Find out how popular the last name Chisem is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Chisem.

Chisem, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Chisem surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chisem in America

Chisem is the 102197th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chisem surname appeared 176 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Chisem.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chisem to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Chisem

The surname Chisem has its origins in medieval England, specifically in the county of Oxfordshire. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cist" meaning chest and "ham" meaning settlement or homestead. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked with chests or storage containers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chisem can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records of landholders in England. The entry lists a John de Chisseham, suggesting the name's connection to a place called Chisseham, possibly a village or hamlet in Oxfordshire.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Chisseham, Chissam, and Chissum, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. In the Pipe Rolls of 1332, a Thomas Chissam is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Chisseham.

The Domesday Book, the great survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name Chisem. However, it does mention several places with similar-sounding names, such as Cissanworde and Cissandune, which may have influenced the development of the surname.

One notable bearer of the name Chisem was John Chisem (c. 1450-1520), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Oxfordshire who is recorded as having donated funds for the construction of a new chapel in the village of Chisseham. Another prominent figure was Sir Richard Chisem (1567-1645), a member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I and a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, the Chisem family had established a presence in the county of Hampshire, with records showing a William Chisem (1620-1689) as a prosperous farmer and landowner in the village of Chisembourne. This place name is believed to have originated from the family's surname, further emphasizing their connection to the area.

Other notable individuals bearing the surname Chisem include Elizabeth Chisem (1735-1810), a renowned author and poet from Oxfordshire, and Thomas Chisem (1798-1872), a prominent architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London during the Victorian era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chisem

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Chisem.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Chisem was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Chisem has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Chisem was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Chisem, please contact us.

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