Chad

This interesting surname has a genuine Olde English personal name origin. It derives from "Ceadd" or "Ceadda" which itself is probably an alternative form of "Cedryrch" (Cedric) an ancient British name. Although, never common as a surname, perhaps because it's "Saxon" origins were not popular with the Norman Invaders after 1066, the surname development is both early and well recorded, it being significant that the first surname appears in the reign of Richard, Coeur de Lion, who was regarded as "The English Champion", whilst other developments include Ralph Chad (1219, Yorkshire), Henry Chadde (1247, Bedford) and Joan Chedde, (1524, The Pipe Rolls of Suffolk). The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Hugo Chadde. which was dated 1190, The Pipe Rolls of County Warwick. during the reign of King Richard I, "The Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.