Chace

Chace is a spelling variation of Chase (inspired by the “Gossip Girl” actor Chace Crawford, who was actually born Christopher Chace Crawford). Both Chace and Chase are surnames repurposed into forenames. Like most last names, this one dates back to medieval England when surnames became necessary as a means of identification for the purposes of personal taxation. Surnames were mostly derived from occupation names (Smith, Baker, Carpenter, Cooper, Mason); patronymic surnames (passed down from the father) like Williamson, Harrison, Johnson or Jackson; nicknames like Corbin, Lennon, Drake; or else from place names (e.g., Weston, Easton, Ashton, Preston). Both Chase and Chace are surnames derived from occupations. Chase basically comes from the Old French “chace” to indicate a “pursuit” from the Old French verb “chacier” meaning “to hunt” (borrowed from the Vulgar Latin “captiare” meaning the same). In Middle English, a “Chaser” would have described a huntsman by trade. The first recorded spelling of this surname was actually rendered as “Chace” in the early 14th century. As personal names, Chase is quite popular in the United States today (as well as in Canada and Australia). The Chace spelling isn’t as common, but it is in rotation within all three of these countries, as well.