This street was originally known as North Parade before being renamed as Chichester Street. It first appears on Williamson’s map of 1791, as a small street alongside the south side of Lime Kiln Dock, half between Waring Street and High Street. It is included in the list of streets in the Belfast Directory 1831-1832.
The Chichester family were major landowners in Belfast from the time of Sir Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester of Belfast, who built Belfast Castle in 1611. Marshall discusses the name but only relates to the family in general (John J. Marshall, Belfast Telegraph, 04/01/1941). If it does commemorate a specific person, the most likely candidate is Arthur Chichester, 5th Earl of Donegall, although all his predecessors in the title also had the name Arthur Chichester. He was made 1st Marquess of Donegall in 1791, the year in which the street is first mentioned by this name. See also Arthur Street.