Landrum
A surname of uncertain origin, probably a place-name or older surname that later spread in English-speaking countries.
The #2,981 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,673 Americans shares it.
Etymology
No clear etymology can be confirmed from the excerpts provided. Landrum is usually treated as an English-language surname, but its precise source is uncertain and may be tied to a place-name or to another earlier surname form that was later altered in spelling. The ending -rum does not point to a single obvious occupational or patronymic meaning, so the name is best handled cautiously rather than as a settled derivation.
History
The surname is documented in modern American usage and appears in genealogical and onomastic references, but the excerpted source here only lists it incidentally and does not explain its origin. In the United States it is now most familiar as a southern and Appalachian surname, though that distribution reflects later family history rather than a proven point of origin. Because the medieval or early modern source form is unclear, older dictionary writers often give no firm explanation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name is uncommon but well established enough to rank in the U.S. Census, with about 12,000 bearers in 2010.
From the historical record
“Laurison. 1 Landrum. Beggar). 211, 383. 262, 386.”
— Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland