Chesney
A surname of Norman-French origin, most likely from a place-name associated with oak trees or a chestnut grove.
The #7,413 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 68,748 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Chesney is generally taken from Old French place-name forms such as Chesnais or Chesnai, built on words for a chestnut grove or a place planted with chestnut trees. Earlier English writers also connected it with a form meaning “oak tree,” so the exact landscape sense may have varied by region or by spelling. In either case, it began as a locational surname for someone who came from or lived near such a place.
History
The name appears early in England among Norman families, including medieval bearers such as Robert de Chesney, bishop of Lincoln. Later surname writers treated Chesney as a widely spread Norman place-name surname, and it also turns up in spelling forms such as Cheyney and Chesnai-related variants. In some cases, related forms may have merged with other similar surnames over time.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A medieval bishop of Lincoln, Robert de Chesney, is one of the best-known early bearers of the name.
From the historical record
“palatine county. CHESNEY. Probably O.F. chesne— the oak tree. CHESNUT. The tree— from residence near a remarkable one. CHE SS ALL. Perhaps from Chesil Bank, CO. Dorset. CHESSMAN. See Cheesraan. CHESTER. The palatine city; also”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom