Chamberlain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Chamberlain

What does the name Chamberlain mean?

Chamberlain is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Chamberlain is for a person who worked as a chamberlain. A chamberlain was one who was in charge of the private chambers of a noble, and later was a high ranking title having derived from the Anglo-Norman French word, chamberlanc. 1

"Chamberlain occurs most commonly in Leicestershire and Rutlandshire." 2 "There are several distinct families bearing the surname. Aiulfus Camerarius (the Latinized form) was a tenant in chief in co. Dorset, and probably the Conqueror's own chamberlain. One of his possessions in that county is still called Hampreston-Chamberlaine. 3

The Chamberlaynes of Maugersbury claim from John, count of Tancarville, whose descendants were hereditary chamberlains to kings Henry I., Stephen, and Henry II. The office of the camerarius was to take charge of the king's camera or treasury, and answered to the treasurer of the household at present. Besides Aiulfus above mentioned, at least five other tenants in capite so designated occur in Domesday. " 4

Early Origins of the Chamberlain family

The surname Chamberlain was first found in Oxfordshire where they claim descent from John, Count de Tankerville, of Tankerville Castle in Normandy who accompanied Duke William on his Conquest of England only to return after the battle of Hastings to his hereditary estates. He left a son in England who became chamberlain to Henry I., and whose son, Richard assumed the surname of Chamberlain from his office. 5

In Scotland, "the office of royal chamberlain was one of great responsibility in virtue of the fact that until the reign of James I he managed the king's revenue and was head of the Exchequer. The great nobles, also, had each a chamberlain who looked after his lord's business affairs. John Camerarius witnessed a confirmation charter by William the Lion, c. 1175. Walter Camerarius witnessed a charter by EsChina, wife of Walter Fitz Alan, before 1177" 1

The principal line of the descendants were the Chamberlaynes of Sherborne in Oxfordshire "from whom derived the celebrated Sir Thomas Chamberlayne, of Prince Thorpe and Presbury, a distinguished diplomatist in the reigns of Henry VIII., Mary, and Elizabeth. " 5

The hamlet of Stoney Thorpe in Warwickshire was home to a branch of the family. "The family of Chamberlayne, formerly of Princethorpe, in the county, has been seated here for many centuries; Henry Thomas Chamberlayne, Esq., is the present owner." 6

Geoffrey le Chaumberleng was listed in the Curia Regis Roll for Warwickshire in 1194; Robert canberlenc in the Feet of Fines for 1195; Thomas Chamberleng' seruiens Regis was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1196; Martin le Chamberleyn in the Feet of Fines for Cambridgeshire in 1232; and Thomas le Chaumberlyn was found in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1293. 7

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the wide usage of the surname with various spellings throughout ancient Britain: Walter le Chamberlayn, Lincolnshire; Martin le Chaumberleyn, Cambridgeshire; Ivo le Chaumberleyn, Warwickshire; and Henry le Chamberlein, Buckinghamshire. 8

Early History of the Chamberlain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chamberlain research. Another 181 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1398, 1405, 1540, 1560, 1572, 1576, 1596, 1616, 1619, 1625, 1626, 1631, 1632, 1635, 1643, 1667, 1682, 1689, 1690, 1691, 1703, 1715, 1720 and 1813 are included under the topic Early Chamberlain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chamberlain Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Chamberlain, Chamberlayne, Chamberlaine, Chamblayn, Chamberlin, Camberlain, Camberlan, Camblayn and many more.

Early Notables of the Chamberlain family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Nicholas Chamberlaine (1632-1715), was an English priest in the Church of England who was known for his charitable donations; Hugh Chamberlen the elder (c.1632-1720), was an English royal physician, o...

