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

Chisolm, 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 Chisolm surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chisolm in America

Chisolm is the 7508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chisolm surname appeared 4,435 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Chisolm.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chisolm 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 Chisolm

The surname Chisolm is of Scottish origin, with roots dating back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Gaelic words "gille" meaning "servant" and "Chailm" which is a personal name derived from the Latin word "columba" meaning "dove." This combination suggests that the name may have originally referred to a servant or follower of a person named Chailm or Colm.

The earliest known record of the name Chisolm appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The Chisolm family was originally based in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the regions of Roxburghshire and Berwickshire.

One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the surname was John de Chesholme, who was recorded in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1329. Another notable early figure was Walter de Chesholm, who was a witness to a charter granted by King David II of Scotland in 1364.

The Chisolm clan played a significant role in Scottish history, particularly during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century. Sir Robert Chisolm, who lived around 1300, was a prominent supporter of Robert the Bruce and fought alongside him in several battles against the English.

In the 15th century, the Chisolms were involved in a long-standing feud with the Clan Mackenzie over land disputes. This conflict culminated in the Battle of Blar-na-leine in 1499, where the Chisolms were defeated, and their chief, John Chisolm, was killed.

Prominent individuals with the surname Chisolm throughout history include:

1. Alexander Chisolm (1792-1858), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia.

2. Caroline Chisolm (1808-1877), an American abolitionist and advocate for women's rights, known for her work in establishing the first free schools for African American children in Boston.

3. Walter Chisholm (1888-1965), a Scottish rugby union player who represented Scotland in the early 20th century and played for the Melrose and Edinburgh Wanderers clubs.

4. Roderick Chisolm (1911-1983), a Canadian psychiatrist and former director-general of the World Health Organization from 1948 to 1953.

5. Shirley Chisolm (1924-2005), an American politician, educator, and author, who became the first African American woman elected to the United States Congress in 1968, representing New York's 12th congressional district.

While the surname Chisolm has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish migration and settlement in North America and other regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chisolm

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

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

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

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