Chenowith History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Chenowith

The distinguished Cornish surname Chenowith literally means "new house" from "chy-noweth." "There is or was a place named Chynoweth in St. Earth, whence another family derived its name." 1 Today Chynoweth is an area immediately north of St Hilary in west Cornwall, England.

Early Origins of the Chenowith family

Early History of the Chenowith family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chenowith research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1079, 1142, 1149, 1162, 1510, 1600, 1853 and 1925 are included under the topic Early Chenowith History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chenowith Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Chenouth, Chinouth, Chenow, Chenou and others.

Early Notables of the Chenowith family

Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chenowith Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.