Colom History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Spain
Ireland

The age-old Hebrides islands and the west coast of Scotland are the ancestral home of the Colom 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 Colom family

The surname Colom 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 Colom family

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

Colom 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, Colom has been spelled Callum, MacColum, MacCallum, Colum, Callam, Callem, Calam and many more.

Early Notables of the Colom family

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

Migration of the Colom family to Ireland

Some of the Colom 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.

Colom migration to the United States +

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 Coloms to arrive on North American shores:

Colom Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Tomas Colom, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1860 [1]
Antonio Colom, aged 17, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1882 [1]
Guillermo Colom, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1883 [1]

Colom migration to Australia +

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

Colom Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Ann Colom, aged 28, a housemaid, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Joseph Somes" in 1850 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Colom (post 1700) +

Antonio Colom Mas (b. 1978), Spanish cyclist, winner of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in 2006, the Vuelta a Mallorca in 2004 and the Vuelta a Andalucía in 2002
Ulpiano Colóm y Ferrer (1861-1920), Puerto Rican politician, Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico in 898
Joaquín "Quino" Colom Barrufet (b. 1988), Andorran basketball player
Manuel Colom Argueta (1932-1979), Guatemalan politician, Mayor of Guatemala City (1970-1974)
Josep Melcior Prat i Colom (1780-1855), Catalan nationalist politician and writer, Governor of Barcelona in 1835 and Civil Governor of Guipuzcoa in 1855
Josep Colom (b. 1947), Spanish classical pianist
Enrique Colom (b. 1941), Spanish theologian, Consultor of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
Antoni Lluis Adrover Colom (b. 1982), known as Tuni, a Spanish professional footballer
Álvaro Colom Caballeros (b. 1951), Guatemalan politician, 35th President of Guatemala (2008-2012)
Joan Colom i Altemir (1921-2017), Spanish photographer renowned for his portraits of Barcelona's underworld and working class

The Colom 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: In ardua tendit
Motto Translation: He reaches towards things difficult of attainment.

Citations +

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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOSEPH SOMES / SOAMES 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850JosephSomes.htm