Hi Jennifer,

My husband’s cousin’s name is ‘Chainie’. I have never heard of this name before until I met her. As far as I know this is not a nickname and is her actual first name. I could not find it on your website so I was wondering if you could shed some light on her name’s origin and/or meaning.

Thank you,

Kaitlyn

Dear Kaitlyn,

Sometimes you just have to sound it out!  Chainie is an alternate spelling of the surname Cheney.  (Remember, our Vice President under G.W. Bush?)

According to the Surname Database, the surname Cheney is from the Old French words “chesne, chesnai” meaning oak tree, oak grove. It is most likely a geographical surname, indicating that the family comes from a certain area of that name or where the oak trees grow.

Sincerely,
Jennifer

Jennifer Moss (she/her) is the founder of BabyNames.com, author of The Baby Names Workbook, and Producer of The Baby Names Podcast. Jennifer is widely regarded as the leading expert on popular baby name trends and the naming process, serving as the authoritative source on the subject for national and international media.

Jennifer entered the tech arena in the 80s as a software developer and database architect, and became a pioneer in the Internet industry. In addition to operating BabyNames.com, Jennifer owns a web development agency in central California.