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Chaney Family History

Chaney Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): habitational name from any one of several places in Normandy, Picardy, or Artois (France) named (Le) Quesnay or Quesnoy or elsewhere in northern France named (Le or La) Chesnay or Chesnoy. The placenames all derive from Old French chesnai or its Normanno-Picard equivalent quesnai ‘oak grove’ (medieval Latin casnetum).

French: variant of Chanet, a habitational name from any of various places called Chanet or Le Chanet, from Latin canna ‘reed’ + the suffix -etum denoting an inhabitant.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Chaney family from?

You can see how Chaney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chaney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Chaney families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 187 Chaney families living in London. This was about 31% of all the recorded Chaney's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Chaney families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chaney surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Chaney ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Chaney. 17% of Chaney men worked as a General Labourer and 77% of Chaney women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Chaney were French Polisher and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Chaney | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    17%
  • Builders Labourer
    15%
  • Incapacitated
    9%
  • French Polisher
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    77%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

What Chaney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 109,000 census records available for the last name Chaney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chaney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Chaney

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Chaney. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Chaney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 24,000 military records available for the last name Chaney. For the veterans among your Chaney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Chaney military records

You've only scratched the surface of Chaney family history

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What is the average Chaney lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Chaney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Chaney in 1940 was 32, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chaney

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Chaney ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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