NameCensus.

UK surname

Cheney

From the Old French chesne, chesnai, or chesnaye, referring to an oak tree or a grove of oak trees.

In the 1881 census there were 916 people recorded with the Cheney surname, ranking it #4,185 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,205, ranked #4,935, down from #4,185 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cublington, London parishes and Kettering. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harborough, East Northamptonshire and Hartlepool.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cheney is 1,413 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.6%.

1881 census count

916

Ranked #4,185

Modern count

1,205

2016, ranked #4,935

Peak year

1911

1,413 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cheney had 916 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,185 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,205 in 2016, ranked #4,935.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,413 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cheney surname distribution map

The map shows where the Cheney surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Cheney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cheney over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 562 #4,511
1861 historical 605 #4,382
1881 historical 916 #4,185
1891 historical 1,056 #3,971
1901 historical 1,308 #3,820
1911 historical 1,413 #3,413
1997 modern 1,246 #4,570
1998 modern 1,303 #4,559
1999 modern 1,297 #4,605
2000 modern 1,296 #4,594
2001 modern 1,274 #4,565
2002 modern 1,294 #4,597
2003 modern 1,266 #4,588
2004 modern 1,231 #4,698
2005 modern 1,234 #4,650
2006 modern 1,218 #4,722
2007 modern 1,205 #4,800
2008 modern 1,221 #4,777
2009 modern 1,269 #4,718
2010 modern 1,276 #4,788
2011 modern 1,275 #4,729
2012 modern 1,212 #4,872
2013 modern 1,211 #4,948
2014 modern 1,234 #4,893
2015 modern 1,220 #4,897
2016 modern 1,205 #4,935

Geography

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Where Cheneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cublington, London parishes, Kettering, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Puncknowle. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harborough, East Northamptonshire, Hartlepool, West Dorset and Daventry. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Cublington Buckinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Kettering Northamptonshire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Puncknowle Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harborough 010 Harborough
2 East Northamptonshire 002 East Northamptonshire
3 Hartlepool 007 Hartlepool
4 West Dorset 001 West Dorset
5 Daventry 009 Daventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cheney

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cheney surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cheney

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cheney, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Cheney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cheney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Cheney is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cheney is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cheney falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cheney is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cheney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cheney

The surname Cheney has its origins in England and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cæne," meaning bold or brave, and the suffix "-eg," signifying an enclosed area or island. The name was likely given to someone who lived in a small, courageous community or on a fortified island.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Cheney appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Cheni." This historical manuscript, commissioned by William the Conqueror, documented landholders and their properties across England.

During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled various ways, including Cheny, Cheneye, and Cheyne. Some notable individuals bearing this surname from this period include Sir John Cheney (c. 1310-1374), a distinguished English soldier and diplomat, and Sir Thomas Cheney (c. 1485-1558), a statesman and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports under King Henry VIII.

In the 16th century, the surname was associated with several prominent figures, such as Sir Henry Cheney (c. 1550-1587), an English soldier and Member of Parliament, and Sir John Cheney (c. 1530-1589), a naval commander and explorer who served under Sir Francis Drake.

As the name spread across England, it became linked with various place names, including Cheney Court in Wiltshire and Cheney Longville in Shropshire. The latter was once the ancestral home of the Cheney family.

In the 17th century, Richard Cheney (1609-1692) was a notable English clergyman and academic who served as the Bishop of Gloucester and later the Bishop of Chichester. Another significant figure was John Cheney (c. 1650-1715), a wealthy London merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches in the city.

As the surname traveled beyond England's borders, it gained a foothold in other parts of the world, including the United States. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was Benjamin Cheney (1706-1798), a prominent colonist and early settler of New Hampshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cheney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cheney surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 110 Cheneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.23x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 110 1.23x
Dorset 99 16.81x
Leicestershire 96 9.65x
Northamptonshire 94 11.14x
Surrey 53 1.21x
Yorkshire 49 0.55x
Staffordshire 40 1.32x
Berkshire 34 5.05x
Lancashire 34 0.32x
Buckinghamshire 32 5.90x
Norfolk 26 1.88x
Flintshire 24 9.95x
Oxfordshire 22 3.97x
Warwickshire 22 0.97x
Lincolnshire 21 1.46x
Kent 20 0.65x
Nottinghamshire 20 1.65x
Huntingdonshire 17 9.54x
Suffolk 16 1.46x
Denbighshire 12 3.54x
Sussex 11 0.73x
Channel Islands 9 3.38x
Somerset 9 0.62x
Cambridgeshire 8 1.41x
Cardiganshire 8 3.65x
Hampshire 6 0.33x
Glamorgan 5 0.32x
Derbyshire 3 0.21x
Hertfordshire 3 0.49x
Worcestershire 3 0.26x
Devon 2 0.11x
Durham 2 0.07x
Wiltshire 2 0.25x
Angus 1 0.12x
Bedfordshire 1 0.22x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.28x
Cheshire 1 0.05x
Cornwall 1 0.10x
Gloucestershire 1 0.06x
Renfrewshire 1 0.14x
Royal Navy 1 0.94x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Puncknowle in Dorset leads with 39 Cheneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2689.66x.

