Oak grove or candle maker
Chaney has two primary etymological paths. It most commonly derives from the Old French 'chesnaie', meaning a grove of oak trees. Alternatively, it can function as an occupational surname for a candle maker, stemming from the French 'chandelier'.
Less common today
Chaney isn't in the latest US Top 1000. It last peaked at #2,740 in 2001.
US births per 5-year period, 1990–present (SSA data).
American actor known for the film Darkness Falls
Silent film era actor known as The Man of a Thousand Faces
A character in the Western novel and film True Grit · True Grit
