According to the Dictionary of British Surnames the names Fairholm and Fairholme mean dweller by the fair island. In the old Scandinavian languages holm, holmr, holmi and holmber were the words for a small island or for raised land in a marsh or in a meadow liable to flooding. They represent one of the commonest Scandinavian topographical terms in England and the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Fägerholm and Fairgerholm are still surnames and place names in modern Scandinavia.

The Scandinavian languages were brought to the British Isles by waves of invaders, traders and settlers from Scandinavia and north - central Europe. Around 450 AD England was colonised by Angles, Saxons and Jutes. Later, Danes arrived and took control of a large part of the country including modern day Nottinghamshire. Later still, the whole of England was part of Cnut's north sea empire. Norwegians held the Scottish isles and substantial areas of the north and west coasts of the mainland. The Scandinavian languages had a significant impact on the development of the English language. Many basic words have later Scandinavian origins, for example, anger, sky, sister and egg.

During the period of Scandinavian invasion and settlement (and for a long time afterwards) the landscape of the British Isles would have looked very different compared to today. Much has changed with drainage and the expansion of cultivation. Originally, many areas of higher land would have existed within fen or marshland. Some of these may have appeared to be fair or pleasant.

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More about the Scandinavian invasions (pdf)