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Chancé History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Chancé History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

From the historical and enchanting region of France emerged a multitude of notable family names, including that of the distinguished Chancé family. Originally, the people in this region went by one (personal) name. Surnames evolved during the Middle Ages when people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. These names then began to become "fixed" or hereditary between the generations. One of the types of names adopted as surnames were those derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name, and generally reflected some physical characteristics or other attribute of the first person that used the name. The Chancé surname derives from the Old French word "cheaunce," which means "chance," and as such was likely originally a nickname for a gambler, for a lucky person, or ironically, for an unlucky person.

Early Origins of the Chancé family

The surname Chancé was first found in Chanceaux, in Touraine. Many of the family settled in Devonshire, England from the time of the Conquest. "In 1086 Milton, with Lideton, Devon, belonged to Tavistock Abbey. Goisfrid then held them, from whom descended Reginald de Lideton, who 1165 held two fees of Tavistock." 1

"It appears that the Lidetons and Chanceaux, who were Lords of Lideton, were the same. Geoffrey, Giles, and John de Cancellis or Chanceaux are mentioned, of whom the last named surrendered. Lideton to Edward I.' 2

"It was at that period they removed from the county, and we next find them in Sussex, where Emeric de Chanceux or de Cancellis served as Sheriff, 7 & 8 Edward I. (during the seven and eighth year of Edward I's reign); and in the following century in Northamptonshire, when Robert de Chanceaux acquired Upton in right of his wife Margaret, the widow of Robert Bellew. They continued there for three descents, and their heiress married Richard Knightley. Nicholas de Chanceus in 1316 had been certified Lord of the Hundred of Nobottle-Grove, in that county, in addition to the township of Upton. Giles de Chanceaux, two years before, received a writ of military summons ; and John de Chanceux was summoned from the Hundred of Rochford in Essex to serve against the Scots in 1322. Giles was the son of John de Chanceux, who in 1289 held the manor of Canewdon of the King in capite of his Honour of Rayleigh." 3

Early History of the Chancé family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chancé research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1263, 1406, 1407, 1409, 1412, 1420, 1423, 1428, 1484, 1507, 1600, 1644 and 1656 are included under the topic Early Chancé History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chancé Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lachance, LaChance, Lachancé, Lachancée, Lachancy, Lachancey, Chancé, Chancée, Chancy, Chancey, le Chancy, le Chancey, de Chancy, de Chancey, Chancel, Chansel, Chanceau, Duchancel, Duchansel, Duchanceau, Chancelier, Lechancelier and many more.

Early Notables of the Chancé family

Notable at this time was Étienne de Chancey, advisor to the duke, 1420; Hughes de Chancey, a squire, 1428; Jean de Chancey, advisor to the duke...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chancé Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chancé Ranking

In the United States, the name Chancé is the 2,290^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 4

Chancé migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Chancé Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Elizabeth Chance, who arrived in Maryland in 1668 5
William Chance, who landed in Maryland in 1668 5

Chancé Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Chance, who arrived in New York in 1710
Thomas Chance, who arrived in Virginia in 1715 5
Will Chance, who settled in Georgia in 1735
Jane Chance who settled in Grenada in 1774

Chancé Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Chance, aged 28, who landed in Wilmington, Del in 1856 5

Chancé Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Harold Chance, (b. 1883), aged 20, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 11th July 1903 en route to Foresthill, California, USA 6

Chancé migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Chancé Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Chance, British Convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Caledonia" on 5th July 1820, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
William Chance, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Katherine Stewart Forbes" in 1839 8
Louisa Ann Chance, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Katherine Stewart Forbes" in 1839 8
Mr. Patrick Chance, (b. 1813), aged 30, Irish shoe maker who was convicted in Wicklow, Ireland for 7 years for receiving stolen goods, transported aboard the "Constant" on 9th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
William Chance, aged 30, who arrived in South Australia in 1853 aboard the ship "Mary Green" 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Chancé (post 1700) +

Larry Chance (1940-2023), American musician and the lead singer of the popular 1960s doo-wop group Larry Chance and the Earls
Greyson Michael Chance, American pop rock singer and pianist
Simon W. Chance, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 4th District, 1959-60 11
Peter Chance, American politician, Mayor of Canton, Ohio, 1855-59 11
N. W. Chance, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1888 11
Merritt O. Chance, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Washington, District of Columbia, 1915-23 11
Joseph Bell Chance, American politician, Delegate to Texas Convention of 1833 from District of Washington, 1833 11
Homer Lee Chance, American politician, Member of Georgia State House of Representatives from Twiggs County, 1943-48 11
Genie Chance, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Alaska State House of Representatives 7th District, 1973-74 11
Frank Chance, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Ohio 8th District, 1880 11
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Chancé family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. William George Chance (d. 1914), British Staff Steward from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 12

Citations +

Liber Niger Scutarii ("Black Book of the Exchequer"), containing reports by county on feudal holdings in England in 1166 (reign of Henry II)
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)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) KATHERINE STEWART FORBES 1837 arrived Holdfast Bay, near Adelaide, on October 17, 1837. . Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837KatherineStewartForbes.htm
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/constant
South Australian Register Monday 20 June 1853. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MARY GREEN 1853. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marygreen1853.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, April 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html