Like other villages with names ending in the letter "y", Chigny has Gallo-Roman origins. Its history stretches back centuries or even millennia, although Chigny prefers to celebrate the date of its official foundation in 1799, after the Lake Geneva Region achieved independence.
Like many of the neighbouring settlements, Chigny was a tributary of the lord of Vufflens-le-Château during the Middle Ages. Even after the feudal era, the Chignacs (as the villagers are known) still keep a watchful eye on the majestic Vufflens Castle that towers above their village.