Show ContentsDrumm History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The chronicles of the Drumm family reach back into Scottish history to an ancient tribe known as the Picts. The ancestors of the Drumm family lived on the lands of Drum, in the parish of Drumoak in Aberdeenshire where the name can be found since very early times.

Early Origins of the Drumm family

The surname Drumm was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland. The family is of local origin from Drum in the parish of Drumoak. "The original name of this place was Dalmaik, by which it is still generally called by the inhabitants, though the denomination of Drumoak has also been used for more than 300 years; the latter appellation is said to be derived from the Gaelic word drum, signifying the ridge of a hill, and the term Moloch, corrupted into Moak, the name of a celebrated saint to whose honour a monastery was erected in St. Servanus' isle, on the water of Leven. The name of Dalmaik is compounded of the Gaelic Dal, a haugh or valley, and St. Moloch, corrupted into Maik, and signifies the valley of St. Moloch, a description applicable to the district containing the ruins of the old church, near which is a well called St. Maik's Well. " 1 Drum is one of the four estates in the parish. The lands of Cutler have been held by the family from a very early period. Some of the first records of the name were: John de Drum who was prebendary of Butirgill, 1372, and another John de Drum who was prebendary of Buthirgill in 1449. 2

Early History of the Drumm family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Drumm research. Another 53 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1539, 1600, 1685, 1748 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Drumm History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Drumm Spelling Variations

When the first dictionaries were invented in the last few hundred years, spelling gradually became standardized. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound. Names were often recorded under different spelling variations every time they were written. Drumm has been written Drum, Drumm and others.

Early Notables of the Drumm family

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

Drumm Ranking

In the United States, the name Drumm is the 9,712nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Ireland Migration of the Drumm family to Ireland

Some of the Drumm family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Drumm migration to the United States +

The crossing to North America did not seem so great in comparison with the hardships many Scots endured at home. It was long, expensive, and cramped, but also rewarding. North America offered land and the chance for settlers to prove themselves in a new place. And many did prove themselves as they fought to forge a new nation in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of those Scots can now experience much of their once-lost heritage through the Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up across North America in the last century. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important, early immigrants to North America bearing the name of Drumm:

Drumm Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Andreas Drumm, who arrived in New York in 1709-1710 4
  • Adam Drumm, who arrived in America in 1737 4
  • Johan Adam Drumm, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1737 4
  • Philip Drumm, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 4
  • Simon Drumm, who arrived in America in 1739 4
Drumm Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Elisabetha Drumm, who landed in America in 1818 4
  • Miss Drumm, who landed in North America in 1854 4
  • Franz Drumm, who arrived in America in 1856 4
  • Peter Drumm, who landed in Brazil in 1856 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Drumm (post 1700) +

  • Don Drumm, American country music singer, best known for his hits "Bedroom Eyes" and "Just Another Rhinestone"
  • Arthur E. Drumm (1929-1988), American inventor and industrialist, founder of Drumm Industries (1988)
  • Don Drumm, American sculptor, designer and master craftsman
  • Leroy Maxey Drumm (1936-2010), American bluegrass/country music songwriter
  • Kevin Drumm, American avant-garde tabletop guitarist and synthesizer player
  • Thomas William Drumm (1871-1933), Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop of Des Moines (1919 to 1933)
  • Tommy Drumm (b. 1955), Irish retired sportsperson
  • Emily Cecilia Drumm MNZM (b. 1974), New Zealand cricketer


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)


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