Cheney
/ˈtʃiːni/noun
A surname and place name of French origin.
Did you know?Cheney ultimately comes from Old French forms tied to Latin *cassanea* and *cassanus*, words for the chestnut/oak tree, so its deepest history is literally botanical, not mystical.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
cassanea / cassanus
“Chestnut tree; by later development, related to a grove or place of chestnut trees”
Old French
OF
chesnei / chesneie
“A place planted with oaks or chestnuts; a grove”
Middle English
English
Chenei / Cheney
“A surname or place name taken from a grove or wooded locality”
Modern English
English
Cheney
“A surname and place name”