Baume History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• France
• Germany
• Israel

Etymology of Baume

The name Baume is a proud symbol of ancient Jewish culture. In the Biblical period, Jews, and members of all the ancient civilizations had no surnames. Before the late Middle Ages, people were known only by a single name. However, as populations increased and people began to both urbanize and travel more, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves. Jewish hereditary surnames were adopted from a variety of different sources. Two of the most common types of Jewish family names are patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name (often prefixed by "ben" meaning 'son of'), and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. 1

The German word "baum" means tree (and Baum is also a common German Surname). The Jewish Baume was possibly a geographically based name for someone who lived near a tree, or was perhaps taken ornamentally. A different derivation suggests that this name is shortened from the word "Schlagbaum," meaning 'tollgate', and that the name was originally an occupational name for someone who worked collecting road tolls.

Baume Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Baum, Baumer, Baumm, Baume, Baumme, Baums, Baumb, Baumbe and many more.