Drum
Usually a surname from the word for a drum, likely linked to a drummer or drum-maker.
The #7,459 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 69,102 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is most likely from Middle English and Old French words for a drum, such as Old French tambour and related forms, with the name used for someone associated with drumming. In older surname dictionaries, it is often treated as a shortened or altered occupational name, referring to a drummer or possibly a maker or player of drums. The evidence is not completely secure, and some 19th-century writers already noted that a direct "one who beats the drum" explanation was doubtful.
History
The historical notes in older surname books suggest the name was uncommon and may sometimes have arisen as a short form or altered spelling of a fuller occupational surname. Because English and Scottish surname records often shift spellings freely, Drum may also reflect local nickname-style formation in some cases. It is much less common than related surnames such as Drummer or Taber/Taberner.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname writers explicitly debated whether Drum really meant a military drummer, showing that even then its origin was not considered certain.
From the historical record
“M.E. O.Fr. tabo(u)r (Fr. tambour), a small drum ; through Span. f. Arab, and Pers. tambur, a guitar, drum] John le Taburer.— /ftt«rf. Rolls.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)