Baltimore County's legal origin is not known; however, it was in existence by January 12, 1659, when a writ was issued to the sheriff of the county. The County name was derived from the name of the Proprietary's Irish Barony.

Baltimore County's Seal, referred to as The Baltimore County Common Seal, was passed by the first County Council under the Home Rule Charter form of government and signed into law on June 10, 1957. The seal features the Calvert and Crossland Coats of Arms (Identical in style and color to the Maryland State Flag), and seven stars, representing the seven councilmanic districts. The Baltimore County Common Seal was designed by Adelaide M. Haspert, a Towson, Maryland resident.

Old Baltimore County, was the sixth county to be established by the colonial assembly in 1659, and was the first in the northern part of Maryland. The original area of Baltimore County was much larger then its present size. Originally it included parts of what are now Cecil, Harford, Carroll, Howard, and Kent on the Eastern Shore. Its first county seats were Old Baltimore on the Bush River and Joppa on the Gunpowder River, both of which are in Harford County today.

Copyright © 1990-2022 by John T. Marck. All Rights Reserved. This article and their accompanying seals, may not be resold, reprinted, or redistributed for compensation of any kind without prior written permission from the author. Maryland County Seals and Baltimore City Seal and their respective origin histories from: Maryland The Seventh State A History, © John T. Marck. All Rights Reserved. All Seals courtesy of the respective county, Office of the County Executive and/or the Department of Tourism. Reprinted with permission.