NameCensus.

UK surname

Chessman

An occupational surname referring to one who played or made chess pieces.

In the 1881 census there were 122 people recorded with the Chessman surname, ranking it #17,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 184, ranked #20,731, down from #17,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Patrington, London parishes and St Leonard Shoreditch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North West Leicestershire, East Riding of Yorkshire and Nuneaton and Bedworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chessman is 240 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.8%.

1881 census count

122

Ranked #17,602

Modern count

184

2016, ranked #20,731

Peak year

1891

240 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chessman had 122 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016, ranked #20,731.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 240 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Chessman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chessman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chessman 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 81 #19,457
1861 historical 124 #17,797
1881 historical 122 #17,602
1891 historical 240 #13,123
1901 historical 147 #18,270
1911 historical 193 #15,294
1997 modern 186 #18,448
1998 modern 191 #18,624
1999 modern 196 #18,464
2000 modern 185 #19,118
2001 modern 179 #19,215
2002 modern 178 #19,671
2003 modern 172 #19,893
2004 modern 167 #20,367
2005 modern 166 #20,379
2006 modern 164 #20,715
2007 modern 171 #20,387
2008 modern 174 #20,385
2009 modern 171 #21,024
2010 modern 173 #21,327
2011 modern 183 #20,425
2012 modern 170 #21,379
2013 modern 179 #21,028
2014 modern 190 #20,374
2015 modern 191 #20,205
2016 modern 184 #20,731

Geography

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Where Chessmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Patrington, London parishes, St Leonard Shoreditch and Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North West Leicestershire, East Riding of Yorkshire and Nuneaton and Bedworth. 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 Patrington Yorkshire, East Riding
2 London parishes London 1
3 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 Hatfield, Fishlake, Thorne, Crowle (Eastoft) Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North West Leicestershire 005 North West Leicestershire
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 012 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 040 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 041 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Nuneaton and Bedworth 010 Nuneaton and Bedworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chessman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chessman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Chessman, 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 Chessman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Chessman 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Chessman is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Chessman is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Chessman falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Chessman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Chessman

The surname CHESSMAN originated in England and Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "chesse" meaning chess, combined with the suffix "-man" denoting an occupation or trade. The name likely referred to someone who played or made chess pieces for a living.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the late 12th century in the Norfolk Pipe Rolls of 1188, where one Radulfus Chesseman is listed. Another early bearer was William le Chessman, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273 as Adam le Chesseman. Around the same time, the Placita de Quo Warranto records of 1292 mentioned John Chessman of Somerset.

During the late medieval period, the surname was also found in Scotland, with the first recorded instance being Robertus Chessman, listed in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1456.

Notable individuals with the surname CHESSMAN include William Chessman, a monk and scribe who lived in Lincolnshire in the late 15th century, and Sir John Chessman (1560-1622), a landowner and justice of the peace in Gloucestershire.

In the 17th century, Reverend Thomas Chessman (1597-1675) was a prominent Anglican clergyman in Hertfordshire. Another important figure was Captain James Chessman (1645-1718), a naval officer who served under Sir Cloudesley Shovell during the Nine Years' War.

One of the most famous bearers of the name was the Scottish writer and poet, Robert Chessman (1718-1788), known for his satirical works and ballads depicting life in Edinburgh.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chessman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chessman 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. Lincolnshire leads with 43 Chessmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.60x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 43 22.60x
Yorkshire 23 1.95x
Middlesex 17 1.43x
Surrey 16 2.76x
Oxfordshire 6 8.17x
Hampshire 3 1.23x
Staffordshire 3 0.75x
Durham 2 0.57x
Kent 2 0.49x
Sussex 2 1.00x
Warwickshire 2 0.67x
Berkshire 1 1.12x
Lanarkshire 1 0.26x
Lancashire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Patrington in Yorkshire leads with 9 Chessmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1607.14x.

Place Total Index
Patrington 9 1607.14x
Thorne 9 616.44x
Headington 6 526.32x
Rotherhithe 6 40.82x
Althorpe 5 1162.79x
Gautby 5 12500.00x
Messingham 5 1086.96x
Sturton Bransby 5 1923.08x
Apley 4 5000.00x
Battersea 4 9.14x
Clerkenwell London 4 14.24x
Market Rasen 4 377.36x
Shoreditch London 4 7.75x
West Barkwith 4 8000.00x
Frampton 3 833.33x
Mile End Old Town London 3 11.85x
Walsall Foreign 3 14.46x
Aston 2 2.42x
Croydon 2 6.22x
Edmonton 2 20.86x
Enfield 2 25.61x
Hastings Holy Trinity 2 135.14x
Havant 2 162.60x
Knottingley 2 96.62x
Lambeth 2 1.93x
Middle Rasen 2 555.56x
Sculcoates 2 10.70x
West Torrington 2 2857.14x
Aldershot 1 12.24x
Amcotts 1 625.00x
Barton St Peter 1 114.94x
Bishopwearmouth 1 3.29x
Castleton 1 7.09x
Charney 1 1111.11x
Deptford St Nicholas 1 31.06x
Govan 1 1.05x
Headingley Cum Burley 1 13.18x
Kensington London 1 1.51x
Manthorpe Cum Little 1 68.97x
Putney 1 18.45x
Ryton 1 80.65x
Sevenoaks 1 30.40x
St Martin Lincoln 1 56.50x
Wandsworth 1 8.73x
Westminster St John 1 6.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 10
John 7
George 5
James 4
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Charles 2
David 2
Henry 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Arther 1
Baby 1
Chas 1
Ernest 1
Fredk. 1
Richard 1
Stepn. 1
Thomas 1
Thoms. 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Chessman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chessman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 122 people were recorded with the Chessman surname. That placed it at #17,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chessman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 184 in 2016. That gives Chessman a modern rank of #20,731.

What does the Chessman surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to one who played or made chess pieces.

What does the Chessman map show?

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