Chake History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The earliest origins of the Chake surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name reveals that an early member was a 'chick' or one with a prominent jaw. 1 2 One source notes that while this etymology is the more typical understanding of the name, we should consider that it may have been a Norman name originally as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae notes that "William Cecus occurs in Normandy 1198." 3

Early Origins of the Chake family

The surname Chake was first found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 which included: Walter Chike, Oxfordshire. 4 Over in Somerset, Thomas Chike was listed there 1 Edward III (during the first year's reign of Edward III.) 5

Early History of the Chake family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chake research. Another 212 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1514, 1548, 1557, 1586, 1592, 1595, 1601, 1604, 1613, 1653, 1658 and 1659 are included under the topic Early Chake History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chake Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Chake are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Chake include: Cheek, Cheeke, Cheeks, Cheke, Chick, Chicke and others.

Early Notables of the Chake family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir John Cheek (1514-1557) English humanist, Secretary of State, tutor to Edward VI and supporter of the Reformation. His son, Henry Cheke (1548?-1586?), was an English translator Sir Thomas Cheek or Cheke (died 1659), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons (1604-1653)...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chake Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Chake family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Chake or a variant listed above: Phillip Cheeke who settled in Barbados in 1685; Henry Cheeke settled in Philadelphia in 1823; John Cheeke arrived in New York in 1823; George Cheek settled in Potomac Maryland in 1742..

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.