This interesting and unusual name is of English locational origin from a place called "Chisnall Hall", in Lancashire, recorded as "Chysenhale" in the Assize Rolls of lancashire, recorded as "Chysenhale" in the Assize rolls of Lancashire and "Chisenhale" in the 1332, Subsidy Rolls of the county. The placename itself probably means a gravelly hall from the old English pre seventh Century words "cisen", gravelly from "cis", gravel, plus the second element "halh", a nook or hollow. The surname may also have derived from "cis", gravel, plus the second element "halh", a nook or hollow. The surname may have also derived from "Chishall" in "Chishall" in Essex, meaning "gravelly hill", which was recorded "Cishella" in the Domesday Book of 1086. Alice, daughter of william and Margaret Chisnell on August 10th 1567, also at Standish Edward, son of Humphrey and Helen Chisnall was christened. At the same place Matild Chisnell married Willmus Bretter on April 3rd 1570. Thomas Chisnall married Mary Runnisty at Old Church, St., Pancras, London on February 22nd 1648. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William and Alice Chisnell, christening witnesses, which was dated January 26th 1561, at Standish in lancashire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.