Chesnut

Chesnut is a surname used in English-speaking countries and, less commonly, a given name. It is generally an alternate spelling of Chestnut, a more widely encountered surname and place name.

The name Chestnut derives from natural or topographic origins, most commonly linked to the chestnut tree or to locations named Chestnut. Variants such as Chesnut reflect historical spelling changes that arose from regional pronunciations and shifts in English orthography over centuries. Over time, Chesnut has appeared in genealogical records and on historical documents as a variant of Chestnut.

In modern usage, Chesnut remains relatively uncommon compared with Chestnut. The spelling can be encountered in family records and historical archives, where it often signals a shared origin with Chestnut but a different family line or regional spelling practice. Because Chestnut also denotes the edible tree, its wood, and various place names and colors, context is important to distinguish whether the reference is to a surname, a tree or product, or a location.

See also Chestnut, Chestnut (disambiguation), and Chesnutt, a closely related surname variant.