Chad History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Chad comes from the Old English personal name Ceadd, also rendered as Ceadda. Unlike most Old English personal names, this name remained in use for a substantial length of time after the Norman Conquest. The popularity of the name was perhaps aided by the exploits of St. Chad, who was the third Bishop of Litchfield in the 7th century.

Early Origins of the Chad family

The surname Chad was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Chad family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chad research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chad History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chad Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Chad were recorded, including Chadd, Chad, Chadds, Chads and others.

Early Notables of the Chad family

Distinguished members of the family include

Sir Charles Chadd

Chad migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Chad family emigrate to North America:

Chad Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Sarah Chad, who landed in Maryland in 1663 1

Chad Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Chad, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 1
David Chad, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Chad (post 1700) +

Sir Charles Chad (1779-1855), 2nd Baronet of Thursford in the County of Norfolk, English peer
Sir George Chad (1730-1815), 1st Baronet of Thursford in the County of Norfolk, Recorder of King's Lynn, English peer
William Chad Zerbe (b. 1972), American former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for the San Francisco Giants from 2000 to 2003
Gregori Chad Petree, American musician from Shawnee, Oklahoma
Jeffrey Chad Clifton (b. 1976), American offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers
Bryce Chad Salvador (b. 1976), Canadian professional NHL ice hockey defenceman
Rev. Chad Varah CH, CBE (1911-2007), British Anglican priest and social activist, founder of the Samaritans, the world's first crisis hotline, to provide telephone support to those contemplating suicide in 1953
Chad Baucom (1967-2016), American Tennessee Walking Horse trainer, best known for winning the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration on the stallion Walk Time Charlie
Chad Hysell, American artist, known for Nation's Fire (2019), Bright Lights, Dark Shadows (2018) and Thumbs
Chad Rempel (b. 1982), Canadian professional football long snapper for the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL), two-time Grey Cup champion

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)