The county was named in 1806 for Samuel Hopkins, who lived from 1753 to 1819. He served on Washington's staff and in many campaigns during the War of the Revolution. He came to Kentucky in 1797 as a Transylvania Company agent. In 1799, he organized and was named judge of the first court held in original Henderson County, which included this area. He served in the Kentucky House from 1800 to 1806, in the Senate from 1809 to 1813, as commander in chief of the Western Frontier in 1812, and in the U.S. Congress from 1813 to 1815.