# 'Chevy Chase' **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509 "2004-05-17T01:21:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citrus_x_paradisi)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/1 "2004-05-17T01:21:38Z")
It’s the name of a street near my house. I doubt they’d name it after the actor, so my guess is that it’s just his pseudonym derived from the same place as the street’s name. Any ideas? Thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/2 "2004-05-17T01:23:17Z")
As far as I know, the only place called **Chevy Chase** is a suburb of Washington, D.C., near Bethesda. I knew lots of kids from there when I was growing up, and never thought it was strange that an actor took his name from the location as well. ---
**Author:** ![Oat1957](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Oat1957](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oat1957)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/3 "2004-05-17T01:23:53Z")
> [@citrus x paradisi](#): > > It’s the name of a street near my house. I doubt they’d name it after the actor, so my guess is that it’s just his pseudonym derived from the same place as the street’s name. Any ideas? > > Thanks. 🙂 It’s also a [town in Maryland](http://www.townofchevychase.org/) ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/4 "2004-05-17T01:28:24Z")
It’s also a neighborhood here in Lexington, for some reason. I’ve never gotten a good answer as to why. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/5 "2004-05-17T01:30:46Z")
Some more info: > **[What's the origin of the name "Chevy Chase"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=32335)** > > There’s a city named Chevy Chase, Maryland. There are streets of that name in LA and Austin, TX. There’s a Chevy Chase country club in Washington state. I think there’s even a style of home called the Chevy Chase. It goes without saying that these... ---
**Author:** ![citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citrus_x_paradisi)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/6 "2004-05-17T01:33:45Z")
The plot thickens! :eek: [A MapQuest map of the street in question.](http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?pan=e&ovi=1&mapdata=qNCyos1mfP5jKgCrsRvzsymsYP2u5vvNemxZAbvdLyXh6R6QSni%2fgc2376qiga0XWtX%2ft%2fW0n2ZR1LIQ0zsyqhriQsWloYfFIVM6sBshYpaBNb4Dl6loKLVJG1dzWuXUQcLakWK1UEzoO2RnrW%2bonCY1Qj39ggU0%2fBGhaLefgKCQq0XAumab1t1rzIv%2b4U03nDpOon4PhJts4OTYm7BsyhkpZMGSIQ87noKlb5l6i5fDT9foS1r5rLGTIIsFK1I36FvJacdbKoK1T96vsCKUyOlPiGQ%2fD0%2fP5vu4pdY9tdSAO1JNTYfgfyU0smsGluGhT%2b4NLsoIshAS60WMrwPiaFxRT6FHwBnLhG%2fGGSh3Fzart3%2f6EVjG6Awpw1NFJ8CC) I live on 179th, a little southwest of there. 🙂 Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/7 "2004-05-17T01:40:05Z")
From the **I** nternet **M** ovie **D** ata **b** ase: [Born Cornelius Crane Chase, he changed his name to Chevy Chase](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000331/) Since he was born in Woodstock, NY, I suspect that his selection of “Chevy” was simply based on euphony. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/8 "2004-05-17T01:43:43Z")
The [Ballad of Chevy Chase](http://www.contemplator.com/child/chevych.html) dates from 1624, and is thought to be based on English-Scottish border warfare in the 1400s. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/9 "2004-05-17T02:04:44Z")
The various cities in the U.S. that are named Chevy Chase most likely take their names from the ballad celebrating the Scots/English border wars of the 14th century. (In this case, Chevy Chase is not a place, but an event in which a battle was fought because of a hunt (chase) in the Cheviot hills. (The ballad is historically inaccurate (as many are) and the Scots call their version of the battle (and the ballad that celebrates it) the Battle of Otterburn.) ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/10 "2004-05-17T02:09:32Z")
Chevy Chase once claimed he put a map up on the wall, closed his eyes, and walked up to it pointing to whatever town fate chose. Supposedly, it was Chevy Chase, MD. Good thing it wasn’t Accident, MD or Boring, MD! 😉 - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/11 "2004-05-17T02:17:45Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Chevy Chase once claimed he put a map up on the wall, closed his eyes, and walked up to it pointing to whatever town fate chose. Supposedly, it was Chevy Chase, MD. Good thing it wasn’t Accident, MD or Boring, MD! 😉 > > - Jinx Given that his real last name was Chase, that would have been too much of a coincidence to really be true. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/12 "2004-05-17T02:58:54Z")
From what I have heard, it is a very well-to-do community. At one point I believe it had the _highest_ per capita income in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/13 "2004-05-17T03:21:28Z")
I’ve never known how to pronounce this name. Is it… “Shevvy Tchase”? “Tchevvy Tchase”? “Shevvy Shace”? Something else? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/14 "2004-05-17T03:25:40Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I’ve never known how to pronounce this name. Is it… > “Shevvy Tchase”? > “Tchevvy Tchase”? > “Shevvy Shace”? > Something else? The “Chevy” is pronounced with a “ch” sound, not the “sh” of the brand of car. “Chase” is pronounced like “chase.” ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/15 "2004-05-17T03:54:05Z")
Thanks, **Colibri**! I wondered whether that was the pronounciation, but it seemed unnecesarily confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/16 "2004-05-17T04:03:13Z")
Paul Shaffer claimed during the Friars Club roast of Cornelius last year that the town of Chevy Chase, MD was changing its name to Not Funny, MD. It actually sounded almost clever when Mr. Shaffer said it. Honest. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/17 "2004-05-17T09:57:46Z")
Isn’t there also a really big bank (or is it an investment firm?) named Chevy Chase? I always wondered about that. I was sure he didn’t start his own firm like Wu-Tang Financial 🙂 . ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/18 "2004-05-17T10:31:42Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > From the **I** nternet **M** ovie **D** ata **b** ase: [Born Cornelius Crane Chase, he changed his name to Chevy Chase](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000331/) > > Since he was born in Woodstock, NY, I suspect that his selection of “Chevy” was simply based on euphony. The “Crane” comes from his mom’s family, the wealthy plumbing-fixture manufacturers. Men in particular often stare at this name, as there’s little else to read while you’re standing at the urinal. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/19 "2004-05-17T14:00:05Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Isn’t there also a really big bank (or is it an investment firm?) named Chevy Chase? I always wondered about that. > > I was sure he didn’t start his own firm like Wu-Tang Financial 🙂 . You’re probably thinking of Chase Manhattan Bank, known under a few other names during its corporate history. Currently Chase Financial Services, a division of JPMorgan Chase (Chase merged with JPMorgan in 2000). It was named for Salmon P. Chase, 19th century Secretary of the Treasury, and possessor of a funny name in his own right. He appeared on the $10,000 bill. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509/20 "2004-05-17T14:13:31Z")
There’s also [Chevy Chase Bank](http://www.chevychasebank.com/htm/). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chevy-chase/245509.md?page=2)