Lum

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Lum

Pronounced LUM /ˈlʌm/Medium

Meaning: Lum has two plausible routes. It is a Chinese surname, an older romanization of Lam or Lin, carried by Chinese American families. It also served in the nineteenth-century American South as a short form of a longer name such as Columbus. The source depends on the family, so we present both honestly.Low

In 30 seconds: Lum is a short name of two routes: a Chinese surname from Lam or Lin, or an old American short form of names like Columbus. It was always very rare (said LUM).

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Origin LowChinese, English

MeaningLum has two plausible routes. It is a Chinese surname, an older romanization of Lam or Lin, carried by Chinese American families. It also served in the nineteenth-century American South as a short form of a longer name such as Columbus. The source depends on the family, so we present both honestly.

U.S. rank (1961)#4432 ↘ Falling

1961 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1884

Total births (all-time)≈ 493

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Lum is a brief name with more than one source. As a Chinese surname it is an older romanization of Lam or Lin, brought by Chinese American families. In the nineteenth-century American South it also worked as a short form of a longer name such as Columbus. Because the two routes are so different, we lay them out plainly rather than choose one.

Lum was never common, given to only a handful of boys a year at a faint high point in the late nineteenth century, with a thin trail into the mid twentieth. A man named Lum belongs firmly to an earlier era of American naming.

Did you know? Lum reaches back further than most names in this group, showing up in American records as early as the eighteen-eighties.

Overall data confidence 35%

References - Lum — Chinese surname Lam/Lin; or short form of Columbus; routes uncertain

Variations

LamLimLumm

Nicknames

LummieLu

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Lum…

Lem— a like short vintage boy's name

Lon— a similar brief old name

Clem— a comparable clipped Southern name

Gus— a fellow short old-fashioned name

Explore names like Lum

By themerare vintage short chinese

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Lum mean?

It is uncertain; it is a Chinese surname romanized from Lam or Lin, or an old American short form of a name like Columbus. We present both routes honestly.

How do you pronounce Lum?

It is said LUM /ˈlʌm/, a single syllable.

Is Lum a boy or girl name?

Lum is used here as a boy's name.

How popular is Lum?

It was always very rare, given to only a handful of boys a year, with a faint peak in the late nineteenth century.