Chafe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The origins of the Chafe surname date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It comes from an early member of the family who was a bald headed man. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the French expression le chauve, which means "the bald one."

Early Origins of the Chafe family

The surname Chafe was first found in Dorset 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 Chafe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chafe research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chafe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chafe Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Chafe has been spelled many different ways, including Chafy, Chafe, Chafee, Chafey, Chaff, Chaffe, Chaffee and many more.

Early Notables of the Chafe family

More information is included under the topic Early Chafe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chafe Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Chafe is the 82^nd most popular surname with an estimated 350 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Chafe family to Ireland

Some of the Chafe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Chafe family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Chafes to arrive in North America: Thomas Chaffee who settled in Hingham Massachusetts in 1637 and moved to Swansea by 1660; Matthew Chaffee settled in Boston in 1630; James Chaffey settled in New England in 1762.

Historic Events for the Chafe family +

SS Southern Cross

Mr. Henry Jacob Chafe (1883-1914), Newfoundlander from Petty Harbour who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found

Citations +

The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)