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![Show Contents]() Chaffind History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The ancient history of the name Chaffind dates back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name given to a bald man. The surname Chaffind is a diminutive derived from the Old French words chauf and cauf, which both mean bald. This is ultimately derived from the Latin word calvus, which has the same meaning. The words chauf and cauf are supplemented by the suffixes in or on, which have several variations and are two of the most common diminutive suffixes. Early Origins of the Chaffind familyThe surname Chaffind was first found in Dorset where branches of the family were found in Chettle and Folke. Chettle dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Ceotel and probably was derived from the Old English word ceotel, meaning "deep valley." Folke dates back to 1244 where it was derived from the Old English word folc, which meant people, as in "land held by the people." 1 Early History of the Chaffind familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chaffind research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1602, 1627, 1628, 1641, 1666, 1668, 1688 and 1714 are included under the topic Early Chaffind History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Chaffind Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Chaffind include Chaffin, Chaffinch, Caffin and others. Early Notables of the Chaffind familyDistinguished members of the family include Thomas Chaffin, High Sheriff of Dorset in 1627; and Matthew Caffyn (1628-1714), an English General Baptist preacher and writer from Horsham, Sussex. "He was the seventh son of Thomas Caffin, by Elizabeth his wife. In Lower's 'Worthies of Sussex' it is erroneously said that 'his father was a German;' the family existed in the neighbourhood at an early date." 2
Thomas Chiffinch (1600-1666), was Keeper of...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chaffind Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Chaffind familySearching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Chaffind or a variant listed above: John Chaffinch who settled in Connecticut in 1630; Daniel Chaffin arrived in Barbados in 1680 with his wife and servants; Fortune Chaffin arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1827..
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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