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

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Chandler History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The founding heritage of the Chandler family is in the Anglo-Saxon culture that once dominated in Britain. The name Chandler comes from when one of the family worked as a person who makes and sells candles. More rarely, the surname Chandler may have been applied to someone who had the responsibility of lighting the candles in a large house or someone who owed rent in the form of wax or candles. The surname Chandler is derived from the Old English words chaundeler and chandeler, which in turn come from the Old French word chandelier. This is derived from the late Latin word candelarius, which comes from the word candela, which means candle. This Latin word comes from the word candere, which means to be bright. 1

Early Origins of the Chandler family

The surname Chandler was first found in Yorkshire where the first record was that of the occupation: Nicholas de Malton, candelery 7 Edward II (Freemen of York.) Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Matilda Candeler. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Reginald le Chandeler, London; and William Candelarius, Leicestershire. 2

Another source notes that Matthew le Candeler from London, was also listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 and that William le Chandeler was found in the Assize Rolls for Essex in 1285. 3

Early History of the Chandler family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chandler research. Another 141 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1274, 1296, 1330, 1548, 1566, 1567, 1668, 1687, 1693, 1697, 1701, 1703, 1717, 1737, 1739, 1744, 1745, 1750, 1766, 1783, 1786, 1787, 1791, 1800, 1804, 1820, 1856, 1859, 1860, 1875 and 1881 are included under the topic Early Chandler History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chandler Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Chandler has been spelled many different ways, including Chandler, Chandlers, Channdler, Channdlers, Candler, Chaundler and many more.

Early Notables of the Chandler family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Edward Chandler (1668?-1750), Bishop of Durham, son of Samuel Chandler of Dublin. "He was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and in 1693 became M.A., was ordained priest, and appointed chaplain...
Mary Chandler (1687-1745), was an English poetess, born at Malmesbury, Wiltshire, in 1687, and was the eldest daughter of Henry Chandler, a dissenting minister, afterwards settled at Bath. 4
Samuel Chandler (1693-1766), was a nonconformist divine, grandson of a tradesman at Taunton, and son of Samuel Chandler (d. 1717), minister of a congregation at Hungerford, and afterwards for many yea...

Chandler World Ranking

In the United States, the name Chandler is the 322^nd most popular surname with an estimated 84,558 people with that name. 5 However, in Australia, the name Chandler is ranked the 454^th most popular surname with an estimated 8,328 people with that name. 6 And in New Zealand, the name Chandler is the 709^th popular surname with an estimated 1,005 people with that name. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Chandler as 462^nd with 14,047 people. 8

Chandler migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Chandlers to arrive in North America:

Chandler Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Chandler, an planter, aged 24, who arrived in Virginia in 1609 9
Roger Chandler, who arrived in America in 1620 9
Arthure Chandler, aged 19, who landed in Virginia in 1620 aboard the ship "Jonathan" 9
Richard Chandler, who landed in Virginia in 1622 9
Arthur Chandler, who landed in Virginia in 1623 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chandler Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sarah Chandler, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1720 9
Thomas Bradbury Chandler, who arrived in New Jersey in 1751 9
John Chandler, who arrived in America in 1758 9
John Chandler, went to Maryland 1774

Chandler Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Chandler, aged 46, who landed in New York in 1812 9
Joseph Chandler, aged 46, who landed in New York in 1812 9
R Chandler, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 9
S Chandler, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 9
Salmon Chandler, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chandler migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Chandler Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Samuel Chandler, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
Mr. Joshua Chandler U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 10
Mr. Joshua Chandler U.E. born in New Haven County, Connecticut, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 graduated from Yale in 1747 10
Mr. Nathaniel Chandler U.E. who settled in Portland [North End], Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 10
Mr. Thomas Chandler U.E. born in New Haven County, Connecticut, USA who settled in Nova Scotia c. 1783 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chandler migration to Australia +

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

Chandler Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. Anthony Chandler, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11

Chandler Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Chandler, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. William Chandler, (b. 1784), aged 19, British Convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1837 13
Mr. Samuel Chandler, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14
William Chandler, English convict from Surrey, who was transported aboard the "Adamant" on March 16, 1821, settling in New South Wales, Australia 15
Moses Chandler, English convict from Sussex, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 17, 1823, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chandler 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:

Chandler Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. William Chandler, British settler, as the 2nd Detachment of New Zealand Corps of Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Minerva" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1847 17
Miss Mary Chandler, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Katherine Stewart Forbes" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th March 1852 17
Mrs. Elizabeth Chandler, (b. 1830), aged 28, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 17
Mr. William Chandler, (b. 1830), aged 28, British farm labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 17
Sophia E. Chandler, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Harkaway" in 1858 18
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Chandler (post 1700) +

Len Chandler (1935-2023), born Len Hunt Chandler Jr., an American folk musician from Akron, Ohio
John Wesley Chandler (1923-2022), American educator, 15th President of Hamilton College, from 1968 to 1973, 12th President of Williams College, from 1973 to 1985
Alice Headley Chandler (1925-2021), American horsebreeder and racing stable owner, inducted into the Hall of Fame for horsebreeders, awarded the Eclipse Award of Merit in 2009
Colby Hackett Chandler (1925-2021), American Chairman and chief executive officer of the Eastman Kodak Company
Albert Benjamin "Happy" Chandler Sr. (1898-1991), American politician, 44th and 49th Governor of Kentucky (1955-1959) and (1935-1939)
David Chandler (1944-2017), American physical chemist and a professor at the University of California, Berkeley
Brigadier-General Rex Eugene Chandler (1901-1964), American Deputy Chief of Staff, 4th Army (1946-1947) 19
Jeff Chandler (1918-1961), American film actor and singer
Theophilus Parsons Chandler Jr. (1845-1928), Philadelphia architect and founder of the Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania
Raymond Thornton Chandler (1888-1959), American detective story writer
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Chandler family +

Grover Shoe factory

Miss Jesse Chandler, American employee of the Grover Shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts on 20th March 1905 when the boiler exploded and collapsed the wooden building; she died 20

HMS Dorsetshire

Ray Chandler, British aboard the HMS Dorsetshire (1945) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 21
Nick Chandler, British aboard the HMS Dorsetshire (1945) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 21

HMS Hood

Mr. Alfred J Chandler (b. 1900), English Master at Arms serving for the Royal Navy from Birmingham, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 22

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Alfred Chandler, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 23

HMS Repulse

Mr. Edward Chandler, British Boy, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 24

USS Arizona

Mr. Edwin R. Chandler, American Seaman First Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 25
Mr. Donald Ross Chandler, American Private from Alabama, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 25

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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
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 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Adamant voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1821 with 144 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adamant/1821
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1823 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1823
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th December 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, November 3) Rex Chandler. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Chandler/Rex_Eugene/USA.html
California Digital Newspaper from 21st March 1905 (retrieved on 5th August 2021.) Retrieved from https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SFC19050321.2.19&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.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
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html