This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Malcolm.' 'The great St. Columba, who established the centre of his civilizing and christianizing efforts at Iona, had many a grateful disciple, as Gillecolumb, or Maelcolum' (Yonge); compare Gilpatrick and Gilmichael.

Melcolinus de Inghou, Northumberland, Henry III-Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

Maucolumb Com, Huntingdonshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

EG. Mael Coluimb 'devotee' or 'shaveling of Columba, ' the particular saint meant being S. Columba of Iona. The later G, is Maol Chaluim. Four kings bore this name. Malcolumb is one of the witnesses to the earliest known Scottish charter that of King Duncan to the monks of S. Cuthbert, 1094 (Nat. MSS., I, 2). Malcolmus, capellanus Episcopi Dunblanensis (c. 1198) is witness to a confirmation by Simeon, bishop of Dunkeld. Five persons of the name are mentioned in the Gaelic entries in the Book of Deer: (1) Malcolm mac Culeon, who 'gave Bidbin (now Biffie) to God and to Drostan;'

(2) Malcoloum mac Cinatha who 'gave the share of the king in Bidbin and in Pet-mecc-Gobrig and two davochs of Upper Rosabard,'Stolen from Fore-bears

(3) Malcolum mac Moilbrigte who gave the 'Delerc'; (4) Dubni mac Malcolaim, a witness to the grant by Gartnait, son of Cannech, and Ete, his wife; (5) Malcoluim mac Molini, witness to the grant by Donchad, son of MacBead. Between 1189 and 1214 the spelling Malcholom occurs (Kelso, 139), and between 1247-64 the name of Malcolm IV is recorded in the genitive as Malcholoni (ibid., 336), and the name of Malcolm I appears as Maelcolaim in one of the ms. of the Pictish Chronicle (CPS., p. 10). Malcolm, pincerna regis, is a charter witness between 1204-11 (RVA., I, 81 bis), and Malcolm, judex, witnessed an agreement relating to the lands of Sconin et de Gariad, c. 1205 (RPSA,, p. 329). Melcalmus canonicus et sacerdos Candidae Casae is in record in 1235 (Forbes St. Ninian, p. lii). In 1256 Malcolumb, 'natus de Scocia, ' charged before an assize at Newcastle-on-Tyne for murder and robbery, sadly belied his name (Northumberland Assize Rolls, p. 90), and in the same year another Maculum, also 'of Scotland, ' was murdered (Bain, I, 2047, m 19). Aleyn fitz Maucolum of Berwickshire, Maucolum fiz Maucolum of Perth, Huwe le fiz Maucolum, burgess of Montrose, and several others of the name rendered homage, 1296 (Bain, II, p. 198,200, 207). In the Orkneyinga Saga the name of Scottish kings is spelled Melkolmr, and Melkolfr was the name of two thralls in Iceland (Njal, 47, and Rykdaela Saga, c. 13). The full form Maolchaluim for modern Malcolm or Calum (Callum) was in use till the seventeenth century, but eventually gave way to Gillecaluim and both now appear as Calum and Callum. Molchallum occurs in the Black Book of Taymouth, and the patronymic M'Olchallum is quite common there. In the form Maiklum it was an old surname in Strath blane, and in the Lowlands it has become Maecom. In the Vale of Leven, on the border of the Gaelic Highlands, the pet form of Malcolm is Maik (Malcolm Macfarlane, TGSI., XXXI, p. 189-190). Three spellings of the name in 1768 are: Malkam, Malkem and Malkom. John Malcum was baker in Perth, 1545 (Rollok, 4). As forename we have Macan and Macum in 1519, and Malcolmuill McNicoIl is recorded in 1585 (Cawdor, p. 131,187). Makallum MacAndro in Murthlac, 1550 (Illus., II, p. 262), and Molcallum McCaldie in Carnakalliche, 1629 (RPC., 2. ser. III, p. 46). As a surname its use is comparatively modern. Makime 1597, Makum 1304, Mallcollum 1692.

(Celtic) (Shaven) Servant or Disciple of St. Columba [Gaelic mael, shaven one, monk, servant, disciple + Coluim, of Columba]

“Devotee of (Saint) Columba” in Gaelic.

(Scottish) Descendant of Malcolm (devotee of St. Columba, dove).

Originally a personal name, signifying Maol-Cholumb, ' the Servant of Columba,' the famous saint of Iona. So Maol-Jes, the true name of the old Earls of Strathern, means ' Servant of Jesus.' See cognate derivations under Gilchrist, Gospatrick, &c. (See Anecdotes of Olave the Black, King of Man, by Johnstone, 1780.) "Mavile means servant; therefore Malcolm (properly Mavile Columb) the servant of Columba; Malbrigd, the servant of St. Bridget; Malpatric, the servant of St. Patrick; Malmory (Mavile Maria), the servant of St. Mary." Ecclesiologist, April, 1849. This family represent "the clan Challum or Mac Callum, settled, according to the traditions of the country, from a very early period in Argyleshire." B.L.G.