The Scottish surname Chism is an habitational name from Chisholme near Hawick in southern Scotland, which derives its name from the Old English c¯se, cese meaning " cheese " and holm meaning “ a 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.