Coluim

Coluim is a proper noun attested in Gaelic-language historical sources. In medieval Ireland and Scotland, the form appears as a masculine given name in Latinized charters and genealogies from roughly the 9th through the 12th centuries. It is typically regarded as part of the same name family as Colm and Columba, though the exact linguistic origin is a matter of scholarly debate.

The name Coluim is sometimes linked to the Latin Columba, meaning dove, but other scholarly views treat Coluim as a distinct Gaelic development that later fed into related forms. In practice, Coluim occurs in archival records alongside related names, and its usage is primarily of interest to researchers studying Gaelic onomastics and medieval documentary history.

Coluim also appears in certain early Gaelic ecclesiastical and place-name contexts, usually in documents that reference persons connected to the wider Columba tradition. The most prominent cognate in this tradition is Saint Columba (Colum Cille), a 6th-century monk and missionary whose Latin name Columba has influenced various Gaelic forms over time.

In modern usage, Coluim remains rare and is not common in contemporary Gaelic naming. It is chiefly discussed in academic works on medieval Gaelic names and onomastic development. For most readers, Coluim serves as a historical variant linked to the broader Columba-Colm name family rather than a distinct contemporary name.