NameCensus.

UK surname

Chesney

Derived from a place name meaning "oak tree island" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 378 people recorded with the Chesney surname, ranking it #8,288 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 798, ranked #6,931, up from #8,288 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barking, Govan Combination and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Manchester, Bolton and Barnsley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chesney is 829 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 111.1%.

1881 census count

378

Ranked #8,288

Modern count

798

2016, ranked #6,931

Peak year

2010

829 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chesney had 378 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,288 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 798 in 2016, ranked #6,931.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 542 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Chesney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chesney surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chesney 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 238 #9,120
1861 historical 178 #13,202
1881 historical 378 #8,288
1891 historical 392 #9,019
1901 historical 542 #7,601
1911 historical 497 #7,861
1997 modern 789 #6,610
1998 modern 818 #6,643
1999 modern 810 #6,730
2000 modern 817 #6,664
2001 modern 812 #6,567
2002 modern 816 #6,660
2003 modern 801 #6,645
2004 modern 775 #6,843
2005 modern 764 #6,855
2006 modern 753 #6,963
2007 modern 747 #7,075
2008 modern 764 #6,999
2009 modern 783 #7,001
2010 modern 829 #6,826
2011 modern 807 #6,884
2012 modern 792 #6,898
2013 modern 808 #6,892
2014 modern 818 #6,851
2015 modern 809 #6,860
2016 modern 798 #6,931

Geography

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Where Chesneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barking, Govan Combination, London parishes, Creake, North and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Manchester, Bolton, Barnsley, Stockton-on-Tees and Chorley. 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 Barking Essex
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 Creake, North Norfolk
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Manchester 012 Manchester
2 Bolton 031 Bolton
3 Barnsley 021 Barnsley
4 Stockton-on-Tees 002 Stockton-on-Tees
5 Chorley 014 Chorley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chesney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chesney

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Chesney, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Chesney surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Chesney household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Chesney 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

Chesney is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Chesney falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Chesney 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 Chesney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Chesney

The surname Chesney originated in England, specifically in the region of Cheshire. It dates back to the 13th century and is derived from the Old English words "cēse" meaning cheese and "ey" meaning island or region. The name likely referred to a person who lived in or came from an area known for cheese-making.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Cheshire from 1260, which mention a Robert de Cheseney. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a Richard de Cheyseney. These early spellings highlight the variations that existed in the spelling of the name.

During the Middle Ages, the Chesney family held lands in Cheshire and neighboring counties. The name is mentioned in the Domesday Book, a record of landowners compiled in 1086 under the order of William the Conqueror. This suggests that the family had established itself in the region before the Norman Conquest.

In the 14th century, a notable figure was Sir John de Chesney, who served as the High Sheriff of Cheshire in 1362. Another prominent individual was Sir Robert Chesney, who fought alongside Edward the Black Prince during the Hundred Years' War and was knighted for his valor at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356.

The Chesney family continued to play an influential role in the region throughout the centuries. Sir William Chesney (1573-1636) was a Member of Parliament for Cheshire during the reign of Charles I. In the 18th century, Francis Rawdon-Chesney (1789-1872) was a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Field Marshal.

Other notable individuals with the surname Chesney include the English novelist and poet Charles Cornwallis Chesney (1826-1876), known for his works set in the British Raj in India, and the American Civil War general Evan Thomas Chesney (1819-1884), who fought for the Union Army.

The Chesney surname has also been associated with various place names in Cheshire and neighboring counties, reflecting the family's historical ties to the region. Examples include Chesney Green, Chesney Hay, and Chesney Fields, among others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chesney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chesney 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. Durham leads with 69 Chesneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.26x.

