Cheser History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain were the first to use the name of Cheser. The name had a practical origin since it came from when its initial bearer worked as a cheese-maker or seller of cheese. The surname Cheser is derived from the Old English word cese and the West Saxon word cyse, which both mean cheese. 1 Occupational names frequently refer to the principal object associated with the activity of the original bearer, such as tools or products. These types of occupational surnames are called metonymic surnames. The surname Cheser belongs to this class of names. So as to underline this point, we found Walter le cheser listed in Herefordshire in 1366. 1

Early Origins of the Cheser family

The surname Cheser was first found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 where John Chese, Norfolk; and Hamo Chese, Salop (Shropshire) are listed. 2

Eluding to the possible Norman origin of the name one source notes that the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists John Fromage of Normandy, 1195 and that the Hundredorum Rolls of c. 1272 includes an entry for Peter Fromage of England. This same source notes that entries after this point change from French "fromage" to the English term "cheese." 3

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Ricardus Chese; and Thomas Chese. 2

Early History of the Cheser family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cheser research. Another 206 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1279, 1332, 1366, 1379, 1500, 1597, 1771 and 1808 are included under the topic Early Cheser History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cheser Spelling Variations

Until 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 Cheser include Cheese, Chese, Chuse, Chouse, Cheser, Chesse and others.

Early Notables of the Cheser family

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cheser Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cheser family

Searching 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 Cheser or a variant listed above: Edmund Cheese who arrived in New York in 1832 and Robert Cheese in Mississippi in 1890.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)