This interesting surname with spellings which include Chedsey, Chedzoy, Chedgey, Chidgey, Cheddgey, and Chedgie, is English. It is locational from the village of Chedzoy in the county of Somerset. The name is composed of the Old English pre 7th century personal name "Cedd" plus "eg", meaning an island, hence "Cedd's island". The placename is ancient being recorded as Chedesie in the Cartularium Saxonicum of 729 a.d. The surname dates back to the early 14th century, (see below). Early church recordings include Margaret Chedgie who married William Marchant on May 9th 1607 at Bath Weston, in Somerset, Susanna, the daughter of Phillip and Alice Chidgey, christened on September 2nd 1655, at St. Botolph's Bishopsgate, city of London, and John Chedzey christened on December 26th 1657, also at St. Botolph's, Bishopsgate. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Chedesy, which was dated 1328, in Kirby's Quest, a register for Somerset. This was during the reign of King Edward 111rd of England, 1327 - 1377. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as the Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.