Show ContentsChamberlin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the Chamberlin family migrated to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The surname Chamberlin is for a person who worked as a chamberlain. A chamberlain was one who was in charge of the private chambers of a noble, and later was a high ranking title having derived from the Anglo-Norman French word, chamberlanc. [1]

"Chamberlain occurs most commonly in Leicestershire and Rutlandshire." [2] "There are several distinct families bearing the surname. Aiulfus Camerarius (the latinized form) was a tenant in chief in co. Dorset, and probably the Conqueror's own chamberlain. One of his possessions in that county is still called Hampreston-Chamberlaine. [3]

The Chamberlaynes of Maugersbury claim from John, count of Tancarville, whose descendants were hereditary chamberlains to kings Henry I., Stephen, and Henry II. The office of the camerarius was to take charge of the king's camera or treasury, and answered to the treasurer of the household at present. Besides Aiulfus above mentioned, at least five other tenants in capite so designated occur in Domesday. " [4]

Early Origins of the Chamberlin family

The surname Chamberlin was first found in Oxfordshire where they claim descent from John, Count de Tankerville, of Tankerville Castle in Normandy who accompanied Duke William on his Conquest of England only to return after the battle of Hastings to his hereditary estates. He left a son in England who became chamberlain to Henry I., and whose son, Richard assumed the surname of Chamberlain from his office. [5]

In Scotland, "the office of royal chamberlain was one of great responsibility in virtue of the fact that until the reign of James I he managed the king's revenue and was head of the Exchequer. The great nobles, also, had each a chamberlain who looked after his lord's business affairs. John Camerarius witnessed a confirmation charter by William the Lion, c. 1175. Walter Camerarius witnessed a charter by EsChina, wife of Walter Fitz Alan, before 1177" [1]

The principal line of the descendants were the Chamberlaynes of Sherborne in Oxfordshire "from whom derived the celebrated Sir Thomas Chamberlayne, of Prince Thorpe and Presbury, a distinguished diplomatist in the reigns of Henry VIII., Mary, and Elizabeth. " [5]

The hamlet of Stoney Thorpe in Warwickshire was home to a branch of the family. "The family of Chamberlayne, formerly of Princethorpe, in the county, has been seated here for many centuries; Henry Thomas Chamberlayne, Esq., is the present owner." [6]

Geoffrey le Chaumberleng was listed in the Curia Regis Roll for Warwickshire in 1194; Robert canberlenc in the Feet of Fines for 1195; Thomas Chamberleng' seruiens Regis was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1196; Martin le Chamberleyn in the Feet of Fines for Cambridgeshire in 1232; and Thomas le Chaumberlyn was found in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1293. [7]

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the wide usage of the surname with various spellings throughout ancient Britain: Walter le Chamberlayn, Lincolnshire; Martin le Chaumberleyn, Cambridgeshire; Ivo le Chaumberleyn, Warwickshire; and Henry le Chamberlein, Buckinghamshire. [8]

Early History of the Chamberlin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chamberlin research. Another 181 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1398, 1405, 1540, 1560, 1572, 1576, 1596, 1616, 1619, 1625, 1626, 1631, 1632, 1635, 1643, 1667, 1682, 1689, 1690, 1691, 1703, 1715, 1720 and 1813 are included under the topic Early Chamberlin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chamberlin Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Chamberlin include Chamberlain, Chamberlayne, Chamberlaine, Chamblayn, Chamberlin, Camberlain, Camberlan, Camblayn and many more.

Early Notables of the Chamberlin family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Edward Chamberlayne (1616-1703), an English writer, best known as the author of The Present State of England; William Chamberlayne (1619-1689), an English poet and physician.Pierre (Peter) Chamberlen the Elder (1560-1631), and Peter the Younger (1572-1626), two brothers and sons of Guillaume (William) Chamberlen (c.1540-1596), a Huguenot surgeon who fled from Paris to England in 1576, famous for inventing the modern use of obstetrical forceps, a family secret kept for two centuries - the original forceps were found in 1813 under a trap door in Woodham Mortimer Hall.Nicholas Chamberlaine (1632-1715), was an English priest...
Another 143 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chamberlin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chamberlin Ranking

In the United States, the name Chamberlin is the 3,300th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. [9]

Ireland Migration of the Chamberlin family to Ireland

Some of the Chamberlin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Chamberlin migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Chamberlins to arrive on North American shores:

Chamberlin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mrs. Rebecca Chamberlin, aged 37, who landed in Virginia in 1621 aboard the ship "Bona Nova" [10]
  • Francis Chamberlin, aged 45, who landed in Virginia in 1621 aboard the "Marmaduke" [10]
  • Tho Chamberlin, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Thomas & John" [10]
  • William Chamberlin, aged 16, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Thomas" [10]
  • Henry Chamberlin, who arrived in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1638 [10]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Chamberlin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • H A Chamberlin, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 [10]
  • P Chamberlin, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1855 [10]

Canada Chamberlin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Chamberlin Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Samuel Chamberlin, who arrived in Canada in 1830

Australia Chamberlin migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Chamberlin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Chamberlin, British Convict who was convicted in Woolwich, London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 12th March 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) [11]

Contemporary Notables of the name Chamberlin (post 1700) +

  • Brigadier-General Harry Dwight Chamberlin (1887-1944), American Commanding General Southwestern Security District (1943) [12]
  • Lieutenant-General Stephen Jones Chamberlin (1889-1971), American Commanding General 5th Army (1948-1951) [13]
  • William Henry Chamberlin (1897-1969), American historian and journalist
  • Joseph Conrad Chamberlin (1898-1962), American arachnologist
  • Ann Chamberlin, American writer of historical novels
  • Lee Chamberlin (b. 1938), American film and television actress
  • Wendy Chamberlin (b. 1948), veteran American diplomat
  • Judi Chamberlin (1944-2010), American activist, leader, organizer, public speaker and educator
  • Kevin Chamberlin (b. 1963), American actor
  • Jimmy Chamberlin (b. 1964), American drummer, songwriter, and producer
  • ... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


The Chamberlin Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Prodesse quam conspici
Motto Translation: To do good rather than be conspicuous.


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  5. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  6. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  7. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  8. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  9. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  10. 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)
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th December 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  12. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, November 3) Harry Chamberlin. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Chamberlin/Harry_Dwight/USA.html
  13. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, November 3) Stephen Chamberlin. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Chamberlin/Stephen_Jones/USA.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook