When Place Names Mislead
Confusing Community & County Names
Texas Place-Name Guide
The Same Name Does Not Always Mean the Same Place
Texas has 254 counties and many towns, settlements, ghost towns, landmarks, and communities whose names match — or closely resemble — county names. That can easily send genealogical research into the wrong jurisdiction.
Ghost Towns with County Names
Angelina, Calhoun, Callahan City, Cottle, Dallam, Duval, Foard City, Fort Bend, Frio Town, Hansford, Kleberg, Martin, Red River, Roberts, Runnels City, Sutton, Tarrant, and Wood City.
Communities in the County of the Same Name
Andrews, Archer City, Bandera, Bastrop, Bexar, Blanco, Brazoria, Burnet, Cass, Childress, Coleman, Collin, Comanche, Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Crane, Dallas, Denton, Dickens, Eastland, El Paso, Freestone, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Hamilton, Hartley, Haskell, Hays, Hidalgo, Jasper, Jones City, Karnes, Kaufman, Knox City, Lampasas, Liberty, Lipscomb, Llano, Lubbock, Mason, Matagorda, Menard, Midland, Montague, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Nolan, Ochiltree, Orange, Palo Pinto, Panola, Presidio, Refugio, Rockwall, San Augustine, San Saba, Sterling City, Throckmorton, Trinity, Uvalde, Victoria, Washington, Webb, Wharton, Wheeler, Zapata, and Zavalla.
Same Name, Different County
Anderson, Armstrong, Atascosa, Austin, Bailey, Bells, Borden, Bowie, Brazos, Briscoe, Brooks, Burleson, Caldwell, Cameron, Carson, Cherokee, Clay, Cochran, Coke, Colorado City, Crockett, Crosby, Dawson, de Leon, Dimmit, Ector, Erath, Falls City, Fannin, Fisher, Floyd, Franklin, Garza, Gray, Gregg, Guadalupe, Hall, Hardin, Harrison, Hemphill, Henderson, Hill City, Hockley, Hood, Houston, Howard, Hunt, Jefferson, Johnson City, Kenedy, Kent, King, La Salle, La Ward, Lake Jackson, Lamar, Lee, Live Oak, Loving, Marion, Maverick, Medina, Milam, Moore, Oldham, Parker, Pecos, Port Aransas, Port Lavaca, Reagan, Robertson, Rusk, Sabine, San Leon, San Patricio, Scurry, Shelby, Sherman, Smith, Somerville, Stonewall, Taylor, Terrell, Terry, Travis, Tyler, Upton, Val Verde, Waller, Wichita Falls, Wilson, Winkler, Wise, Yoakum, and Young.
| Community or Similar Name | County | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson | Grimes | |
| Andrews | Andrews | |
| Angelina | - | (G) |
| (Port) Aransas | Nueces | |
| Archer City | Archer | |
| Armstrong | Kenedy | |
| Atascosa | Bexar | |
| Austin | Travis | |
| Bailey | Fannin | |
| Bandera | Bandera | |
| Bastrop | Bastrop | |
| Baylor | - | Baylor University |
| Bee | - | Bee Cave, Beeville |
| Bell[s] | Grayson | |
| Bexar | Bexar | |
| Blanco | Blanco | |
| Borden | Colorado | |
| Bosque | - | |
| Bowie | Montague | |
| Brazoria | Brazoria | |
| Brazos | Palo Pinto | |
| Brewster | - | |
| Briscoe | Wheeler | |
| Brooks | Bexar | Brooks Airfield |
| Brown | - | Brownwood, Brownsville |
| Burleson | Johnson/Tarrant | |
| Burnet | Burnet | |
| Caldwell | Burleson | |
| Calhoun | - | (G) |
| Callahan City | - | (G) |
