NameCensus.

UK surname

Collum

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Columáin," meaning "son of Colmán," a personal name meaning "little dove."

In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Collum surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 214, ranked #18,740, up from #20,467 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Paddington, London parishes and Bedwelty. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eyemouth, Preston and Watford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Collum is 238 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 127.7%.

1881 census count

94

Ranked #20,467

Modern count

214

2016, ranked #18,740

Peak year

2009

238 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Collum had 94 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,467 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 214 in 2016, ranked #18,740.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 125 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Collum surname distribution map

The map shows where the Collum surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Collum surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Collum over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 27 #28,467
1861 historical 66 #25,487
1881 historical 94 #20,467
1891 historical 110 #22,557
1901 historical 100 #22,863
1911 historical 125 #19,932
1997 modern 209 #17,157
1998 modern 203 #17,949
1999 modern 197 #18,400
2000 modern 199 #18,278
2001 modern 200 #17,948
2002 modern 205 #18,009
2003 modern 202 #18,032
2004 modern 203 #18,061
2005 modern 198 #18,279
2006 modern 225 #16,941
2007 modern 237 #16,571
2008 modern 234 #16,827
2009 modern 238 #17,002
2010 modern 238 #17,323
2011 modern 226 #17,792
2012 modern 220 #18,034
2013 modern 226 #17,969
2014 modern 225 #18,142
2015 modern 219 #18,406
2016 modern 214 #18,740

Geography

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Where Collums are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Paddington, London parishes, Bedwelty, Preston and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eyemouth, Preston, Watford and Tameside. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Paddington London (West Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Bedwelty Monmouthshire
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eyemouth Scottish Borders
2 Preston 004 Preston
3 Watford 008 Watford
4 Preston 007 Preston
5 Tameside 015 Tameside

Forenames

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First names often paired with Collum

These lists show first names that appear often with the Collum surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Collum

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Collum, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Collum surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Collum household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Collum is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Collum is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Collum falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Collum is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Collum, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Collum

The surname COLLUM is of English origin, with roots dating back to the early medieval period, specifically the 11th and 12th centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "col," meaning "coal" or "charcoal," and was likely a descriptive name for someone who worked with coal or lived near a coal mine.

Early records show variations in spelling, including Colle, Coll, and Colle, reflecting the evolving nature of surnames during that time. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1199, where it is recorded as "Ricardus Colle."

The name COLLUM is also closely associated with certain geographical locations in England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. For instance, the village of Collum is situated in Norfolk, and it is likely that some individuals bearing the surname COLLUM originated from or had connections to this area.

Among the notable historical figures with the surname COLLUM, one can mention John Collum (c. 1520-1595), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as the Dean of Lincoln Cathedral from 1586 until his death. Another prominent individual was Sir Henry Collum (1628-1701), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk in the late 17th century.

In the literary realm, the name COLLUM is associated with Samuel Collum (1745-1810), an Irish poet and playwright who wrote several works, including "The Faithful Paddy" and "The Lame Millionaire." Additionally, there was William Collum (1810-1880), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Saviour's in Pimlico.

Another individual of note was Thomas Collum (1844-1917), a British civil engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal, a major engineering feat of the late 19th century.

The surname COLLUM continues to be found throughout various parts of the world, particularly in areas with strong English heritage, but its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, where it originated as a descriptive name for those involved in the coal or charcoal trade.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Collum families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Collum surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 19 Collums recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.73x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 19 1.73x
Yorkshire 13 1.42x
Monmouthshire 12 17.91x
Surrey 9 1.99x
Middlesex 8 0.86x
Devon 6 3.11x
Glamorgan 6 3.72x
Kent 6 1.90x
Hampshire 5 2.63x
Norfolk 2 1.40x
Sussex 2 1.28x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.70x
Channel Islands 1 3.64x
Cheshire 1 0.49x
Cornwall 1 0.95x
Gloucestershire 1 0.55x
Royal Navy 1 9.06x
Shropshire 1 1.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedwellty in Monmouthshire leads with 12 Collums recorded in 1881 and an index of 101.44x.

Place Total Index
Bedwellty 12 101.44x
Kingston On Thames 8 73.73x
Preston 7 23.79x
Guisbrough 6 298.51x
St John Near Swansea 6 300.00x
Basingstoke 5 229.36x
Bradford 5 22.49x
Leigh 5 1219.51x
Salford 5 15.46x
Tormoham 5 61.27x
Paddington London 3 8.81x
Shoreditch London 3 7.47x
Blackburn 2 6.84x
Everton 2 5.71x
Hove 2 29.15x
Riddlesworth 2 6666.67x
Stretford 2 33.06x
Chesterton 1 55.25x
Deptford St Paul 1 4.10x
Devonport 1 45.05x
Ecclesfield 1 14.86x
Epsom 1 45.45x
Kensington London 1 1.94x
Lanivet 1 303.03x
Little Lever 1 70.92x
Marske In Guisbrough 1 61.35x
Royal Navy 1 10.59x
St Helier 1 11.19x
Stockton 1 588.24x
Tranmere 1 13.30x
Westbury On Trym 1 16.23x
Westminster St 1 29.24x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Collum surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Catherine 4
Elizabeth 4
Jane 4
Mary 4
Alice 3
Sarah 3
Bessie 2
Emily 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Amelia 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
F.A. 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Henrietta 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Marg. 1
Margretta 1
Maud 1
Priscilla 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Collum surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 10
William 6
Robert 5
Hugh 3
Joseph 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 1
Allan 1
Archibald 1
Archie 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Cyrus 1
David 1
Edwin 1
George 1
Herbert 1
Hubert 1
James 1
L.J. 1
Rowland 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Collum surname: questions and answers

How common was the Collum surname in 1881?

In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Collum surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Collum surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 214 in 2016. That gives Collum a modern rank of #18,740.

What does the Collum surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Columáin," meaning "son of Colmán," a personal name meaning "little dove."

What does the Collum map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Collum bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.