UK boy's name
Colum
An Irish name meaning "dove" or "peaceful".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 1999. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Colum is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Colum popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 1999 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2425, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 7 births.
This profile covers 20 England and Wales registrations across 4 recorded years from 1996 to 1999. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 57% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 44 living people in the UK are called Colum. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2000 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Colum ranked #2425 for boys in England and Wales in 1999, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 7 boys were registered as Colum.
- • Colum ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #403 in 2012.
- • About 44 living people in the UK are estimated to have Colum as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2425
1999
Births in 1999
4
Latest year
Peak year
1996
7 births
Estimated living
44
2026
Meaning
What does Colum mean?
The name Colum originated from the Irish Gaelic language and has its roots in the early medieval period. It derives from the Latin word "columba," which means "dove." The name gained popularity in Ireland and Scotland, particularly among Christian communities influenced by the missionary work of St. Columba (521-597 AD), an Irish abbot and Apostle of the Picts.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Colum can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention several individuals named Colum, including Colum Cille (St. Columba), the founder of the famous monastery on the island of Iona.
In ancient Irish literature, the name Colum appears in various forms, such as Colmán, Colmán Mor, and Colmán Rímid. These were notable figures in Irish folklore and mythology, often associated with wisdom, peace, and spirituality.
Throughout history, several influential individuals have borne the name Colum. One of the most prominent was Colum Cille (521-597 AD), also known as St. Columba, who established the monastery on the island of Iona and played a crucial role in the spread of Christianity in Scotland.
Another notable figure was Colum of Terryglass (561-621 AD), an Irish monk and saint who founded the monastic settlement of Terryglass in County Tipperary, Ireland. His life and teachings were recorded in the Vita Columbae, an important hagiographical work.
In the 12th century, Colum of Inishcaltra (1095-1186 AD) was an Irish abbot and scholar who presided over the monastery on the island of Inishcaltra in Lough Derg, Ireland. He was renowned for his learning and contributed to the preservation of Irish manuscripts and literature.
The name Colum also appears in Scottish history, with figures like Colum Cille MacNeil (1618-1693), a Scottish Jacobite and participant in the Glencairn Uprising against the reign of William III of England.
In the literary realm, Colum Cille Mínghhiollagáin (1670-1758), known as An Mínghhiollagáin, was an Irish poet and scribe who composed works in both Irish and Latin, contributing to the preservation of Irish language and culture.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Colum over time
The chart below shows babies named Colum registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 1999. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Colum, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 1999, compared with 7 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Colum by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Colum was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | #2174 | 20 | 4 |
Geography
Where Colum is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Colum. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Colum ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #403 in 2012.
Across the UK
Colum in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#403 in 2012
7 years of NISRA records, 24 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Colum
-
Colum Eastwood
council member; politician
Irish SDLP politician (born 1983)
1983-
Related
Names similar to Colum
- Charlie 104,761
- Callum 65,796
- Connor 53,072
- Cameron 40,394
- Charles 33,091
- Christopher 26,849
- Caleb 15,553
- Corey 12,622
- Carter 11,505
- Cody 11,075
- Conor 10,298
- Christian 9,695
FAQ
Colum: questions and answers
How popular is the name Colum in the UK right now?
In 1999, Colum was ranked #2425 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Colum most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 7 babies registered as Colum in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Colum?
An Irish name meaning "dove" or "peaceful".
How many people are called Colum in the UK?
A total of 20 babies have been registered as Colum across the 4 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here and 24 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Colum most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Colum ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #403 in 2012. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.