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Cheney Family History

Cheney Surname Meaning

English: variant of Chaney with the same etymology as in 2 below. French: topographic name for someone who lived by or in an oak wood from Old French chesnai ‘oak grove’ (from chesne ‘oak’) or a habitational name from any of several places called (Le) Cheney e.g. in Haute-Savoie named with this word. Compare Chesney.

French Canadian: altered form of French Chesnay or Chenay topographic names with the same meaning and etymology as in 2 above or habitational names from (Le) Chesnay or (Le) Chenay names of several places in the northwestern part of France based on Old French chesnai ‘oak grove’. Compare Chenette and Chenier.

French: habitational name from Cheney in Yonne which takes its name from a Gallo-Roman estate Caniacum from the Roman personal name Canius + the locative suffix -acum.

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


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Where is the Cheney family from?

You can see how Cheney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cheney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cheney families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 149 Cheney families living in Leicestershire. This was about 15% of all the recorded Cheney's in United Kingdom. Leicestershire had the highest population of Cheney families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cheney 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 Cheney ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cheney. 13% of Cheney men worked as a Farmer and 74% of Cheney women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cheney were Old Age Pensioner and Unpaid Domestic Dutie.

View Census Data for Cheney | 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

  • Farmer
    13%
  • Gardener
    9%
  • Retired
    6%
  • Old Age Pensioner
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    74%
  • Household Duties
    2%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dutie
    2%

What Cheney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 99,000 census records available for the last name Cheney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cheney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cheney

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Cheney. 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 Cheney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Cheney. For the veterans among your Cheney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cheney military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cheney family history

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What is the average Cheney lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Cheney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Cheney in 1941 was 35, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cheney

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cheney 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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