The village was first mentioned between 822 and 856 as Mitilistenheim, and means "settlement in the middle". Middelstum is a terp (artificial living hill) village which probably developed in Roman times.
The village's earliest recorded mention dates back to around 822-856 under the name Mitilistenheim, which literally means "middle settlement." Middelstum refers to a specific type of hilltop settlement that probably originated in ancient Roman times.