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Chamberlain History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Chamberlain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

The Chamberlain family was an integral part of the history ancient France since it was derived from the northern, coastal region of Normandy. Chamberlain was a name given to 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, "chamberlan."

Early Origins of the Chamberlain family

The surname Chamberlain was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where this distinguished family held a family seat.

"John, Count de Tankerville, of Tankerville Castle, in Normandy, took part in the expedition against England, but returned after the battle of Hastings to his hereditary estates, leaving a son in the conquered country, who became chamberlain to Henry I., and whose son, Richard, assumed the surname of Chamberlain from his office." 1

Early History of the Chamberlain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chamberlain research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1616, 1666, 1703 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Chamberlain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chamberlain Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of French surnames; in part, as spelling, and the spelling names was not yet standardized during the early development of the written French language. Later, there was much branching and movement of families, and spellings would change according to region. Variations of the name Chamberlain include Chamberland, Chambellain, Chamberlan, Chamberlain, Chambellan, Chambellayn, Chambelain, Chamberlayne, Chamberlaine, Chamberllayne, Chamberlayn, Chamberleine, Chamberlane, Chambelan, Chambelane, Chambelaine and many more.

Early Notables of the Chamberlain family

Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chamberlain Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chamberlain World Ranking

In the United States, the name Chamberlain is the 1,098^th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 2 However, in Australia, the name Chamberlain is ranked the 741^st most popular surname with an estimated 5,243 people with that name. 3 And in New Zealand, the name Chamberlain is the 465^th popular surname with an estimated 1,485 people with that name. 4 The United Kingdom ranks Chamberlain as 512^nd with 12,733 people. 5

Chamberlain migration to the United States +

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec, in 1663 there were only 500, 2,000 migrants arrived during the next decade. Early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. Youths of 18 took fourteen-year-old girls for their wives. The fur trade was developed and attracted migrants, both noble and commoner from France. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Migration from France to New France or Quebec as it was now more popularly called, continued from France until it fell in 1759. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. Meanwhile, in Quebec, the French race flourished, founding in Lower Canada, one of the two great solitudes which became Canada. Many distinguished contributions have been made by members of this family name Chamberlain. It has been prominent in the arts, religion, politics and culture in France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Chamberlain were

Chamberlain Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Franics Chamberlain, aged 45, who arrived in Virginia in 1621 aboard the ship "Marmaduke" 6
Leon Chamberlain, who landed in Virginia in 1637 7
Henry Chamberlain, who landed in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1638 7
Mrs. Chamberlain who settled in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1638
Henry Chamberlain, who settled in Hingham, in 1638
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chamberlain Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Chamberlain, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1701-1703 7
Peter Chamberlain, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1701-1703 7
Mary, Chamberlain Jr., who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1701-1703 7
Matthew Chamberlain, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 7
Abel Chamberlain, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1740-1741 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chamberlain Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Benjamin Chamberlain, who arrived in America in 1801-1802 7
Benjamin Chamberlain who settled in America in 1801
Miss Chamberlain, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1822 7
Mr. Chamberlain, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1822 7
A Chamberlain, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chamberlain migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Chamberlain Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Jacob Bailey Chamberlain, "Jacob Bayley" U.E. who settled in Midland District [Frontenac & Lennox and Addington], Ontario c. 1783 8
Mr. Theophilus Chamberlain U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 8

Chamberlain Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Wyatt Chamberlain, who arrived in Canada in 1831

Chamberlain migration to Australia +

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

Chamberlain Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. William Chamberlain, English convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9

Chamberlain Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Chamberlain, British Convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for life, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. John Chamberlain, British Convict who was convicted in Leicestershire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. James Chamberlain, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Charles Chamberlain, English convict who was convicted in Yarmouth, Norfolk, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 12th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
Mr. Thomas Chamberlain, English convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Burrell" on 22nd July 1830, arriving in New South Wales 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chamberlain migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Chamberlain Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Chamberlain, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
William Chamberlain, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Mr. Chamberlain, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Harrington" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 15th June 1841 15
W Chamberlain, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842
John Chamberlain, aged 23, a farmer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Chamberlain (post 1700) +

Prime Minister Arthur Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940), English politician, Prime Minister of United Kingdom (1937-1940)
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain (b. 1936), American basketball player who holds numerous NBA records in scoring, rebounding and durability categories, inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, chosen as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History of 1996
Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940), British statesman of the Conservative Party, Prime Minister from May 1937 to May 1940
Pearl Laska Chamberlain (1909-2012), born Lelia Pearl Bragg, American pilot who learned to fly in a Kinner Fleet bi-plane in 1933 and held a pilot’s certificate until she was 97
Daniel R. Chamberlain, American academic, 4th President of Houghton College (1976-2006)
Daniel Henry Chamberlain (1835-1907), American planter, lawyer, author and politician, the 76th Governor of South Carolina (1874-1877) Attorney General of South Carolina (1868-1872)
Charles Joseph Chamberlain Ph.D. (1863-1943), American botanist, President of the Botanical Society of America
Calvin Tibbetts Chamberlain (1795-1878), American politician, Member of the New York State Assembly for Allegany Co. (1836-1837)
Ardwight Chamberlain (b. 1957), American voice actor and screen writer
Brigadier-General Edwin William Chamberlain (1903-1966), American Attached to G-3 Division, War Department General Staff (1946) 16
... (Another 41 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Chamberlain family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Henry S Chamberlain (b. 1916), English Corporal serving for the Royal Marine from Silverton, Essex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 17

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. George Chamberlain, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 18

HMS Repulse

Mr. Norman Victor Chamberlain, British Canteen Assistant NAAFI, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 19

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Richard Chamberlain, English Night Watchman from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking and was recovered 20

The Chamberlain 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: Virtuti nihil invium
Motto Translation: Nothing is impervious to valour.

Citations +

Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 28th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/burrell
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, November 3) Edwin Chamberlain. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Chamberlain/Edwin_William/USA.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/