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| Origins Available: |
| | England |
The surname Chau was first found in Kent.
"The family of Chaucer, Chaucier, Chaucers, or Chasur had been seated in the Eastern Counties, and some members were in trade in London. Richard le Chaucer was of London, 1328; John Chaucer in 1349 (Riley, Liber Albus, 438; Nicholas, Life of Chaucer, 94). The poet was probably kinsman of Bartholomew Chaucer, who possessed estates in Cambridge, Hunts, Herts, and Essex, 1312. In 1295 Gerard le Chaucer was of Colchester, Essex, and 1274 Alice de Chasar occurs as a tenant of the See of Ely in Cambridgeshire . In 1225 Ralph le Chauser is mentioned." 1
"This surname is derived from an occupation. 'le chaucer,' a maker of chausses, i.e. leathern breeches; Latin, caleearius. Chaucer's grandfather was connected with Ipswich." 2
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 include Roger Calcwere, Norfolk.
Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1343-1400), known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey.
"Much of the obscurity that once involved Chaucer's parentage has been dispelled by the industry of Sir Harris Nicolas, Dr. Furnivall, land others. He was the son of a London vintner. " 3
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chau research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1000, 1328, 1350, 1367, 1369, 1372, 1389, 1390, 1399, 1400, 1405, 1407, 1409, 1411, 1413, 1414, 1421, 1422, 1425, 1427, 1429, 1430, 1434, 1437, 1447, 1513 and 1524 are included under the topic Early Chau History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Chau has been recorded under many different variations, including Chaucer, Chawcer, Chawcers and others.
Distinguished members of the family include
In the United States, the name Chau is the 4,402nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4 However, in France, the name Chau is ranked the 5,057th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 5
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Chau or a variant listed above: