Chesney as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Chesney

What is the meaning of the name Chesney ?

The baby name Chesney is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced CHES-nee (IPA: /ˈtʃɛzni/).

Chesney is English, Norman French in Origin.

Chesney is a unisex given name taken from an English surname of Norman French origin. It stems from Old French chesnai/chesnaie, “oak grove,” cognate with modern French chêne “oak,” and was brought to Britain by the Normans. Medieval records attest the surname from the 12th–13th centuries, often referring to families from places named Le Chesnay or Quesnay in Normandy.

Used rarely as a first name until the late 20th century, Chesney gained currency through the broader surname-as-given-name trend, with visibility from figures such as British singer Chesney Hawkes and, indirectly, American country artist Kenny Chesney (surname). It appears for both boys and girls in the United States and the United Kingdom. Variant spellings include Chesnie, Chesni, and Chesnee; related surnames Cheney and Chaney share the same French root. The meaning “oak grove” lends associations of strength, endurance, and deep roots.