Colum Surname History

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The age-old Hebrides islands and the west coast of Scotland are the ancestral home of the Colum family. Their name comes from the Scottish name MacCallum, which means "the son of the gillie of Callum." However, the full form of the name was used until the 17th century. The Callums were an import branch of the Clan McLeod of Raasay.

Early Origins of the Colum family

The surname Colum was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held a family seat from very early times.

Early History of the Colum family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colum research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1636 is included under the topic Early Colum History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colum Spelling Variations

Medieval spelling was at best an intuitive process, and translation between Gaelic and English was no more effective. These factors caused an enormous number of spelling variations in Dalriadan names. In fact, it was not uncommon to see a father and son who spelled their name differently. Over the years, Colum has been spelled Callum, MacColum, MacCallum, Colum, Callam, Callem, Calam and many more.

Early Notables of the Colum family

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

Migration of the Colum family to Ireland

Some of the Colum family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Colum family

Scottish settlers arrived in many of the communities that became the backbones of the United States and Canada. Many stayed, but some headed west for the endless open country of the prairies. In the American War of Independence, many Scots who remained loyal to England re-settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots across North America were able to recover much of their lost heritage in the 20th century as Clan societies and highland games sprang up across North America. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Colums to arrive on North American shores: Patrick Callum who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1868.

Contemporary Notables of the name Colum (post 1700) +

Padraic Colum, Irish poet and dramatist
Pádraic Colum (1881-1972), Irish poet/playwright
Colum Hourihane, Irish-born art historian, iconographer, and editor formerly of Princeton University, specializing in medieval art and iconographic studies
Colum McKinstry (1949-2021), Gaelic football manager and player from Northern Ireland
Colum Convey, Irish Film and Television Award nominated actor, known for An Everlasting Piece (2000), As the Beast Sleeps (2002) and Holy Cross (2003)
Colum Corless (1922-2015), Irish hurler who played as a right corner-back for the Galway senior team (1948-1954)
Colum "Shaggy" Halpenny (b. 1979), English professional rugby league footballer