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Chesney Family History

Chesney Surname Meaning

Scottish and Irish (Antrim Down): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac (an) tSasanaigh see McChesney. English (of Norman origin): variant of Chaney a cognate of 3 below.

French: topographic name for someone who lived by or in an oak wood from Old French chesnai ‘oak grove’ (from chesne ‘oak’).

Compare Cheney

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


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Where is the Chesney family from?

You can see how Chesney families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chesney family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Chesney families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 53 Chesney families living in London. This was about 20% of all the recorded Chesney's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Chesney families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chesney 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 Chesney 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 Chesney. 23% of Chesney men worked as a General Labourer and 75% of Chesney women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Chesney were Cook and Office Cleaner.

View Census Data for Chesney | 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
    23%
  • Co Director
    12%
  • Farm Labourer
    12%
  • Cook
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Office Cleaner
    3%

What Chesney family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 30,000 census records available for the last name Chesney. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chesney census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Chesney

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Chesney. 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 Chesney immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Chesney. For the veterans among your Chesney ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Chesney military records

You've only scratched the surface of Chesney family history

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What is the average Chesney lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Chesney life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Chesney in 1940 was 33, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chesney

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Chesney 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Chesney family tree

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