Surname McCallum - Meaning and Origin

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U. McCallum

McCallum: What does the surname McCallum mean?

The last name McCallum is of Scottish origin and carries a meaning related to religion and piety. The name is derived from the Gaelic name "MacChaluim," which translates to "son of Calum." Calum is the Scottish Gaelic version of the name Columba, a prominent saint in Irish and Scottish history. St. Columba is best known for spreading Christianity in Scotland during the 6th century. Therefore, the name McCallum essentially means "son of the disciple of Saint Columba". This surname is common in the Argyll area of Scotland due to the historical influence of the saint. The name is also associated with the Clan MacCallum, a Scottish clan originally located in Argyll. Over the years, many variations of this surname have emerged including MacCallum, McCollum, Malcolm, and others.

McCallum: Where does the name McCallum come from?

The last name McCallum is of Scottish origin. It comes from the Gaelic personal name "Columba," which in Latin means 'dove.' St Columba, who was an Irish monk and missionary, is considered as one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. He established his mission at Iona, an island off the west coast of Scotland, and eventually the family name McCallum was formed to signify 'son of Columba.'

Today, the McCallum surname is quite common in Scotland and Northern Ireland given its Celtic heritage. However, due to historic emigration, the name has spread worldwide. In particular, it is quite prevalent in countries like United States, Canada, and Australia, where substantial numbers of Scots emigrated during the 18th and 19th centuries. Thus, the McCallum name has a global distribution but with strong roots in the Scottish Highlands.

Variations of the surname McCallum

The surname McCallum often has variations due to regional accents, misspellings and translations. Its origin is Scottish, deriving from the Gaelic "MacColuim", meaning "son of Colum". Colum is a popular given name in Scotland, which means "dove". McCallum is primarily associated with the clan MacCallum in Scotland, which later became the Clan Malcolm.

The surname can be spelled in multiple ways including: McCallam, McCollum, Maccallum, Mccallam, Mccollum, McCallom, Mc Collum, McCollom, Mccollam, Mc Callum, Mac Callum. Furthermore, it could be Anglicized or shortened to Callum, Malcolm or even Coll.

There are several similar surnames with different prefixes such as MacColum, McColum, MacCallam, MacCallom, etc., all linking back to the same root name – Colum. In Irish versions, the name could be O'Callum.

Some common surname variants are due to Mac or Mc which both mean "son of" in Gaelic, hence they are often used interchangeably. In some cases, even Mc or M' is used, following the traditional Scottish and Irish naming conventions.

It's important to note that these variations might have evolved independently and may not always indicate family relationships.

Famous people with the name McCallum

• David McCallum: Scottish actor famously known for his role as “Illya Kuryakin” in the 1960s TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and for his part as “Dr. Donald ‘Ducky’ Mallard” in the NCIS crime drama series.
• Steve McCallum: Australian actor renowned for playing many roles in popular Australian televisual stories, including Prisoner and Home and Away.
• George McCallum: Canadian actor, voice actor and stand-up comedian.
• Ross McCallum: Scottish actor, best known for his role in the television program Monarch of the Glen.
• Bruce McCallum: Canadian ice hockey legend, best known as the coach of the 1970 Canada men's national ice hockey team that won gold at the 1972 Winter Olympics.
• Rod McCallum: Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood and Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
• Hayley McCallum: Scottish curler who won a bronze medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics as part of the Great Britain's team.
• Brendan McCallum: New Zealand cricketer who represented his country in 13 test matches between 2000-2001.
• Vince McCallum: English-born Canadian professional strongman who competed in numerous world competitions.
• April McCallum: Canadian actress, singer, and musician from Parry Sound, Ontario.

Other surnames

McCallMcCallanMcCallenMcCallinMcCallionMcCallonMcCally