Chisholm Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Chisholm last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Chisholm last name
Meaning of the Chisholm last name: cheese-farm meadow. Chisholm is a Scottish surname from Chisholme in Roxburghshire, meaning a water-meadow where cheese was made. One branch moved north to Strathglass, near Inverness, and became a Highland clan. The last name is common in Scotland, Canada and Australia. The Strathglass Chisholms were Catholic Highlanders.
Arms associated with the Chisholm name
In Scottish heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Chisholm name are personal, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Chisholm family history
This is only a glimpse of the Chisholm story. The full Chisholm history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Chisholm coat of arms. Get the full Chisholm report.
Chisholm name FAQ
What does the Chisholm name mean?
Cheese-farm meadow. Common variants include Chisolm, Chisam.
Where does the Chisholm surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Chisholm coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Chisholm coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).