Chafay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Chafay is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to 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 Chafay family

The surname Chafay 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 Chafay family

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

Chafay 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 Chafay were recorded, including Chafy, Chafe, Chafee, Chafey, Chaff, Chaffe, Chaffee and many more.

Early Notables of the Chafay family

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

Migration of the Chafay family to Ireland

Some of the Chafay 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 Chafay family

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 Chafay family emigrate to 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.