Chausse Family History

French: (Chaussé): from chaussé ‘shod’ the past participle of the verb chausser ‘to put (shoes) on’ designating in a rural area a person distinctive in wearing leggings (on Old French chausse; see 2 below) when bare legs were more common. Alternatively from Old French chaussier an agent derivative of chausse used as a nickname for a maker or seller of footwear or leggings.

Compare Chaussee from Old French chausse ‘footwear’ or ‘leggings’ (from Late Latin calcia for classical Latin calceus ‘sandal shoe’) hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker of shoes or leggings or a nickname for a wearer of distinctive ones.

In medieval Europe the Late Latin term denoted boots, shoes, leggings, leg armor, gaiters, hose, breeches, pantaloons, and so on.

Habitational name from Le Chausse, the name of several places in various parts of France, e.g. in Haute-Loire, Indre-et-Loire, and Dordogne, of the same etymology as Chaussee.