Surname McColm - Meaning and Origin
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McColm: What does the surname McColm mean?
The surname McColm is of Scottish origin, originating from the Scottish region of Galloway. The name is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Colm" or "Columba," which means "dove." This personal name was popular due to St. Columba, a 6th-century saint who was one of the twelve apostles of Ireland and the patron saint of Derry, and whose missionary work in the Scottish highlands led to him being regarded as one of Scotland's three chief saints along with St. Patrick and St. Bridget. The "Mc" in McColm represents the Gaelic prefix "Mac" which translates to "son of." Therefore, the name McColm can be interpreted to mean "son of Colm" or "son of Columba." Over time, the name has various spellings including McColm, Malcolm, Malcom, and Makcalum, among others. There are multiple families with the McColm surname, and each could potentially have a unique history associated with it. However, they all share the heritage of the name's original Gaelic meaning.
Order DNA origin analysisMcColm: Where does the name McColm come from?
The last name McColm is believed to have originated in the United Kingdom. Records of the surname first appear in 1550, in the form of a lease agreement in Scotland. Today, the McColm surname is most commonly found in Scotland and Ireland, though a number of McColm immigrants have spread the name across the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
In Scotland, the highest concentration of McColm families is located in Ayrshire, particularly throughout the small towns of Coylton, Dalrymple, and Ayr. A few other notable clusters of McColm families exist in the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
In the United States and Canada, a large number of McColm families are found in New York, Michigan, and Ontario. Many of these McColm immigrants descended from Scotland and Ireland in the 19th century, although certain families have been found in Texas, Illinois, New Jersey, California and Maine as well.
A significant number of McColm families also reside in Australia and New Zealand. A majority of these immigrants arrived late in the 19th and early 20th century, coming from northern England, Scotland, and Ireland to begin new lives down under.
Though the McColm surname has spread across the world, the majority of families bearing the name are still found in the United Kingdom, mostly in Scotland and Ireland. Over the past few centuries, many McColms have further expanded their reach, but the name remains strongly attached to its original homeland.
Variations of the surname McColm
The surname McColm has numerous spelling variations, which are generally associated with a person's geographical or cultural background. In some circumstances, many spelling variations of a single surname could exist. Differences in spelling of the same family name can be a result of migration of people, official documents being recorded incorrectly or changes reflecting a person's nationality or a language being adopted.
Some common variations of the surname McColm include Maccolm, MacColm, MacCollom, McCollom, McCollum, MacKolme and Makcolm.
The surname McColm is derived from the Gaelic Mac Chailm, which means 'son of the devotee of Columba'. This personal name is derived from the Celtic name 'Columba', which translates to 'dove'. This name was taken by the 7th century Irish saint Colmcille, who founded the monastic settlement of Iona on the west coast of Scotland in 563 AD.
It is thought that the surname has Scandinavian influences due to the prevalence of Viking activity in Scotland during the medieval period. The alternative spelling variants MacKolme and Makcolm may have arisen due to the influence of Norse personal names beginning with 'col'.
The addition of the letter 'm' at the front of the name is also believed to have derived from the Norse language. This letter is an 'anglicisation' of an Old Norse prefix, found in names such as 'MacNab', 'McKench' and 'McClellane' which all have their roots in Scotland.
The variants of the surname McColm are numerous and have changed over time, reflecting the different language influences in Scotland and Ireland. In addition to McColm, the common variants MacKolme and Makcolm are derived from the Old Norse language and influence, whilst connections to the 7th century Celtic saint Colmcille are still evident in the alternative spelling MacChailm.
Famous people with the name McColm
- Davy McColm: English footballer
- Lisa McColm: Scottish singer-songwriter
- Ladale McColm: American football defensive lineman
- Ben McColm: former American football defensive back
- Dave McColm: Canadian ice hockey player
- Jasper McColm: former English cricketer
- Keith McColm: American college basketball coach
- Oscar McColm: Scottish footballer
- Trevor McColm: Canadian snowboarder
- D.L. McColm: American theologian and minister