The name "Chieming", "Chiemsee" and the name of the area "Chiemgau" go back to the Old High German personal name "Chiemo" (7th/8th century). At the end of the 8th century the name "Chiemgau" appeared for the first time in documents as "Chimigaoe" but it stood at that time for a smaller area around the village of Chieming.