Surname Corthum - Meaning and Origin

Corthum: What does the surname Corthum mean?

The last name Corthum is of English origin and is an occupational name. It originates from the Middle English word "corturme", which means carter or muleteer. This indicates that Corthum was originally a name used to denote an occupation that involved transporting goods via mules or carts.

Today, Corthum is a relatively uncommon name. It is typically found in parts of England and Germany, although it has been found in other areas of the world over the years.

The name is believed to have been originally adopted by someone who did the work of a carter or muleteer. The surname was likely given to the individual so that they could be easily identified as the profession’s bearer.

Over time, the name evolved into its current form, Corthum. The name was likely a contraction of the word “carter” and the suffix “-um,” which was used to denote use.

Interestingly, the surname Corthum carries a great deal of history and tradition with it. It is certainly an intriguing name with a fascinating background and is unique in the way it is spelt and pronounced, making it stand out from other surnames.

Corthum: Where does the name Corthum come from?

The last name Corthum is not a particularly common surname today; results from the US Census of 2020 showed only 0.0001% of the population with this last name. However, it has strong roots in Germany where a variant spelling, Korthum, is still used in the modern day.

The name originates from the German-speaking region of Oldenburg in northwest Germany. It is believed to have been a status name for those who were either bird catchers or falconers, a profession considered prestigious and noble at that time. The etymological root of the name appears to be from "Korst", meaning "raven" or "crow".

Korthum is still a very common name in parts of Germany today, particularly in Lower Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. It is also used by members of a daisy-like flower native to Germany.

Recent research suggests that the Corthum spelling of the name likely originates from people emigrating to the United States and other countries from Germany who Americanised the spelling of their surname. As such, there is a much smaller population of those bearing the Corthum name in comparison to the Korthum spelling.

Variations of the surname Corthum

The surname Corthum is a patronymic surname derived from the given name Cor, which is derived from the Welsh personal name Cawr meaning ‘great’. This surname is occasionally found in the forms Corthon, Corthorn, Gortham, Gorthon, and Gorton.

In addition, the surname is found in Welsh versions of Corrthum, Corthwydd, Gorthum, Gorthwydd, and Wyddgorth. These spellings resemble an Old Welsh 'gw' sound represented by the letter 'w'; the 'dd' here denotes a 'th' sound.

Alternate spellings of the names include:

- Corthy

- Corthan

- Corthas

- Corthay

- Gorthon

- Gorthan

- Gorthay

- Gorten

- Gorton

- Gortan

- Gortay

When patronymic surnames such as Corthum appear in different variations, it is usually due to their context in different languages. This is because there is no universal English spelling of any name. For example, in German the surname Corthum may be spelled as Korzum, Cortum, Cortze, Korzen, Kortum, Kortz, Kortzwetze or Kortzenwetze, among others.

In Spanish, the surname is often rendered as Cortes, Cortez, Cortezo, and Cortis, among other variants.

Today, the surname Corthum is still found across the British Isles, but is also common in other parts of the world as a result of emigration. Other surnames related to Corthum can be found in countries such as Spain, Germany, France, and Canada.

Famous people with the name Corthum

• Anders Corthum, footballer
• Jens Corthum, footballer
• Bysshe Corthum, Australian actor and performer
• Mette Corthum, Danish designer
• Helene Corthum, Norwegian sailor
• Omri Corthum, Israeli singer
• Joost Corthum, dj and producer from the Netherlands
• Brent Corthum, American photographer
• Seekoei Corthum, South African footballer
• Fredrik Corthum, Swedish footballer
• Tariq Corthum, Omani footballer
• Sander Corthum, Dutch footballer

Other surnames

Corthals