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

Chism, 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 Chism surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chism in America

Chism is the 4307th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chism surname appeared 8,253 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Chism.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chism 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 Chism

The surname Chism is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cism," which means "sprout" or "shoot." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a prominent tree or grove of trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chism can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cisseme." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and property valuations in England at the time.

During the 13th century, the surname began to appear in various forms, such as "Chisholm" and "Chisholme," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. These variations may have been influenced by the place names where the families resided.

In the 14th century, records show a John Chisme from Oxfordshire, born around 1320. He was a prominent landowner and is believed to be one of the earliest known individuals to bear the surname in its modern form.

Another notable figure with the surname Chism was Sir Robert Chisme, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War during the 15th century. He was born in Warwickshire in 1410 and died in battle in 1456.

During the 16th century, the surname Chism continued to spread across England, with families settling in various counties, including Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire.

In the 17th century, a William Chism, born in 1620 in Berkshire, was a prominent merchant and trader who established trade routes with the American colonies.

In the 18th century, the Chism family tree branched out to include notable figures such as Thomas Chism, a renowned architect born in 1725 in Gloucestershire, who designed several churches and public buildings in London.

As the centuries progressed, the Chism surname continued to be found throughout England, with various branches of the family contributing to different fields and professions, further solidifying its place in English history and heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chism

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

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 Chism 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 Chism 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 Chism was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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