Show ContentsChessman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Chessman

What does the name Chessman mean?

The Chessman name was coined by the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Chessman was originally a name given to someone who worked as a maker or seller of cheese. 1 2

The surname Chessman literally means the cheeseman. The surname Chessman is derived from the Old English word ciese and the West Saxon word cyse, which both mean cheese. The suffix man is one of the most common suffixes for occupational names.

Early Origins of the Chessman family

The surname Chessman was first found in Cheshire where Henry le Cheseman was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1260. A few years later, William le Chesman was listed in Sussex in 1311 and later again, Thomas Chesman, le Chusman was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. Over in Somerset, Adam le Chisman and Alice Chisman were listed there in the Subsidy Rolls for 1327. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included John le Cheseman, Huntingdonshire. 4

Early History of the Chessman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chessman research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1273, 1523, 1553, 1554, 1559, 1563, 1564, 1573, 1574, 1579, 1580, 1584, 1585, 1591, 1592, 1598, 1616, 1620, 1643, 1652, 1665, 1675 and 1704 are included under the topic Early Chessman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chessman Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Chessman are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Chessman include: Cheeseman, Cheesman, Cheesemen and others.

Early Notables of the Chessman family

Distinguished members of the family include John Cheseman (died 1592) of New Romney, Kent, an English solicitor and Member of Parliament for New Romney in October 1553, April 1554 and 1559 and Mayor of New Romney in 1563-1564, 1573-1574, 1579-1580, 1584-1585 and 1591-1592.John Cheesman (c. 1598-1665) was an English merchant and politician that settled in Virginia in the 1620s. He settled in what eventually became Elizabeth City County, Virginia. Early records show that Cheeseman was likely the same...
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chessman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Chessman migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Chessman or a variant listed above:

Chessman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Chessman, who landed in New York in 1822 5
  • William Nell Chessman, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1856 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Chessman (post 1700) +

  • Caryl Whittier Chessman (1922-1960), American convict-author
  • Harold Chessman Keith (b. 1884), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1928 6
  • Brigadier-General Henry Chessman Dooling (1887-1972), American Chief Health Officer Panama Canal Zone (1944-1945) 7


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. 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)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, August 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, January 24) Henry Dooling. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Dooling/Henry_Chessman/USA.html


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