Guild of One-Name Studies
One-name studies, Genealogy
Study: Chaffey
Variants: Chafe, Chafey, Chaffee, Chaffie, Chaffy
Category: 1 - A study where research using core genealogical datasets and transcriptions is in its early stages.
Contact: Mrs Julia Clay
I started to look into my Chaffey ancestry many years ago in a piecemeal kind of way as I had very little knowledge about my Dad’s background or family. I can trace my tree back to circa 1670 at the moment with any certainty but there are a lot more Chaffey’s out there.
The information I have gathered up until now has been from Dorset predominantly and to a lesser extent Somerset in the UK.
However, Chaffey is a name that has travelled to the United States, Canada, Newfoundland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa it seems. Possibly in northern Europe too.
The spelling varies from country to country as it also does in the UK so I have opted to look for some of the most common variants found, Chaffy, Chafey, Chafe, Chaffee, Chaffe. I am also convinced that the surname Cheffey is connected but that is another story.
Chafe Chaffe Chaffee Chafey Chaffy
There are a number of theories about the origin of Chaffey -
The Chaffcombe Estate in Somerset is one possibility - not proven though.
Chaffhay - Devon is another possibility.
To be added to.
In the UK the earliest recordings of the Chaffey surname are predominantly found in Dorset and Somerset .
United Kingdom
United States
Canada
Newfoundland
Australia
New Zealand
South Africa
Possibly France and Belgium