Taking its name from the Township of Digby, which had been named in honour of Rear Admiral Robert Digby who dispatched HMS Atalanta to convey loyalists from New York City in the spring of 1783 to Conway, which became known as Digby, Digby County was established in 1837.
In addition to these two district municipalities, the county contains the Town of Digby and part of the Bear River Indian reserve.