Surry county was formed in 1771 from Rowan County. It was named for the county of Surrey in England, birthplace of William Tryon, Governor of North Carolina from 1765 to 1771. In 1777 parts of Surry County and Washington District (now Washington County, Tennessee) were combined to form Wilkes County. In 1790, the county seat was moved to from Richmond to Rockford, then finally in 1853 to Dobson, North Carolina.
