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Chase History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Chase History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Chase family name dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name comes from when an early member worked as a person who dominated as an exceptional huntsman which was derived from the Old English word chase which means to hunt. 1

Early Origins of the Chase family

The surname Chase was first found in Hampshire where one of the first records of the family was William Chase who was Mayor of Winchester in 1464. 2

Early History of the Chase family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chase research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1327 and 1393 are included under the topic Early Chase History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chase Spelling Variations

Chase has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Chase have been found, including Chase, Chases, Chasey, Chace, Chaces, Chacey, Chaise, Chaises and many more.

Early Notables of the Chase family

Distinguished members of the family include

Chase of Essex

Chase Ranking

In the United States, the name Chase is the 508^th most popular surname with an estimated 57,201 people with that name. 3

Chase migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Chases to arrive on North American shores:

Chase Settlers in United States in the 16th Century

Aquilla Chase and his brother Thomas Chase, both born in Chesham in Buckinghamshire, England, between 1580 and 1585, they settled in Hampton, then Newburyport, Massachusetts in the 1640s, and had many prominent descendants

Chase Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Chase, from Essex, who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, moved to Roxbury. 4
Aquila Chase, who landed in Massachusetts in 1636 4
Huldy Chase, who landed in Virginia in 1652 4
William Chase, who landed in Virginia in 1652 4
Thomas Chase, who landed in New England in 1652 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chase Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Honora Chase, who landed in New England in 1736 4
Thomas Chase, who landed in Maryland in 1738-1739 4
John Chase, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1745 4
Elizabeth Chase, a bonded emigrant sent to America in 1762
William Chase, who landed in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in 1775 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chase Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Chase, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1821 4
Mr. Chase, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
G Chase, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
H Chase, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
A Chase, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4

Chase migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Chase Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Zach Chase, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1760
Mr. James P. Chase U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 5
Mrs. Lydia Chase U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 5
Ensign Shadiack Chase U.E. born in Massachusetts, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 he served as part of DeLancey's 3rd Battalion 5
Mr. William Chase U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chase Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Jeremiah Chase, who arrived in Canada in 1828
Elizabeth Chase, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1848

Chase migration to Australia +

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

Chase Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

George Chase, aged 30, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Brankenmoor" 6
G. Chase, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Branken Moor" in 1849 6
L. Chase, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Senator" in 1849 7
Edward Chase, aged 41, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "China" 8

Chase 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:

Chase Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Chase, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Bosworth" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 24th November 1857 9
Mrs. Chase, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Bosworth" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 24th November 1857 9
Miss Elizabeth Chase, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Bosworth" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 24th November 1857 9
Miss Amelia Chase, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Bosworth" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 24th November 1857 9
Miss Betsy Chase, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Bosworth" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 24th November 1857 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chase migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 10

Chase Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Jeremy Chase, who was sent to Jamaica in 1675
Stephen Chase, his wife Margaret and their son Edward who settled in Barbados in 1679

Contemporary Notables of the name Chase (post 1700) +

Lucia Chase (1907-1986), American dancer, actress, ballet director, co-founder of the American Ballet Theatre and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (b. 1943), American Emmy Award-winning comedian, writer, and television and film actor, known for his work on Saturday Night Live, Caddyshack, Christmas Vacation and many more
Ja'Marr Anthony Chase (b. 2000), American football wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League
Conrad Keven Chase (1965-2024), American actor, singer-songwriter and public speaker
Mack C. Chase (1931-2023), American oil and natural gas businessman, who made his fortune in the oilfields of the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico
Colin Robert Chase (1935-1984), American academic, associate professor of English at the University of Toronto, best known for his work, The Dating of Beowulf
Oliver Chase (1769-1852), American entrepreneur who founded the Valley Falls Company
Sylvia Belle Chase (1938-2019), American correspondent for ABC's 20/20 from its inception until 1985
Bob Chase (1926-2016), born Robert Donald Wallenstein, American radio broadcaster known for his 63-year tenure calling play-by-play for the Fort Wayne Komets from 1953 to 2016
Major-General William Curtis Chase (1895-1986), American Head of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Taiwan (1951-1955) 11
... (Another 173 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Chase family +

Pemberton Mill

Mr. John E. Chase, factory worker in the Pemberton Mill on 10th January 1860 when the mill collapsed trapping 900 workers as rescue attempts continued into the night, an oil lantern was knocked over further engulfing the trapped workers in fire, he survived

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The BRANKEN MOOR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849BrankenMoor.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The SENATOR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Senator.htm
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CHINA 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/china1852.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, November 3) William Chase. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Chase/William_Curtis/USA.html