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.

= Cheney, q.v.

Apart from a few isolated mediaeval references, this name came to Ireland at the time of the Plantation of Ulster. It is derived from Old French chesnai (oakgrove). SIF 32

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.

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

From Quesnay, near Coutances. Ralph de Kaineto came to England at the Conquest. Ralph, his son, founded Tarrant Abbey, Dorset. Robert de Chesneto was Bishop of Lincoln, 1147. John de C. held lands in Oxford 13th cent., and William de C. in Cambridge. The Lords Cheyney were of this family.

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").