Chairrey History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsChairrey is one of the names carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest in 1066. It is based on the Norman name Odinet, from which the more commonly known Odo is derived. Apart from the aforementioned patronymic origin, the place name could also mean "pleasant valley," from the Welsh "hawdd" meaning "pleasant" or "peaceful" and "nant," a "glen or valley." [1] Early Origins of the Chairrey familyThe surname Chairrey was first found in Shropshire at Hodnet, a village and civil parish in the union of Drayton, in the hundred of North Bradford. [2] The first record of the place name was found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Odenet. [3] "The Hodnets, or Hodnetts, derive their name from the Shropshire parish of Hodnet. During the 13th century there was a powerful family in the county that took the name of De Hodenet from either the manor or the parish of the name." [4] Early History of the Chairrey familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chairrey research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1116 and 1237 are included under the topic Early Chairrey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Chairrey Spelling VariationsNorman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Hodenet, Hignett, Hignet, Hodnet, Hodnett, Hodenett, Hodinett, Hodinutt, Hodinut, Hodinott, Hodinot, Hoddenett, Hoddinet, Hoddinutt and many more. Early Notables of the Chairrey familyMore information is included under the topic Early Chairrey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Chairrey family to IrelandSome of the Chairrey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Chairrey familyMany English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Chairrey or a variant listed above: Humphrey Hadnett, who sailed to Virginia in 1635; Elizabeth and James Hignett sailed to Maryland in 1666; John Hignett to Maryland in 1675; Francis Hadnett arrived in Boston Massachusetts in 1767.
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