Chav
/tʃæv/noun
A derogatory British slang term for a young person stereotyped as loud, aggressively fashionable, or socially uncultured.
Did you know?The popular claim that CHAV means “Council-Housed and Violent” is a modern backronym, not the word’s historical origin.
Etymological Timeline
Possibly Medieval
Romani
čhāvo / čhavo
“Boy or child; often proposed as the distant source of chav, though the connection remains debated.”
19th–20th Century
English dialect
chavvy / chavvie
“A child or young person in some northern English and Romani-influenced dialect usage; often cited as an intermediate form.”
Late 20th Century
British English
chav
“Regional or subcultural slang for a young person; early usage was especially associated with southeast England.”
Early 2000s
British English
chav
“A derogatory label for a stereotypically working-class young person, commonly linked with conspicuous sportswear and antisocial behavior.”
Modern English
English
chav
“A widely recognized class-based insult and sociological stereotype in British popular culture.”