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Chisholm Family History

Chisholm Surname Meaning

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.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Chisholm family from?

You can see how Chisholm families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chisholm family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Chisholm families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1911 there were 1,444 Chisholm families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 67% of all the recorded Chisholm's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Chisholm families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chisholm surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Chisholm ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Chisholm. 48% of Chisholm men worked as a Farmer and 13% of Chisholm women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Chisholm were Student and Teacher.

View Census Data for Chisholm | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    48%
  • Labourer
    7%
  • Clerk
    3%
  • Student
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    13%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Stenographer
    12%
  • Teacher
    10%

What Chisholm family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 140,000 census records available for the last name Chisholm. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chisholm census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Chisholm

Passenger Lists

There are 29,000 immigration records available for the last name Chisholm. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Chisholm immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Chisholm. For the veterans among your Chisholm ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Chisholm military records

You've only scratched the surface of Chisholm family history

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What is the average Chisholm lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Chisholm life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Chisholm in 1942 was 33, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chisholm

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Chisholm ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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