| Cameron | Milam | |
| Camp | - | |
| Carson | Fannin | |
| Cass | Cass | |
| Castro | - | Castroville |
| Chambers | - | |
| Cherokee | San Saba | |
| Childress | Childress | |
| Clay | Burleson | |
| Cochran | Austin | |
| Coke | Wood | |
| Coleman | Coleman | |
| Collin | Collin | |
| Collingsworth | - | |
| Colorado City | Mitchell | |
| Comal | - | |
| Comanche | Comanche | |
| Concho | Concho | |
| Cooke | - | |
| Coryell | Coryell | |
| Cottle | - | (G) |
| Crane | Crane | |
| Crockett | Houston | |
| Crosby | Harris | |
| Culberson | - | |
| Dallam | - | (G) |
| Dallas | Dallas | |
| Dawson | Navarro | |
| Deaf Smith | - | |
| Delta | - | |
| Denton | Denton | |
| DeWitt | - | |
| Dickens | Dickens | |
| Dimmit | Castro | |
| Donley | - | |
| Duval | - | (G) |
| Eastland | Eastland | |
| Ector | Fannin | |
| Edwards | - | Edwards Plateau |
| El Paso | El Paso | |
| Ellis | - | |
| Erath | McLennan | |
| Falls City | Karnes | |
| Fannin | Goliad | |
| Fayette | - | Fayetteville |
| Fisher | Dallas | Fischer |
| Floyd | Hunt | |
| Foard City | - | (G) |
| Fort Bend | - | (G) (a fort) |
| Franklin | Robertson | |
| Freestone | Freestone | |
| Frio Town | - | (G) |
| Gaines | - | Gainesville |
| Galveston | Galveston | |
| Garza | Denton | Lake Dallas |
| Gillespie | - | |
| Glasscock | - | |
| Goliad | Goliad | |
| Gonzales | Gonzales | |
| Gray | Marion | |
| Grayson | - | |
| Gregg | Travis | |
| Grimes | - | |
| Guadalupe | Victoria | |
| Hale City | - | Hale Center |
| Hall | San Saba | |
| Hamilton | Hamilton | |
| Hansford | - | (G) |
| Hardeman | - | |
| Hardin | Liberty | |
| Harris | - | |
| Harrison | McLennan | |
| Hartley | Hartley | |
| Haskell | Haskell | |
| Hays | Hays | |
| Hemphill | Sabine | Hempstead |
| Henderson | Rusk | |
| Hidalgo | Hidalgo | |
| Hill City | Hood | |
| Hockley | Harris | |
| Hood | Cooke | Fort Hood |
| Hopkins | - | |
| Houston | Harris | |
| Howard | Ellis | |
| Hudspeth | - | |
| Hunt | Kerr | Huntsville |
| Hutchinson | - | Hutchins |
| Irion | - | |
| Jack | - | Jacksboro, Jacksonville |
| (Lake) Jackson | Brazoria | |
| Jasper | Jasper | |
| Jeff Davis | - | Fort Davis, Davis, Davistown, Davis Switch |
| Jefferson | Marion | |
| Jim Hogg | - | Hogg |
| Jim Wells | - | Wells |
| Johnson City | Blanco | |
| Jones City | Jones | Anson, Jones Creek |
| Karnes | Karnes | |
| Kaufman | Kaufman | |
| Kendall | - | |
| Kenedy | Karnes | |
| Kent | Culberson | |
| Kerr | - | Kerrville |
| Kimble | - | |
| King | Coryell | Kingsville |
| Kinney | - | McKinney |
| Kleberg | - | (G) Dallas |
| Knox City | Knox | |
| La Salle | Jackson | |
| Lamar | Aransas | |
| Lamb | - | |
| Lampasas | Lampasas | |
| (Port) Lavaca | Calhoun | |
| Lee | Freestone | Robert Lee |
| (de) Leon | Comanche | Leon Valley (city) |
| (San) Leon | Galveston | |
| Liberty | Liberty | Liberty Hill |
| Limestone | - | |
| Lipscomb | Lipscomb | |
| Live Oak | Bexar | |
| Llano | Llano | |
| Loving | Young | |
| Lubbock | Lubbock | |
| Lynn | - | |
| Madison | - | Madisonville |
| Marion | Guadalupe | |
