Brum
/brʊm/noun
An informal name for Birmingham, England, or for a person from Birmingham.
Did you know?Birmingham’s older nickname “Brummagem” came to mean a cheap imitation, probably because the city’s metalworking trade was associated with counterfeit versions of prestigious goods.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*haimaz
“Home or dwelling; the ancestral root behind the place-name element meaning “home.””
Old English
Old English
Beormingahām
“The home or settlement of the people of Beorma; the early form of Birmingham’s name.”
Middle English
Middle English
Birminghām
“The developing medieval form of the place-name Birmingham.”
17th–18th Century
English
Brummagem
“A colloquial pronunciation of Birmingham that also became a term for Birmingham-made goods and, later, cheap imitation goods.”
20th Century
English
Brum
“A shortened informal name for Birmingham, especially common in local speech.”
Modern English
English
Brum
“An informal name for Birmingham or its people.”