ThenamePrüm
A toponymic surname: whoever was called Prüm once came from the town of the great Eifel abbey — or was connected to it.
Prüm is a classic toponymic surname — it points to the place its bearers once came from or were connected with: the town of Prüm in the western Eifel.
01The town of Prüm
Prüm is a small town in the Eifel, some 40 kilometres north-west of Trier. It is known for Prüm Abbey, an 8th-century foundation that became one of the most important Benedictine abbeys of the medieval Empire, with extensive holdings on the Moselle, Rhine and Saar. The oldest secure evidence of viticulture in Piesport is a contract with this abbey from 776/777 (moselriesling.com).
02Etymology
The place name derives from the river Prüm. The origin of the river name is not settled; a Celtic or pre-Celtic root is assumed, as with many old European river names.
Like many toponymic surnames, the family name arose in the High Middle Ages, when people were named after their place of origin. A Prüm was originally someone who came from Prüm or had moved from there.
03Distribution
The name is found mainly in the Eifel, the Moselle region and the Rhineland. Through the abbey's holdings, bearers of the name reached the Moselle early — where the Prüm wine family established itself over the centuries.
04Spellings
Various spellings occur historically: Prüm, Pruem (without umlaut), Prym, Prum. English-language documents usually use Pruem or Prum.
Not to be confused with similar-sounding names such as Brühm or Prümm, which may have a different origin.