Names for a forty-ship County-class programme

Would a forty-ship County-class programme have used the names later given to York and Exeter?

York is considered very likely; Exeter is less certain because Devonshire already supplies the county association.

York is considered a likely name because the Royal Navy's established usage favours York over Yorkshire. Devonshire already supplies the county connection associated with Exeter, making Exeter's selection less certain. A forty-ship programme would still have many available names. Historic and contemporary county names across Britain and Northern Ireland provide a much larger pool than the proposed number of cruisers.