This intriguing name has two distinct sources. Firstly it may be of Norman French origin and is a nickname for a fierce or strong man, deriving from the Old French 'homme', the Latin 'homo', meaning man. However, it may also be a shortened or pet form of the Germanic personal names Humbert or Humboldt, the former composed of the elements 'hun', cub and 'berht', bright or famous, the latter having 'bald', bold or brave as the second element. Humbert was a very popular name in the Netherlands and Northern Germany during the Middle Ages, as a result of the fame of a 7th Century Saint, Humbert, who founded the Abbey of Marolles in Flanders. The following examples illustrate the name development after 1177 (see below); Ernald Hum, Lincolnshire, (1208), John Humne, Suffolk, (1229), Geoffrey le Home, Sussex, (1296). One William Hum married Sarah Holladay on August 12th 1761 at Christchurch, Spitalfields, Stepney in London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Gilbert Om, which was dated 1177, in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire, during the reign of King Henry 11, known as 'The Builder of Churches', 1154-1189. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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