County Total Index
Durham 69 6.26x
Kirkcudbrightshire 35 65.23x
Lancashire 31 0.70x
Middlesex 31 0.84x
Lanarkshire 28 2.34x
Yorkshire 28 0.76x
Staffordshire 27 2.16x
Essex 15 2.05x
Kent 15 1.19x
Surrey 13 0.72x
Renfrewshire 12 4.18x
Lincolnshire 11 1.86x
Norfolk 11 1.93x
Glamorgan 9 1.39x
Wigtownshire 9 18.29x
Cumberland 6 1.88x
Midlothian 5 1.01x
West Lothian 5 8.96x
Shropshire 4 1.25x
Dumfriesshire 3 3.66x
Cheshire 2 0.24x
Roxburghshire 2 2.98x
Ayrshire 1 0.36x
Bedfordshire 1 0.52x
Berkshire 1 0.36x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.43x
Channel Islands 1 0.91x
Hampshire 1 0.13x
Hertfordshire 1 0.39x
Royal Navy 1 2.26x
Sussex 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. East Ham in Essex leads with 11 Chesneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.00x.

Place Total Index
East Ham 11 81.00x
Girthon 11 611.11x
Egglescliffe 10 1204.82x
Govan 10 3.37x
St George Hanover Square 10 15.31x
Borgue 9 625.00x
Bradford 9 10.12x
Roath 9 30.71x
Westhoughton 9 76.66x
Willenhall 9 38.41x
Winterton 9 441.18x
Wolverhampton 9 9.36x
Newbottle 8 132.89x
Reigate Foreign 8 40.90x
Stockton On Tees 8 15.05x
Stoneykirk 8 227.27x
Willington 8 125.59x
Bethnal Green London 7 4.35x
Coundon 7 156.60x
Mearns 7 139.17x
Minnigaff 7 346.53x
Monkwearmouth Shore 7 32.51x
Woolwich 7 14.98x
Caldewgate 6 34.31x
Glasgow 6 2.82x
Newton 6 17.70x
York St Maurice 6 86.71x
Bexley 5 44.72x
Bishopwearmouth 5 5.28x
Foulsham 5 416.67x
Hook 5 61.88x
Linlithgow 5 69.83x
New Monkland 5 14.11x
Tettenhall 5 65.36x
Tunstall 5 91.07x
Westoe 5 8.00x
Barony 4 1.32x
Gateshead 4 4.85x
Kensington London 4 1.94x
Preston 4 3.40x
York St John Micklegate 4 449.44x
Anwoth 3 326.09x
Ardwick 3 7.56x
Barking 3 14.01x
Bermondsey 3 2.72x
Boningale 3 1200.00x
Dryfesdale 3 79.58x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 1.50x
Erskine 3 143.54x
Manningham 3 6.63x
Northolt 3 476.19x
Old Monkland 3 6.31x
Bilston 2 8.25x
Birkenhead 2 3.07x
Bowden 2 204.08x
Cathcart 2 12.87x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 2.86x
Edinburgh High Church 2 64.10x
Hackney London 2 0.96x
Horningtoft 2 740.74x
Kells 2 162.60x
Kirkmabreck 2 85.11x
Letheringsett 2 555.56x
Minster In Sheppey 2 9.55x
Wavertree 2 14.20x
Brighton 1 0.79x
Broughton In Salford 1 2.49x
Chester Le Street 1 11.81x
Hertford All Saints 1 69.93x
Little Barford 1 416.67x
Paddington London 1 0.73x
Portsea 1 0.67x
St Helier 1 2.80x
St Martin In Fields 1 4.51x
Sutton St Mary 1 17.86x
Walton On Hill 1 4.20x
Warrington 1 1.92x
Westminster St Margaret 1 5.59x
Whithorn 1 26.67x
Wisbech St Peter 1 8.50x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 14
James 12
John 12
Robert 12
Joseph 8
Charles 7
George 7
Samuel 6
Thomas 6
Benjamin 5
David 4
Henry 3
Benjiman 2
Edwin 2
Harry 2
Jonah 2
Peter 2
Willie 2
Albert 1
Alexandrew 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Annie 1
Arthur 1
Benny 1
Elexandra 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
J. 1
Jas 1
Kellow 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Morgan 1
Napier 1
R. 1
Robt. 1
Sam.J. 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Chesney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chesney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 378 people were recorded with the Chesney surname. That placed it at #8,288 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chesney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 798 in 2016. That gives Chesney a modern rank of #6,931.

What does the Chesney surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "oak tree island" in Old English.

What does the Chesney map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Chesney 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.