Chisholm

Scottish surname

"dairy farmland near the water"

Chisholm Origin and Meaning

The name Chisholm is a boy's name meaning "dairy farmland near the water".

Chisholm is a habitational surname — if it's on your family tree, you have ancestors from Chisholme, Scotland, although they were originally of Norman and Saxon descent.

Chisholm derived from the Norman surname De Chese, The -holme suffix was tacked on after a De Chese married a Saxon heiress. The literal translation of Chisholm would be "cheese island," from the Old English cese, meaning "cheese," and holm, "island." However, the correct interpretation is "dairy farmland near the water."

A notable namesake is Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to Congress and the first African American and woman Democratic presidential nominee.