CHEESMAN
Cheesman is an English surname of occupational origin that historically denoted a person engaged in the production or sale of cheese.
The name derives from the Middle English word cheseman, which in turn combines the Old English cyse (cheese) with mann (man, worker or servant). Hence the literal meaning is “cheese‑maker” or “cheese‑merchant”.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname appears in the late 12th century. A Baldwin le Chesemangere is noted in the Kent Pipe Rolls of 1186, and in 1260 a Henry le Cheseman is listed in the Assize Court Rolls of Cambridgeshire. In 1275 the Court record for Lincolnshire mentions a Robert le Chesemaker. These early forms confirm the surname’s long association with cheese‑making in England.
Over the centuries the spelling of the name has varied. Recorded variants include Cheeseman, Cheasman, Cheseman, Chesman, Chessman, Chiesman, Chisman, Chismon and others. Variations arise from regional pronunciations and the lack of standardised spelling until the modern era.
A coat of arms has been granted to the Cheesman family. The shield is divided vertically by an embattled line and is silver and black. Each side bears three countercharged pierced stars, and the crest depicts a right hand holding a royal crown proper. The heraldic symbolism echoes the family’s ancestral craft and status.
In contemporary times the surname remains most common in England, where the largest concentration is found in Sussex. The name is also present in the United States, Australia and other English‑speaking countries, reflecting historical migration patterns from Britain to its former colonies.
Because the surname is occupational, it shares a linguistic kinship with other English surnames such as Baker and Smith. Like those names, it fell out of use as a descriptive title and became hereditary, passing from one generation to the next without regard to the holder’s present occupation.
Typical given names associated with the Cheesman surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Matthew
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
Female
- Barbara
- Catherine
- Gillian
- Jacqueline
- Janet
- Jean
- Joan
- Julie
- Louise
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Cheesman in...
Braille
⠉⠓⠑⠑⠎⠍⠁⠝
Morse
-.-..........--.--.
Semaphore
There are approximately 2,444 people named Cheesman in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,569th most common surname in Britain. Around 38 in a million people in Britain are named Cheesman.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Cheesman
- Brian Cheesman - Cricketer
- Darren Cheesman - Field hockey player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.