Calum
/K-AA-L-UH-M/
Dove — the Scottish-Gaelic form of Columba, from Latin columba. It honours Saint Columba, the Irish-born monk who founded the monastery on Iona, which became the spiritual heart of Celtic Christianity and the burial place of dozens of Scottish kings. A gentle name of peace, carrying the dove's ancient symbolism into the Highlands.
Get Calum's full report — patron saint, feast day & a portrait — freeQuick — what every Christian parent asks about Calum:
How well does Calum fit your family?
This page tells you what Calum means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against your family & your heritage, and your baby's birth details.
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Six signals — scored for your family & heritage, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Yes — Calum is a Christian boy name of Scottish origin, meaning “Dove — the Scottish-Gaelic form of Columba, from Latin columba. It honours Saint Columba, the Irish-born monk who founded the monastery on Iona, which became the spiritual heart of Celtic Christianity and the burial place of dozens of Scottish kings. A gentle name of peace, carrying the dove's ancient symbolism into the Highlands.”.
Calum is a boy's name of Scottish origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "Dove — the Scottish-Gaelic form of Columba, from Latin columba. It honours Saint Columba, the Irish-born monk who founded the monastery on Iona, which became the spiritual heart of Celtic Christianity and the burial place of dozens of Scottish kings. A gentle name of peace, carrying the dove's ancient symbolism into the Highlands." and belongs to the Divine cluster — names rooted in sacred meaning and spiritual tradition.
Common among Scottish, Irish, British families, Calum carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
The patron saint & feast day behind Calum
Many Christian names carry a patron saint and a feast day (name day) — a tradition of choosing a name for the saint a child is born near, or one the family holds dear. Calum lives in this tradition of meaning and heritage.
NameRoot connects the dots. See Calum's patron saint, its feast day, and whether it aligns with your baby's birth — alongside its full family score.
See Calum's saint & feast day →What does Calum's numerology say?
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Calum resonates in either tradition.
Calum's destiny number is 5 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See Calum's full reading →
Does Calum go with your family's names?
Calum breaks into 5 sounds: /K-AA-L-UH-M/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so Calum sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear Calum beside your family's names →
Names similar to Calum
If Calum resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Christian boy names, common in Scottish families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Christian boy names from the Divine cluster
Names that sound similar
Christian boy names that open with the same syllables as Calum
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like Calum — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about Calum
What does the name Calum mean?
Calum means "Dove — the Scottish-Gaelic form of Columba, from Latin columba. It honours Saint Columba, the Irish-born monk who founded the monastery on Iona, which became the spiritual heart of Celtic Christianity and the burial place of dozens of Scottish kings. A gentle name of peace, carrying the dove's ancient symbolism into the Highlands.." It is a boy name of Scottish origin, traditionally used in Christian families.
Is Calum a boy or girl name?
Calum is most commonly used as a boy name.
What is the origin of the name Calum?
Calum is of Scottish origin, used in Christian tradition, commonly among Scottish, Irish, British families.
Is Calum a Christian name?
Yes. Calum is a boy name traditionally used in Christian families, of Scottish origin.
What does Calum mean in Scottish?
Calum originates from Scottish, where it means "Dove — the Scottish-Gaelic form of Columba, from Latin columba. It honours Saint Columba, the Irish-born monk who founded the monastery on Iona, which became the spiritual heart of Celtic Christianity and the burial place of dozens of Scottish kings. A gentle name of peace, carrying the dove's ancient symbolism into the Highlands.."
What is the numerology of Calum?
Calum has a Pythagorean destiny number of 5 — freedom and adventurous change.
When is Calum's feast day?
Calum's feast day — its traditional Christian name day — is June 9.
See how Calum scores for your family
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