Cheshire History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The origins of the Cheshire name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Cheshire was originally derived from a family having lived in the maritime county of Cheshire. "The name is a contraction of Chestershire. At the time of the Roman invasion, the county formed part of the territory occupied by the Cornavii; in the first division of Britain by the Romans it was included in Britannia Superior, and in their subsequent subdivision became part of Flavia Cæsariensis. Under the Saxons it was a portion of the powerful kingdom of Mercia; and upon the division of England into three great districts by Alfred, it was comprehended in that called Mercenlege, or the "Mercian jurisdiction." Cheshire is within the diocese of Chester, and province of York." 1

Early Origins of the Cheshire family

The surname Cheshire was first found in the Close Rolls where Thomas de Chastirshir was listed 6 Edward II (during the sixth year reign of King Edward II.) The Yorkshire Poll Taqx Rolls of 1379 list Henricus de Chesterschyr. 2

Early History of the Cheshire family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cheshire research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1622, 1662, 1695, 1696, 1705, 1711, 1714, 1727, 1738 and 1762 are included under the topic Early Cheshire History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cheshire Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Cheshire include Chessire, Cheeshire, Cheshyre, Cheshire, Chesser, Chesshyre, Chesher, Chesshere, Chessor, Chessyre, Chessheire and many more.

Early Notables of the Cheshire family

Distinguished members of the family include

Cheshire Ranking

In the United States, the name Cheshire is the 12,872nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Cheshire family to Ireland

Some of the Cheshire 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.


Cheshire migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Cheshire Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Cheshire Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Cheshire Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Cheshire migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cheshire Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Cheshire migration to Australia +

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

Cheshire Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Cheshire 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:

Cheshire Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Cheshire (post 1700) +
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