Chamberlain World Ranking

In the United States, the name Chamberlain is the 1,098^th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 9 However, in Australia, the name Chamberlain is ranked the 741^st most popular surname with an estimated 5,243 people with that name. 10 And in New Zealand, the name Chamberlain is the 465^th popular surname with an estimated 1,485 people with that name. 11 The United Kingdom ranks Chamberlain as 512^nd with 12,733 people. 12

Migration of the Chamberlain family to Ireland

Some of the Chamberlain family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chamberlain migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Chamberlain or a variant listed above:

Chamberlain Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Franics Chamberlain, aged 45, who arrived in Virginia in 1621 aboard the ship "Marmaduke" 13
Leon Chamberlain, who landed in Virginia in 1637 14
Henry Chamberlain, who landed in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1638 14
Mrs. Chamberlain who settled in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1638
Henry Chamberlain, who settled in Hingham, in 1638
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chamberlain Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Chamberlain, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1701-1703 14
Peter Chamberlain, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1701-1703 14
Mary, Chamberlain Jr., who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1701-1703 14
Matthew Chamberlain, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 14
Abel Chamberlain, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1740-1741 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chamberlain Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Benjamin Chamberlain, who arrived in America in 1801-1802 14
Benjamin Chamberlain who settled in America in 1801
Miss Chamberlain, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1822 14
Mr. Chamberlain, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1822 14
A Chamberlain, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chamberlain migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Chamberlain Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Jacob Bailey Chamberlain, "Jacob Bayley" U.E. who settled in Midland District [Frontenac & Lennox and Addington], Ontario c. 1783 15
Mr. Theophilus Chamberlain U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 15

Chamberlain Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Wyatt Chamberlain, who arrived in Canada in 1831

Chamberlain migration to Australia +

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

Chamberlain Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. William Chamberlain, English convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16

Chamberlain Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Chamberlain, British Convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for life, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 17
Mr. John Chamberlain, British Convict who was convicted in Leicestershire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Earl Spencer" in May 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 18
Mr. James Chamberlain, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 19
Mr. Charles Chamberlain, English convict who was convicted in Yarmouth, Norfolk, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Chapman" on 12th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 20
Mr. Thomas Chamberlain, English convict who was convicted in Worcester, Worcestershire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Burrell" on 22nd July 1830, arriving in New South Wales 21
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Chamberlain migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Chamberlain Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Chamberlain, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
William Chamberlain, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Mr. Chamberlain, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Harrington" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 15th June 1841 22
W Chamberlain, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842
John Chamberlain, aged 23, a farmer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Chamberlain (post 1700) +

Prime Minister Arthur Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940), English politician, Prime Minister of United Kingdom (1937-1940)
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain (b. 1936), American basketball player who holds numerous NBA records in scoring, rebounding and durability categories, inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, chosen as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History of 1996
Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940), British statesman of the Conservative Party, Prime Minister from May 1937 to May 1940
Pearl Laska Chamberlain (1909-2012), born Lelia Pearl Bragg, American pilot who learned to fly in a Kinner Fleet bi-plane in 1933 and held a pilot’s certificate until she was 97
Daniel R. Chamberlain, American academic, 4th President of Houghton College (1976-2006)
Daniel Henry Chamberlain (1835-1907), American planter, lawyer, author and politician, the 76th Governor of South Carolina (1874-1877) Attorney General of South Carolina (1868-1872)
Charles Joseph Chamberlain Ph.D. (1863-1943), American botanist, President of the Botanical Society of America
Calvin Tibbetts Chamberlain (1795-1878), American politician, Member of the New York State Assembly for Allegany Co. (1836-1837)
Ardwight Chamberlain (b. 1957), American voice actor and screen writer
Brigadier-General Edwin William Chamberlain (1903-1966), American Attached to G-3 Division, War Department General Staff (1946) 23
... (Another 42 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Chamberlain family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Henry S Chamberlain (b. 1916), English Corporal serving for the Royal Marine from Silverton, Essex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 24

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. George Chamberlain, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 25

HMS Repulse

Mr. Norman Victor Chamberlain, British Canteen Assistant NAAFI, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 26

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Richard Chamberlain, English Night Watchman from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking and was recovered 27

The Chamberlain Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Prodesse quam conspici
Motto Translation: To do good rather than be conspicuous.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
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
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-spencer
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 28th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/chapman
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/burrell
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, November 3) Edwin Chamberlain. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Chamberlain/Edwin_William/USA.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/