Show ContentsChisolm History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Chisolm family

The surname Chisolm was first found in Roxburghshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Chisolm family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chisolm research. Another 174 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1176 and 1715 are included under the topic Early Chisolm History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chisolm Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Chisholm, Chissolm, Chisham, Chisholme, Chism, Chisolm, Chisolt, Chissum and many more.

Early Notables of the Chisolm family

More information is included under the topic Early Chisolm Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chisolm Ranking

In the United States, the name Chisolm is the 3,380th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Ireland Migration of the Chisolm family to Ireland

Some of the Chisolm family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Chisolm migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Chisolm Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George Chisolm, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1809 2

Australia Chisolm migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Chisolm Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • James Chisolm, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sir Edward Parry" in 1849 3

New Zealand Chisolm migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Chisolm Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Chisolm, aged 40, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blenheim" in 1840
  • Colin Chisolm, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1863 4

West Indies Chisolm migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 5
Chisolm Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Dr. Chisolm, who settled in Jamaica in 1774

Contemporary Notables of the name Chisolm (post 1700) +

  • Henry Clay Chisolm (b. 1859), American Republican politician, Physician; Member of Pennsylvania State Senate 33rd District, 1897-1900 6
  • Kathryn Chisolm Nadeau, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 2008


The Chisolm Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Feros ferio
Motto Translation: I am fierce with the fierce.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The SIR EDWARD PARRY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849SirEdwardParry.htm
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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