(origin: Fr. Local) From Chene, an oak; Chenaie, a grove, a plantation of oaks.

Arthur, William (1857) An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain.

CHENEY. From Quesnay In the canton of Montmartin, department of La Manche, Normandy. De Gerville, \Icm. Soc. Antiq. Normandie, 1825 ; butMr.Walfordwith more probability derives the family fromCahagnes in the department of Calvados, a village of 2000 inhabitants, lying S.W. of Caen. They held a fief of the Count of Mortaiu, and attended him to the Conquest of England ; and the feudal relation was retained long afterwards in the rape of Pevensey, co. Sussex, where their estate was called Horsted Keynes. They also denominated Milton Keynes, co. Bucks, Wiukley Keynes, co. Devon, Combe Keynes, co. Dorset, and Keynes Court, co. Wilts. Sussex Arch. Coll. i. 133. The orthography has taken numerous forms, particularly De Chaaignes de Caisneto, Keynes, de Cahaysnes, and more recently Caney and Cheney. It has also been variously latinized De Caneto, De Casincto, and De Querceto — the last under an erroneous impression that the name had its origin in chemale, a grove of oaks.

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.