This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Chisholm.' I cannot find the spot, but -holm, the suffix, means an islet in a stream, and the affix is found in such places as Chiswick, Great and Little Chishall, &c. Lower says the prefix chis is cisil, gravel. Thus Chisholm would mean an islet with a gravel soil. The surname has been long settled in the Highlands of Scotland.

1798. Married — John Burrell and Elizabeth Chisholm: St. George, Hanover Square.

An old Border family deriving their name from the barony of Chisholm in the parish of Roberton, Roxburghshire. The name occurs but seldom in early Scots records. The first of the name recorded is John de Chesehelme, mentioned in a bull of Pope Alexander IV, 1254. John de Chesolm of Berwickshire, and Richard de Chesehelme of Roxburghshire rendered homage in 1296. The seal of the latter bears on a heater shield, a boar s head, couped, contoume, dropping blood, and S' Ricardi de Cheishelm (Bain, II, p. 199,207, 531). Inquisition was made in 1315 into the lands and fishings of John de Cheseholm in Paxton and Tweed (Bain, III. 461), and Robert de Chesholm is mentioned in an action against the burgh of Dundee, 1348 (RAA., II, 22). By the middle of the fourteenth century members of the family had made their way to the North, and in 1359 Robert de Chesholme appears as sheriff of Inverness, and an Alexander de Chesseholme is there also (ER., I, p. 569,570). Robert de Chesholme was custodian of the Castle of Vrchard (ER., II, p. 143), and in 1369 he is mentioned as dominus de Quarelwode in Moray (REM., p. 169). John de Sheshelm was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1439 (NSCM., I, p. 5), and three members of the family of Chisholm of Cromlix held the bishopric of Dunblane in the sixteenth century (Dowden). In 1499 certain individuals were put to the horn for the slaughter of Harrald of Schlescheme, dwelling in Straglas (OPS., II, p. 527). It is interesting to note that so late as 1512 the territorial form "of Chessam" was still in use in the North (Cawdor, p. 126). Weyland Chisholm had his lands of Comer in Strathglass erected into a barony in 1513. John Cheshelm of Kinereis in record, 1603 (Rec. Inv., II, p. 14), Walter Chisholm of that Ilk was bailie of regality of Me hose, 1605 (RRM., I, p. 1), and Alexander Cheshom was a private in the Reay Fencibles, 1795 (Scobie, p. 371). The Gaelic form of Chisholm is Siosal, and collectively the clan is known as An Siosalach. The Highland Chisholms were also sometimes distinguished from the Lowland Chisholms as An Siosalach Glaiseach, the Chisholms of Strathglass. Chehelme 1376, Cheishame 1508, Cheisholme 1626, Chesame 1511, Cheshelme 1480, Cheseim 1527, Chesim 1506, Chesolme 1522, Chesom 1531, Chesome 1511, Chessame 1480, Chisolm 1721, Chisolme 1674, Chisomme 1562, Chissem 1544, Chissolme 1670, Scheseheme 1499, Schisholme 1642, Schisolme and Schisome 1675, Shisholme 1650, Schishome 1650, Scykklaw (for =lam) 1361. In Antrim the name has become Chism.

The right of the C's to be considered a Gaelic clan has been strongly asserted, but Skene thinks their Lowland origin evident, and he deems them a Norman race from Boxburghshire. Scot. Highl. ii. 313. The name however is Saxon enough, from cisil, gravel, and holm, a river island. The Highland estate in Inverness-shire has been so named from the family in recent times. The chief is always distinguished as The Chisholm. There is a proverb to the effect that, "there are only four The's in the Highlands; The Chisholm, The Macintosh, The Devil, and The Pope"!

Descended from Harald Chisholm, Thane of Orkney, Caithness and Shetland, temp. William the Lion. He was a scion of the Royal stock of Norway, and married the daughter of Mached, Earl of Athol, the last male descendant of Donald Ban, King of Scotland. The clan are called in the North, An Siosalach.