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.

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.

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.”