| Martin | - | (G) |
| Mason | Mason | |
| Matagorda | Matagorda | Matagorda Island |
| Maverick | Runnels | |
| McCulloch | - | |
| McLennan | - | |
| McMullen | - | |
| Medina | Bandera | |
| Menard | Menard | |
| Midland | Midland | |
| Milam | Sabine | |
| Mills | - | Valley Mills, Village Mills |
| Mitchell | - | |
| Montague | Montague | |
| Montgomery | Montgomery | |
| Moore | Frio | |
| Morris | - | |
| Motley | - | |
| Nacogdoches | Nacogdoches | |
| Navarro | Navarro | |
| Newton | Newton | |
| Nolan | Nolan | Nolanville |
| Nueces | - | |
| Ochiltree | Ochiltree | |
| Oldham | Dallas | |
| Orange | Orange | |
| Palo Pinto | Palo Pinto | |
| Panola | Panola | |
| Parker | Collin | |
| Parmer | - | |
| Pecos | Reeves | |
| Polk | - | |
| Potter | - | |
| Presidio | Presidio | |
| Rains | - | |
| Randall | - | |
| Reagan | Falls | |
| Real | - | |
| Red River | - | (G) |
| Reeves | - | |
| Refugio | Refugio | |
| Roberts | - | (G) |
| Robertson | Crosby | |
| Rockwall | Rockwall | |
| Runnels City | - | (G) |
| Rusk | Cherokee | |
| Sabine | Jefferson | Sabine Pass |
| San Augustine | San Augustine | |
| San Jacinto | - | Jacinto City |
| San Patricio | Nueces/San Patricio | |
| San Saba | San Saba | |
| Schleicher | - | |
| Scurry | Kaufman | |
| Shackelford | - | |
| Shelby | Austin | |
| Sherman | Grayson | |
| Smith | Wood | Smithville |
| Somervell | - | Somerville |
| Starr | - | |
| Stephens | - | Stephenville |
| Sterling City | Sterling | |
| Stonewall | Gillespie | |
| Sutton | - | (G) |
| Swisher | - | |
| Tarrant | - | (G) |
| Taylor | Williamson | |
| Terrell | Kaufman | |
| Terry | Orange | |
| Throckmorton | Throckmorton | |
| Titus | - | |
| Tom Green | - | Greenville, Gruene |
| Travis | Falls | |
| Trinity | Trinity | |
| Tyler | Smith | |
| Upshur | - | |
| Upton | Bastrop | |
| Uvalde | Uvalde | |
| Val Verde | Milam | |
| Van Zandt | - | Van |
| Victoria | Victoria | |
| Walker | - | |
| Waller | Waller/Harris | |
| (La) Ward | Jackson | |
| Washington | Washington | Washington-on-the-Brazos |
| Webb | Webb | |
| Wharton | Wharton | |
| Wheeler | Wheeler | |
| Wichita Falls | Wichita | |
| Wilbarger | - | |
| Willacy | - | Willis |
| Williamson | - | Williams Ranch, Williams Park, William Penn |
| Wilson | Lynn | |
| Winkler | Navarro/Freestone | |
| Wise | Van Zandt | |
| Wood City | - | (G) Woodville, Camp Wood |
| Yoakum | Lavaca/De Witt | Joaquin |
| Young | Freestone | |
| Zapata | Zapata | |
| Zavalla | Zavala |
Listen to the Name, Too
Texas place names reflect Spanish, Mexican, French, German, Czech, and other cultural influences. A name may be spelled very differently from the way it sounds. When a place is difficult to identify, try a local library, historical society, county site, or map collection to learn how the name is pronounced and whether older spellings were used.
Examples from the original guide: Boerne is commonly pronounced roughly BUR-nee, while Mexia is commonly pronounced muh-HAY-uh.
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