Corum
A rare surname that is most likely a variant of Quorum, or else a place-name form that later settled into surname use.
The #8,900 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 83,921 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The evidence available here does not provide a direct surname entry for Corum, so its derivation remains uncertain. In English records, Corum is often treated as a spelling variant or misreading related to the word quorum, from Latin quorum, the legal phrase meaning “of whom.” In some cases it may also reflect a surname that arose independently from a place-name or from an altered spelling of another family name.
History
The name is uncommon in the United States, which suggests it has remained a relatively minor surname or one that developed through local spelling variation. Because the historical excerpts supplied mention Corum only incidentally, they do not establish a single secure family origin. In genealogy work, it is worth checking whether older records show forms such as Quorum, Coram, or other close variants.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Latin word quorum originally meant “of whom,” and it became fixed in English legal and parliamentary language before ever appearing as a surname form.
From the historical record
“Inkifg by Cutluam to become Curistim, and to receive bapti^ra uuder Alfred's sponsorship, 'Juravcrunt se citis^^ime dc sue regno exituro?, nee non ot Godrum rex corum Chrislianitatem subire, et baptismum sub mauu .r.lfredi regis acciperc pro:ui-it ' (A.-ser, de reb. gtstii .Klfrtdi Ann. 878). Tho Sasou Chroniele…”
— The Norman People and their existing descendants in the British dominions and the United States