Explore the Family Name Chisholm
The meaning of Chisholm
Scottish: habitational name from Chisholme near Hawick in southern Scotland, which derives its name from Old English c̄se, cēse ‘cheese’ (from Latin caseus) + holm ‘piece of dry land in a fen’ and refers to a waterside meadow good for dairy farming and hence for producing cheeses. In the 14th century members of this family migrated to the Highlands, settling in Strathglass, where their name was Gaelicized as Siosal.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Chisholm in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Chisholm held the rank of 2752 in popularity in 2000 and slipped slightly to a rank of 2878 in 2010. This represents a drop of 4.58% over the decade. The actual count of people with this surname increased from 12,027 in 2000 to 12,503 in 2010, reflecting an increase of 3.96%. However, as a proportion of the U.S. population per 100k, the representation of the Chisholm surname decreased by 4.93%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,752 | #2,878 | -4.58% |
| Count | 12,027 | 12,503 | 3.96% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.46 | 4.24 | -4.93% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Chisholm
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the Chisholm surname between 2000 and 2010. The percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander went up by 25%, and those reporting two or more races increased by 30.27%. The proportion identifying as White reduced by 4.45%, while those identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase of 59.88%. The percentage of individuals with the Chisholm surname who identify as Black increased marginally by 4.39%. Lastly, the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw an increase of 35.09% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 68.11% | 65.08% | -4.45% |
| Black | 27.31% | 28.51% | 4.39% |
| Hispanic | 1.62% | 2.59% | 59.88% |
| Two or More Races | 1.85% | 2.41% | 30.27% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.57% | 0.77% | 35.09% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 0.65% | 25% |
Chisholm ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Chisholm is British & Irish, which comprises 56.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (16.2%) and Eastern European (4.7%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.3% |
| French & German | 16.2% |
| Eastern European | 4.7% |
| Other | 22.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Chisholm
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Chisholm have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 82.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.30% |
What Chisholm haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Chisholm is I-P109, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-P109 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-S764, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Rush, Preston, Thornton, Roy, Fowler, Gipson, Jewell, Rice, Nicholson, Grayson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Chisholm surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many northern European men
If you have haplogroup I1a1b, your paternal line stems from a young branch of I-M253 called I-L22, which likely arose in the last 3,000 years. I-L22 is most common in Northern Europe, but a recent study found that this haplogroup was present in a significant portion of the Partecipanza population living in San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy. The area of San Giovanni in Persiceto was involved in a migration period in 728 AD, when it became part of the Lombard kingdom, under King Aistulf. San Giovanni in Persiceto was only under Lombard rule for 48 years, after which the Lombards were defeated by King Charlemagne in 776 AD. There are several characteristics of San Giovanni in Persiceto that link it to other Lombard settlements. For instance, some research suggests San Giovanni in Persiceto was the seat of a Lombard Duke between 750 and 800 AD. It is possible that the Lombards who ruled over San Giovanni in Persiceto played an important role in the introduction and growth of haplogroup I-L22 in the region.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Chisholm have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Chisholm" Surname 44.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Chisholm" Surname 26.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Chisholm" Surname 20.8%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Chisholm" Surname 17.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Chisholm?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Chisholm are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition