Buckinghamshire: History
The name Buckinghamshire is Anglo-Saxon in origin and means The district (scire) of Bucca's home. Bucca's home refers to Buckingham in the north of the county, and is named after the Anglo-Saxon landowner, Bucca. The county has been so named since about the 12th century; however, the county has existed since it was a subdivision of the kingdom of Mercia (585–919).
The history of the area predates the Anglo-Saxon period and the county has a rich history starting from the Brittonic and Roman periods, though the Anglo-Saxons perhaps had the greatest impact on Buckinghamshire: the geography of the rural county is largely as it was in the Anglo-Saxon period. Later, Buckinghamshire became an important political arena, with King Henry VIII intervening in local politics in the 16th century, and just a century later the English Civil War was reputedly started by John Hampden in mid-Bucks.
Historically, the biggest change to the county came in the 19th century, when a combination of cholera and famine hit the rural county, forcing many to migrate to larger towns to find work. Not only did this alter the local economic situation, but it meant land was selling cheaply at a time when the rich were more mobile. Buckinghamshire became a popular home for London commuters.
The expansion of London and establishment of the railways promoted the growth of towns in the south of the county such as Aylesbury, Amersham and High Wycombe, leaving Buckingham itself to the north as a relative backwater. As a result, most county institutions are now based in the south of the county or in Milton Keynes, rather than in Buckingham.