NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccollum

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "column" or "pillar," likely referring to a distinctive landscape feature.

In the 1881 census there were 11 people recorded with the Mccollum surname, ranking it #32,081 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 362, ranked #12,810, up from #32,081 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Devon, Pendle and Perth Road.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccollum is 363 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 3190.9%.

1881 census count

11

Ranked #32,081

Modern count

362

2016, ranked #12,810

Peak year

2014

363 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccollum had 11 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #32,081 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016, ranked #12,810.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 68 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mccollum surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccollum surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Mccollum 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 28 #28,274
1861 historical 54 #27,127
1881 historical 11 #32,081
1891 historical 60 #29,204
1901 historical 46 #29,047
1911 historical 68 #26,050
1997 modern 273 #14,417
1998 modern 276 #14,679
1999 modern 281 #14,578
2000 modern 270 #14,943
2001 modern 273 #14,614
2002 modern 309 #13,733
2003 modern 301 #13,785
2004 modern 298 #13,937
2005 modern 314 #13,403
2006 modern 327 #13,092
2007 modern 317 #13,532
2008 modern 333 #13,175
2009 modern 334 #13,409
2010 modern 351 #13,220
2011 modern 349 #13,108
2012 modern 352 #12,913
2013 modern 358 #12,952
2014 modern 363 #12,908
2015 modern 363 #12,793
2016 modern 362 #12,810

Geography

Back to top

Where Mccollums are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Devon, Pendle, Perth Road, Southend-on-Sea and Newark and Sherwood. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Devon 001 East Devon
2 Pendle 005 Pendle
3 Perth Road Dundee City
4 Southend-on-Sea 017 Southend-on-Sea
5 Newark and Sherwood 002 Newark and Sherwood

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Mccollum

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Mccollum

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mccollum, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Mccollum surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mccollum household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mccollum 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

Mccollum is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mccollum falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mccollum 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 Mccollum, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mccollum

The surname McCollum is of Scottish origin and dates back to the late medieval period in Scotland. It is a patronymic name, meaning it was originally derived from the given name of the father or ancestor. The name is believed to have originated in the region of Argyll and Bute in western Scotland.

McCollum is a variant spelling of the Gaelic name MacCholgan or MacCaluim, which translates to "son of Calum" or "son of Columba." Columba was a famous Irish missionary and saint who brought Christianity to Scotland in the 6th century. The name Calum is derived from the Latin name Columba, meaning "dove."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McCollum name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls documenting Scottish nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The name is listed as "Gillemychel M'Coluyn" in this record.

In the 15th century, the McCollum name was associated with the Clan Donald, a powerful Highland clan that ruled over much of the western Scottish Isles and parts of the mainland. Several members of the clan bore variations of the name, such as McCallum, MacCalman, and McCalmont.

A notable figure in Scottish history bearing the McCollum name was Sir John McCollum (c. 1540-1623), a Scottish landowner and politician who served as Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1594 to 1595. He played a significant role in the legal and political affairs of Scotland during the reigns of James VI and Charles I.

Another prominent individual with the McCollum surname was Thomas McCollum (1785-1865), a Scottish-born American merchant and landowner who settled in Virginia in the early 19th century. He became one of the wealthiest men in western Virginia and was a major landowner and slave proprietor.

In the 19th century, the McCollum name was also found in Ireland, where it was sometimes anglicized as McCullum or McCullam. One notable Irish McCollum was John McCollum (1832-1911), a Catholic priest and missionary who served in the Diocese of Omaha, Nebraska, and was instrumental in establishing several churches and schools in the region.

Other notable individuals with the McCollum surname include James McCollum (1892-1985), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Illinois, and William McCollum (born 1944), an American attorney and politician who served as Attorney General of Florida from 2007 to 2011.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Mccollum families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccollum 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. Derbyshire leads with 3 Mccollums recorded in 1881 and an index of 65.65x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 3 65.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chesterfield in Derbyshire leads with 3 Mccollums recorded in 1881 and an index of 1764.71x.

Place Total Index
Chesterfield 3 1764.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Rosina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Hewitt 1
Thos. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mccollum households.

Occupation Count
Insurance Agent 1

FAQ

Mccollum surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccollum surname in 1881?

In 1881, 11 people were recorded with the Mccollum surname. That placed it at #32,081 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccollum surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 362 in 2016. That gives Mccollum a modern rank of #12,810.

What does the Mccollum surname mean?

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "column" or "pillar," likely referring to a distinctive landscape feature.

What does the Mccollum map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mccollum 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.