English county
    It was an ancient Celtic kingdom, the name possibly being related to 'Cymru' for Wales
    Because it reminded Roman settlers of Umbria, in present-day Italy


8. Why is 'Cornwall' so-called?
    From a wall built by Offa the Great to prevent trading in corn
    From Latin 'Cornu' (horn) and Old English 'wahl' (foreign)
    From the large quantities of corn grown in the county, and the 'Western Wall'
    From 'Wallis' Horn', Wallis being a legendary local hero


9. Where does 'Shropshire' arise from?
    From the Welsh Ashrop, or 'Green hills'
    From the local Celtic tribe the Shroop
    As a corruption of Shrewsburyshire, which Normans could not pronounce
    From Shrop Hill in the centre of the county


10. And finally, which of these is an explanation for how Surrey acquired its name?
    From 'Sudergeona', meaning 'Southern Region'
    As a variation of 'surly', a comment on its early inhabitants
    Short for 'surrender', as the land was easily conquered by the Saxons
    From the River Surr, a tributary of the Wey


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