Kellum is likely a surname-style variant related to Callum, from Latin Columba meaning dove.
Kellum is a surname of English origin, most likely derived from the village of Kelham in Nottinghamshire, England. The place name itself comes from Old Norse, with roots in "keld" (a spring or stream) combined with a locative suffix, essentially meaning "at the springs" or "dweller by the water source." The transition from Norse settlement naming to English surname followed the familiar medieval pattern of families adopting the name of their home village, and Kellum emerged as a variant spelling of Kelham across different regions and record-keeping traditions.
As a surname, Kellum has a quiet but persistent presence in American history, particularly in the South and Midwest, where it arrived with British settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries. T. Stewart Department Store on Broadway, a pioneering example of cast-iron architecture.
His work helped define the commercial streetscape of mid-19th-century Manhattan. In contemporary usage, Kellum has made the leap that many sturdy Anglo surnames have — from family name to given name — appealing to parents seeking something that sounds rooted and uncommon without being invented. It occupies a space alongside names like Calhoun, Remington, or Holden: historically grounded, slightly Southern in cadence, and carrying the quiet confidence of old American lineage. The double-l softens what might otherwise be a blunt monosyllable, giving it an unexpected elegance.