Surname McChesney - Meaning and Origin

McChesney: What does the surname McChesney mean?

The surname McChesney is of Scottish origin and is derived from the Gaelic name "Mac Eachaidh," which means "son of Eachaidh." The name "Eachaidh" itself is derived from the elements "each," meaning horse, and "aidh," meaning fire. So, the surname McChesney can be interpreted as "son of the horse of fire." It belongs to the category of patronymic names, which are derived from the father's given name. The surname emerged as a notable family name in the ancient Scottish-English border region, where the McChesney family held a seat from ancient times. The first recordings of the name appear in the 15th century in Ayrshire, Scotland.

McChesney: Where does the name McChesney come from?

The surname McChesney is of Scottish origin, specifically from the Gaelic Mac Seisnich, meaning "son of the craftsman or mason". The name first appeared in Argyllshire, a region in Highland Scotland where they held a family seat since ancient times. It emanated from the area known as Kintyre, where the McChesney family lived upon their arrival in Scotland, prior to the Norman invasion of England in 1066.

Despite its Scottish roots, McChesney is not a common surname in Scotland today. The name's population dwindled in Scotland due to widespread migration during the Scottish clearances in the 18th and 19th centuries. It's more commonly found in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, countries that were destinations for Scottish immigrants. However, even in these countries, it’s not considered a common surname. The variations of the name, such as Chesney and Chezney, are encountered more often due to the linguistic adaptations over time and geographical locations.

Variations of the surname McChesney

The surname McChesney originates from the Irish name Mac Seáin, meaning 'son of Seán' or Johnson in English. It was anglicized under different variations, leading to a number of spellings and variants. Some of these include McCashin, McCashion, Cashion, Cashin, Mccashney, McChesnie, McChesny, and McChesnye. Also, some surnames like Chesson, Chesney, and Chesnut may have come from McChesney, either through misspelling or dropping off the 'Mc' over generations. Variations may occur within the same family or within different geographical areas, possibly due to differences in local dialect, interpretation, literacy levels, or transcription errors. Irish surnames that have been anglicized often have many spelling variations due to the translation of the original Gaelic version into English.

Famous people with the name McChesney

• John McChesney: American musician and actor.
• Heather McChesney: Australian actress.
• Robert McChesney: American media scholar, professor, and author.
• Ryan McChesney: American professional golfer.
• Laura McChesney: American figure skater.
• Froggie McChesney: American comic strip character.
• J. D. McChesney: American fiction writer and blogger.
• Deirdre McChesney: American television writer.
• Claudio McChesney: Romanian pop singer.
• James T. McChesney: American army officer.

Other surnames

McChesnut