Place Total Index
Puncknowle 39 2689.66x
Newcastle Under Lyme 29 54.10x
Cublington 22 2750.00x
St Marylebone London 20 4.17x
Kettering 19 55.65x
Mile End Old Town London 19 9.95x
Wellingborough 19 44.77x
Great Gidding 15 1013.51x
Husbands Bosworth 13 509.80x
Newington 13 3.92x
Nottingham St Mary 13 4.16x
Camberwell 12 2.09x
Binfield 11 212.77x
Mold Hendrebiffa 11 948.28x
Brightside Bierlow 10 5.73x
Hampstead London 10 7.15x
Leicester St Margaret 9 3.71x
Leicester St Mary 9 11.20x
Little Harrowden 9 354.33x
South Kilworth 9 692.31x
Winterborne Clenstone 9 2647.06x
Brymbo 8 67.74x
Fritton 8 1025.64x
Manea 8 222.84x
Moreton 8 842.11x
Paddington London 8 2.42x
Poplar London 8 4.72x
Stratton 8 869.57x
Toxteth Park 8 2.22x
Aston 7 1.12x
Brighton 7 2.29x
Bromley London 7 3.55x
Eston 7 36.14x
Normanby In 7 29.45x
Radford 7 11.39x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 3.88x
Spratton 7 276.68x
Thame 7 69.44x
Banbury 6 54.05x
Bedingham 6 652.17x
Bruntingthorpe 6 638.30x
Carlton Colville 6 149.63x
Chatham 6 7.12x
Cilcen 6 266.67x
Elerch 6 779.22x
Gomersal 6 14.45x
Harrington 6 923.08x
Kirkdale 6 3.35x
Mold 6 27.42x
Sharnford 6 425.53x
Skelton In Guisbrough 6 24.94x
St Helier 6 6.93x
Walpole St Peter 6 171.43x
Westminster St James 6 6.50x
Wolvey 6 248.96x
Betton 5 704.23x
Burnham 5 45.41x
Chislet 5 144.51x
Easthampstead 5 138.50x
Harborne 5 5.15x
Kingsey 5 666.67x
Knighton 5 89.13x
Leire 5 568.18x
Northampton St Peter 5 97.47x
Princes Risborough 5 68.78x
Sheffield 5 1.77x
Sibbertoft 5 555.56x
St Pancras London 5 0.69x
Swansea Town 5 3.90x
Wigston Magna 5 37.88x
Belgrave 4 17.81x
Boston 4 9.19x
Bradford Peverell 4 396.04x
Charminster 4 85.47x
Cold Ashby 4 384.62x
Dorchester All Sts 4 142.35x
Newington 4 16.33x
St Martin Lincoln 4 30.05x
Walton On Hill 4 6.93x
Withnell 4 61.26x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cheney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 59
Elizabeth 41
Sarah 38
Jane 20
Ellen 16
Ann 15
Emily 13
Eliza 11
Emma 11
Hannah 10
Louisa 10
Ada 9
Annie 8
Charlotte 8
Clara 8
Maria 8
Agnes 7
Alice 7
Lucy 7
Martha 7
Anne 6
Caroline 6
Harriet 6
Kate 6
Margaret 6
Catherine 5
Edith 5
Fanny 5
Florence 5
Rose 5
Elizth. 4
Anna 3
Esther 3
Frances 3
Lily 3
Matilda 3
Phoebe 3
Selina 3
Susan 3
Amy 2
Harriett 2
Isabella 2
Mabel 2
Minnie 2
Ruth 2
Susannah 2
Carroline 1
Eliz. 1
Elizh. 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cheney surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 60
William 47
Thomas 39
Henry 29
George 24
James 24
Joseph 21
Charles 16
Edward 16
Arthur 12
Harry 10
Albert 9
Richard 8
Samuel 8
Benjamin 7
Edwin 7
Robert 7
Alfred 6
Walter 6
Frank 5
Francis 4
Frederick 4
David 3
Edmund 3
Eli 3
Ernest 3
Herbert 3
Jonas 3
Fred 2
Hugh 2
Isaac 2
Jim 2
Job 2
Simon 2
Willie 2
Wm. 2
Alfd. 1
Allan 1
Allen 1
Chas. 1
Christopher 1
Ezra 1
Geo. 1
Granbella 1
Hannah 1
Joe 1
Jonah 1
Jonathan 1
Jos. 1
Wyndham 1

FAQ

Cheney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cheney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 916 people were recorded with the Cheney surname. That placed it at #4,185 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cheney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,205 in 2016. That gives Cheney a modern rank of #4,935.

What does the Cheney surname mean?

From the Old French chesne, chesnai, or chesnaye, referring to an oak tree or a grove of oak trees.

What does the Cheney map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cheney bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.