Mccallum

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Scottish surname of Gaelic origin, carried by many people across Scotland and in other English-speaking countries
2. A family name of Scottish origin, derived from a Gaelic personal name and borne by people around the world
3. Surname of Scottish descent, of Gaelic origin, shared by a number of notable individuals in various fields

Etymology: McCallum is a Scottish surname, a Gaelic patronymic built on the personal name Calum, the Scots form of Columba. The prefix "Mac" means "son of," so McCallum originally meant "son of Calum." Columba itself is Latin, from "columba," meaning dove, and it was the name of the sixth-century Irish saint who founded the monastery on Iona, which helps explain why the name became so widespread in Scotland. The surname is a clear example of a Gaelic practice that many English surnames also reflect: fathers' first names turned into family names through a prefix. In Scottish Gaelic, "Mac" appears in hundreds of such surnames, and McCallum belongs to the same group as McDonald, McLeod, and McInnes. Because Calum was a popular given name, McCallum appeared in many separate families across Scotland rather than descending from one ancestor.