The name Chafey has a history dating as far back as the
Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name for a bald headed man. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the French expression
le chauve, which means "the bald one."
Early Origins of the Chafey family
The surname Chafey was first found in
Dorset where they held a
family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the
Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Chafey family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chafey research.
Another 99 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chafey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Chafey Spelling Variations
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few
hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Chafey have been found, including Chafy, Chafe, Chafee, Chafey, Chaff, Chaffe, Chaffee and many more.
Early Notables of the Chafey family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Chafey Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Chafey family to Ireland
Some of the Chafey family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Chafey family to the New World and Oceana
Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in
England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in
England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Chafey, or a variant listed above: Thomas Chaffee who settled in Hingham Massachusetts in 1637 and moved to Swansea by 1660; Matthew Chaffee settled in Boston in 1630; James Chaffey settled in New
England in 1762.