Chesney
Chesney is an English surname or given name and a French surname It is derived from Old French chesnaie. The name first reached England following its conquest by the Normans in 1066, the modern French spelling of the common name is chênaie "oak grove". Notable persons with the name include:
Meaning & Origin of Chesney
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Chesney is an English surname or given name and a French surname It is derived from Old French chesnaie. The name first reached England following its conquest by the Normans in 1066, the modern French spelling of the common name is chênaie "oak grove". Notable persons with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Chesney
As a girl name
Chesney first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1970, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2005, when 131 Chesneys were born — ranking #1,553 that year. As of 2026, Chesney ranks #2,865 for girls with 58 births, gradually falling (-8%). In total, more than 3K Chesneys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Chesney first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1990, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2004, when 15 Chesneys were born — ranking #5,245 that year. As of 2026, Chesney ranks #7,224 for boys with 11 births, with steady use. In total, more than 157 Chesneys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Chesney
Phonetically similar names — useful when Chesney is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chesney
What does the name Chesney mean?
How popular is Chesney in 2026?
When was Chesney most popular?
In which U.S. states is Chesney most popular?
Is Chesney a unisex name?
What names go well with Chesney?
About the name Chesney
Chesney is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1970 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Chesney's peak popularity came in 2005 when it ranked #1,553. Use the chart and map above to compare Chesney's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2005 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.