# Why does Louisiana refer to districts as parishes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 2, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804 "2005-09-02T21:50:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804/41 "2026-07-15T06:30:29Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > 1. [A state-defined thing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_township) with some sort of legal standing as part of a county. > **[Township (Pennsylvania)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Township_(Pennsylvania))** > > A township, under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is the lowest level of municipal incorporation of government. All of Pennsylvania's communities outside of incorporated cities, boroughs, and one town have been incorporated into individual townships that serve as the legal entities providing local self-government functions. In general, townships in Pennsylvania encompass larger land areas than other municipalities, and tend to be located in suburban, exurban, or rural parts of the ... Pennsylvania has townships dating back to the 17th century. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804/42 "2026-07-15T06:31:59Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Ohio was the first of the states surveyed according to the Land Ordinance of 1785, which set up the township system, six miles square. But even in Ohio, not all the state is part of that system (Public Lands Survey System). I understand the area in the northeast, which was at one time claimed by Connecticut, is not part of it. Here in the Northwest (Oregon and Washington), I’m sure we have it, but only surveyors know or care about it. ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804/43 "2026-07-15T08:44:43Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > The SDMB habit to nitpick a zombie is endearing! 🙃 > > In Australia parishes are a surveying unit in the sequence State → County → Parish → Township → Section → Allotment. Well, if we’re picking nits . . . Each state and territory of Australia has its own system of land divisions. The systems in use in Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory do not include a division called a “parish”. So parishes are a surveying unit only in some parts of Australia. In about 37% of Australia, if we’re counting. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804/44 "2026-07-15T08:58:12Z")
> [@UDS1](#): > > Well, if we’re picking nits . . . > .. In about 37% of Australia, if we’re counting. By area, yes. On another metric, 80% of the population. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804/45 "2026-07-15T09:00:19Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Likewise baronies, duchies, and principalities. > [@SCAdian](#): > > That last one sounds like it should be a school. To note that Wales is a principality, which is why there is a Prince of Wales. Fun fact: “Principality” is also a category of [celestial being](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy_of_angels), right above angels and archangels. IIRC Aziraphale in _Good Omens_ is a principality. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804/46 "2026-07-15T11:29:18Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > But even in Ohio, not all the state is part of that system (Public Lands Survey System). I understand the area in the northeast, which was at one time claimed by Connecticut, is not part of it. I’m born and raised in the Western Reserve, and I can tell you Cuyahoga County is platted that way all right. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804/47 "2026-07-15T15:31:49Z")
The Western Reserve, including Cuyahoga County, was surveyed into townships that are **five** miles square, from before the six mile standard was established. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804/48 "2026-07-15T18:06:09Z")
OK, I was close. That should help me remember [5×5](https://tenor.com/x7Ob.gif). ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2026, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804/49 "2026-07-15T23:05:47Z")
When Pseudo-Dionysius, or whoever, writes about celestial beings, what are his sources? Or is it supposed to be straight science fiction? ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804/50 "2026-07-16T02:39:05Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > To note that Wales is a principality, which is why there is a Prince of Wales. Yeah, I’m going to quibble with this too. Monaco is a principality because it’s a state, a political structure, at the head of which is a prince. Similarly Leichtenstein is a prinicipality, Luxembourg is a Grand Duchy and Denmark is a kingdom. But the only reason people say Wales is a principality is because there’s a guy with the title “Prince of Wales”. (Sometimes there is, at any rate. Often there isn’t. There was no Prince of Wales between 1936 and 1958, for example.) Even when there is someone with the title “Prince of Wales”, he has no position or function in the political institutions of Wales, which operate entirely independently of him. If merely having someone with the title “Prince of Wales” means that Wales is a principality then Westminster is a duchy because there’s a Duke of Westminster, Rugby is a barony because there’s a Baron Rugby, etc. I think referring to Wales as a principality is just a cutesy thing, pretending that there is some meaningful link between the country of Wales and the eldest son of the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Wales is not a principality in the conventional sense — a state that is held, governed or presided over by a prince. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804/51 "2026-07-16T03:23:49Z")
And they have counties, but no counts, the English title is Earl. And Earls don’t run the counties, the theoretic representative of the (ceremonial) counties is Lord-Lieutenant and they’re aka lieutenancies. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2026, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804/52 "2026-07-16T19:16:02Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > But even in Ohio, not all the state is part of that system (Public Lands Survey System). I understand the area in the northeast, which was at one time claimed by Connecticut, is not part of it. No, here in the Firelands we have nice square townships. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-louisiana-refer-to-districts-as-parishes/319804.md?page=2)