Surname Spotlight: Chirch

Arms linked to Church and its spellings were granted to individual families; our heraldry team traces which line they belonged to.

The meaning behind Chirch

Seen on a birth certificate or a ship's manifest, Chirch is usually a form of Church. Surname dictionaries give the meaning as “Dweller by the church”.

Only a small detail separates the spellings: Chirch has “i” where Church has “u”. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. Other spellings include Churche.

Get the complete Chirch report, with a museum-style coat of arms.