While the exact origins of Cheadle are unclear, it is believed there were some people living in and around the area before 1000AD. One theory regarding the origin of the name is that it comes from the old English word, Cedde or Coed, which means wood, as in wooded fields, as this is what the area was in the past. The name was then developed into what it has become today. Another theory is that the renowned cleric St. Chad travelled through the area several centuries earlier spreading the influence of Christianity and a modification of his name was then used as a settlement was subsequently created and developed.

More exact dates of specific events are known from 1000AD onwards and many of the most important ones are listed below.