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Chaney Family History

Chaney Name 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

Similar surnames: Cheney, Chancey, Chancy, Haney, Charney, Chandley, Hanley, Cheaney

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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 1911 there were 37 Chaney families living in Ontario. This was about 42% of all the recorded Chaney's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Chaney families in 1911.

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.

View Census Data for Chaney

What did your Chaney ancestors do for a living?

View Census Data for Chaney | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Farmer
55%
Laborer
23%
Machinist
14%
Labourer
10%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

Carder
100%

Black & white image of two construction labourers

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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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

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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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

Discover More

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

Browse profiles of historical people with the Chaney last name