If counting only (England & Wales), the number is 21 . 4. Detailed Breakdown 4.1 England (Historic Counties) England has 39 historic counties. Of these, 31 end in “shire.”
Correction from above: Devon, Dorset, Durham, Essex, Kent, Middlesex, Norfolk, Northumberland, Rutland, Somerset, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Westmorland do NOT end in “shire.” Thus: 39 total historic – 14 non-shire = ? Wait — let’s recount carefully. how many counties in the uk end in shire
Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Devon (no), Dorset (no), Durham (no), Essex (no), Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Kent (no), Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Middlesex (no), Norfolk (no), Northamptonshire, Northumberland (no), Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Rutland (no), Shropshire, Somerset (no), Staffordshire, Suffolk (no), Surrey (no), Sussex (no), Warwickshire, Westmorland (no — though sometimes “Westmorlandshire” historically, but not standard), Wiltshire, Worcestershire, Yorkshire. If counting only (England & Wales), the number is 21