This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'de Quesnay' , in the canton of Montmartin, department of La Manche, Normandy (Lower).

William de Cheyney, Norfolk, 2 Henry II: History of Norfolk.

Felicia de Cheny, Devon, 20 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III.

Philip de Cheny, Guernsey, ibid.

Walter de Chenay, Salop, Henry III-Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

Henry de Cheney, Cambridgeshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Nicholas de Cheney, Cambridgeshire, ibid.

William de Cheney, Suffolk, ibid.

1661. Thomas Cheney (Suffolk) and Elizabeth Clopton: Marriage Alleg. (Canterbury).

1663. Christopher Wilkinson and Ellen Cheyne: ibid.

Of Norman origin from Quesney near Coutances, a place name meaning 'oak-plantation.' The Scots family is believed to be a branch of the house of Cheyne or Cheyney of Buckinghamshire. Ricardus de Chenai witnessed gift by Hucdredus filius Fergus to the Hospital of St. Peter of York c. 1158—64 (Edgar, p. 219). But the earliest of the name in Scotland appears to have been William de Chesne, witness to a charter by William the Lion, a. 1200 (LSC., 33). Some of the early charter writers confused chene, 'oak,' with chien, 'dog,' and so erroneously Latinized the name canis. William le Chen had a protection while in the king of England's service beyond seas, 1230 (Bain, I, 1089). There were three Reginalds in succession, all figures of great importance in their day: (1) Reginald, a nephew of John Balliol of Badenoch, sheriff of Kincardine, 1242, in 1267 appointed chamberlain (camerarius) of Scotland; (2) Sir Reginald who held the thanage of Fermartyn as 'firmarius' in 1286, and rendered homage in 1296; (3) Reginald the third and last of that name in succession was one of the signers of the barons' letter to the pope, April, 1320. His line ended in two daughters, co-heiresses, Mary and Margaret or Marjory. By the marriage of Mary with John Keith of Inventgy the Keiths obtained a footing in Caithness. Margaret Chein, before 1370, had from David II a charter of the lands of Strathbrok and the half of Cathness (RMS., I, App. II, 1537). Henry le Chen was bishop of Aberdeen for the long period of forty-six years, 1282—1328 (REA., I, p. xxvi-xxviii), and Freskyn de Chen appears as decanus Aberdonensis, 1321 (ibid., I, p. 47). Sir Reginald de Chen petitioned Edward I in 1305 for two hundred oaks to build his manor of Dufhous (Bain, IV, p. 375). The Cheynes of Esselmont are descended from marriage of Janet Marshall, heiress of Essilmonte (end of fourteenth century) to Chene of Straloch. Thomas Chyne appears in Reddene, 1567 (Kelso, p. 522), and John Chyine was trade burgess in Aberdeen, 1666, and Gavin Chisnie the same in 1669 (ROA., I, p. 235—236). In the United States the name appears to have become Chinn. Chayne 1600, Cheen 1687, Scheyne 1649.

(Anglo-French-Latin) belonging to Chêne (France), or Dweller at an Oak-Tree [French chêne: v. under Cheney]

(English) One who came from Quesney, Cheney, or Chenay (oak grove), in France; dweller near the chain, or barrier, used to close a street at night.

From Quesnay in the canton of Montmartin, department of La Manche, Normandy. De Gerville, Mem. Soc. Antiq. Normandie, 1825; but Mr. Walford with more probability derives the family from Cahagnes in the department of Calvados, a village of 2000 inhabitants, lying S.W. of Caen. They held a fief of the Count of Mortain, and attended him to the Conquest of England; and the feudal relation was retained long afterwards in the rape of Pevensey, co. Sussex, where their estate was called Horsted Keynes. They also denominated Milton Keynes, co. Bucks, Winkley Keynes, co. Devon, Combe Keynes, co. Dorset, and Keynes Court, co. Wilts. Sussex Arch. Coll. i. 133. The orthography has taken numerous forms, particularly De Chaaignes de Caisneto, Keynes, de Cahaysnes, and more recently Caney and Cheney. It has also been variously latinized De Caneto, De Casineto, and De Querceto-the last under an erroneous impression that the name had its origin in chesnaie, a grove of oaks.

Modifications of Cheney.

An oak tree-from chene.

(French.) Local. From Chene, an oak; Chenaie, a grove, a plantation of oaks.

From the Flemish, Cheyns, Kenne; from the Danish, Kinney; a personal name Chenna and Chenui, Saxon tenants in the Domesday Book.

Cheyne: is Le Chesne.

Cheney or Cheyney is an ancient name in the east of England, but it is not of frequent occurrence now. In the 13th century it was established in most of the eastern counties in the forms of De Cheney, De Chenee, Le Cheny, etc., in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hunts, Norfolk, Beds, etc. (H. R.). The Cheyneys of Boston, Lincolnshire, were well - known merchants of last century, and frequently filled the office of mayor of the town (Thompson's "Boston"). Cheney was an old Herts name in the 16th century, when Sir Thomas Cheney owned the manor of Willian (Cussans' "Herts").