Boy's name
Colm
“KUL-um”
IPA: /ˈkɔl̪ˠəmˠ/
from Latin columba, 'dove'
The story behind the name
Colmcille, 'dove of the church', was the prince-monk who founded Derry and Iona and, tradition says, went into exile after a battle fought over a copied book: the world's first copyright dispute. He is one of Ireland's three patron saints. The full form, Colmcille, is still given as a first name in Donegal, his home county.
Where the name belongs
Surnames built on this name
Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z