Chele History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Chele

What does the name Chele mean?

The history of the Chele family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the hamlet of Cheal, in the parish of Gosberton, in the county of Lincolnshire.

Early Origins of the Chele family

The surname Chele was first found in Lincolnshire, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Chele family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chele research. Another 255 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1275, 1327, 1500, 1668 and 1682 are included under the topic Early Chele History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chele 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 Chele include Chely, Chelley, Chealey, Cheales, Cheals, Cheeley, Cheal, Cheel, Chele, Cheles, Cheyle, Cheyles and many more.

Early Notables of the Chele family

Notables of the family at this time include

Robert Chele, a prominent 14th century landholder in Sussex

Migration of the Chele 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 Chele or a variant listed above: John Cheley, who settled in Ontario in 1871; and William John Cheley, who settled in Colorado in 1905.