The Chandler Name

chandler n. 1. A person who makes or sells candles. 2. A dealer in specified goods or equipment: a ship's chandler. [Middle English chandeler, from Old French chandelier, from , candle, from Latin , candle.] Source: Reader's Digest Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Chandler as a surname is derived from the occupation of making and selling candles. Over time the name Chandler (Candler, Chaundler and other variations) came to encompass businesses that supplied ships with all manner of supplies - rope, sails, and tools in addition to candles. Sometimes chandler was used simply to mean a grocer.

Each village and town had men who performed the tasks of making candles and (later) other lighting devices. A much smaller number derived their surname from the trades of “ship’s chandler,” one who outfits ships (mostly in the age of sail), or “corn chandler,” one who deals in grain and grain products. Some Chandlers - a minority - descend from one or more le Chaundelers who came to England from Normandy around the year 1200.

Generally accepted variations of Chandler include Chandelar, Chandeler, Chandeleur, Chandelor, Chander, Chanders, Chandlar, Chandlen, Chandlers, Chandles, Chandless, Chandley, Chandlor, Chandly, Chandor, Chanelar, Chaneler, Chaneley, Channeller, Chanelor, Chanler, Chanley, Chanlor, Channellor, Channiler, Chansler, Chantler, Chantller, Chaundflower (probably a mistranscription/mistranslation of Chaundeleur i.e. Chaundeleur becomes Chaundfleur becomes Chaundflower), Chandeler, Chaundler, Chaundeler, Chaundeleur, Chauntler and Chawner.

More information on the Chandler name is available from the Chandler One-Name Study, associated with the Guild of One-Name Studies. The Guild of One-Name Studies is an organization based in the United Kingdom and dedicated to researching and documenting the history and geographical distribution of individual surnames. The coordinator for the Chandler One-Name Study is Dick Chandler, CFA vice president, who was born in England and now lives in British Columbia, Canada. Dick is also a co-administrator of the Chandler DNA Project.

Our Chandler Links page offers a number of Chandler-related internet sites. Included are famous writers and athletes (Raymond Chandler, Joel Chandler Harris, Spud Chandler), interesting facts (Do you know what the Chandler wobble is?), and a Chandler who wasn't a Chandler at all.

1Dick Chandler, John Chandler and Joe Chandler, Jr., Chandler DNA Project: A Major Update, The Chandler Family Association Newsletter, Summer 2008, page 3.

²Chandler, Dick. Chandler One-Name Study. Accessed July 21, 2008

³Ibid.