Indiana Counties Named After People

As you can see by the "sea of blue" stretching across the map above, a vast majority of counties (68) in Indiana, USA are named after honorable people who were either born as an American or British citizen. Adams, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Washington counties are named in honor of U.S. Presidents. Four counties are named in honor of Native American groups/nations or individuals: Delaware (Delaware nation), Elkhart County (possibly Chief Elkhart), Miami County (Miami nation), and Wells County (William Wells, raised by Miami natives).

Three counties are named for war heroes who were born within the geographic territory (Holy Roman Empire, Prussia, etc.) that is now considered present-day GERMANY: DeKalb County (Johann de Kalb, a baron), Jasper County (William Jasper), and Steuben County (Baron von Steuben). Sergeant William Jasper's birthplace is disputed, but South Carolina Educational Television's Knowitall.org website (↗) theorizes that he likely emigrated from Germany to Philadelphia in 1767 (at about age 17) and later moved to the South, eventually rescuing the South Carolinian flag at Fort Moultrie. The United States Mint's 2016 America the Beautiful quarter for South Carolina (↗) depicts an active and heroic scene at Fort Moultrie; on this coin, Jasper is "returning the regimental flag to the ramparts while under attack from a British ship."

Tadeusz Kosciuszko (Kosciusko) and Kazimierz Pulaski were born in present-day POLAND. Toussaint Dubois was born near present-day Montreal, CANADA, Gilbert du Motier (Marquis de la Fayette) was born in FRANCE, Richard Montgomery was born in the Kingdom of IRELAND, and Francis Vigo was born in present-day ITALY. Only 11 counties are not named after war heroes, patriots, leaders, Native American groups, or Native American individuals: LaGrange, Lake, LaPorte, Ohio, Orange, Saint Joseph, Switzerland, Tippecanoe, Union, Vermillion, and Wabash counties.

Bonus Fact: Alexander Hamilton — who is honored in the name of Hamilton County in Indiana and seven other states — was born in the city of Charleston, British Leeward Islands. Charleston sits on Nevis island which is presently part of the country SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS.