Find out how popular the first name Cheney has been for the last 46 years (from 1974 to 2019) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Cheney by gender

Based on the last 46 years of data, Cheney is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 64% of people named Cheney being female.

For the most recent data in 2019, there were 5 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Cheney.

It's also interesting to see that despite Cheney being historically a mostly female name, the most recent data from 2019 shows a shift in the trend, with more male babies being named Cheney.

The history of the first name Cheney

The given name Cheney is an English name with origins dating back to the 12th century. It is a toponymic surname derived from the Old English words "cœ-ne" meaning "bold" and "eg" meaning "island," referring to someone who lived near a prominent island.

In its earliest recorded use, the name appeared as "de Cheneio" in the Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript record of a survey of much of England and Wales ordered by William the Conqueror. This suggests the name was already in use during the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John de Cheney, who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He served as Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire from 1199 to 1201 under King John.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Cheney (c. 1485-1558), who served as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Queenborough Castle during the reign of King Henry VIII. He played a significant role in the dissolution of the monasteries in England.

In the 17th century, John Cheney (1582-1668) was an English Puritan minister and member of the Westminster Assembly, which produced the Westminster Confession of Faith, a influential doctrinal statement for Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches.

More recently, Dick Cheney (born 1941) served as the 46th Vice President of the United States under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. He was a prominent figure in American politics and played a significant role in shaping the foreign and domestic policies of the Bush administration.

Richard Cheney (1613-1693) was an English philosopher and clergyman who wrote influential works on logic and theology, including "The True Intellectual System of the Universe," which aimed to reconcile reason and revelation.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Cheney was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cheney, please contact us.

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