Show ContentsChesser History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Chesser family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living 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 Chesser family

The surname Chesser 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 Chesser family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chesser 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 Chesser History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chesser 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 Chesser include Chessire, Cheeshire, Cheshyre, Cheshire, Chesser, Chesshyre, Chesher, Chesshere, Chessor, Chessyre, Chessheire and many more.

Early Notables of the Chesser family

Distinguished members of the family include Henry Cheshire, Sheriff of Dublin, who died in the year 1622. John Cheshire (1695-1762), was an English physician, "stated to have been educated at Oxford, although he does not seem to have graduated there." 3Sir John Chesshyre (1662-1738), was an English lawyer, son of Thomas Chesshyre of...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chesser Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chesser Ranking

In the United States, the name Chesser is the 4,290th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Chesser family to Ireland

Some of the Chesser 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.


Chesser migration to the United States +

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 Chesser or a variant listed above:

Chesser Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • David Chesser, aged 42, who arrived in America from Johannesburg, in 1906
  • James Chesser, aged 65, who arrived in America, in 1908
  • Patrick Francis Chesser, aged 29, who arrived in America from Clones Co. Roscommon, Ireland, in 1920
  • H. C. Chesser, aged 29, who arrived in America, in 1920

Chesser migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Chesser Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. John Chesser U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 5
  • Mr. Thomas Chesser U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Chesser (post 1700) +

  • Chris Chesser (1948-2023), American film and television producer, best known for The Rundown (2003), Absolutely Anything (2015) and Major League (1989)
  • Robert Chesser (b. 1962), English professional cricketer
  • William Etheridge "Billy" Chesser (1893-1949), English professional footballer
  • John Chesser (1819-1892), Scottish architect largely based in Edinburgh
  • John Chesser, Canadian innkeeper and politician who represented Prescott in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada from 1835 to 1836
  • Eustace Chesser (1902-1973), Scottish psychiatrist, social reformer and writer


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X


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