McChesney
A Scottish and Irish surname probably meaning “son of Chesney,” with Chesney itself likely a nickname or place-based name.
The #9,100 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 86,002 Americans shares it.
Etymology
McChesney is a surname built on the Gaelic patronymic prefix Mc/Mac, meaning “son of,” joined to Chesney. The second element is usually treated as a surname that may itself go back to a nickname or a place name, rather than a fully secure single root. In practice, the name is often understood as “son of Chesney,” though the deeper origin of Chesney is not certain.
History
The name is most closely associated with Scotland and Ireland, where Mac/Mc surnames were widely formed and later anglicized in many spellings. In North America, McChesney became established through Scottish and Irish migration and later appears in census and local records as a relatively uncommon surname. Because the base name Chesney has multiple possible origins, historical explanations for McChesney can vary.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The prefix Mc/Mac can be attached to many different names, so McChesney is one of those surnames whose final meaning depends on identifying the older family name behind it.
From the historical record
“McChesney, 442. McClain, 442. McClanuiii, 442. IMcClarren, 442. IMcClearn, 442. McCleary, 442.”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)