Explore the Family Name Grim
The meaning of Grim
1. Dutch and German variant of Grimm. 2. English: from the Middle English personal name Grim (Old Norse Grímr, originally an epithet of the god Óthinn with the meaning ‘masked person’ or ‘shape-changer’). The name may have been bestowed on male children in an attempt to secure the protection of the god. 3. English: alternatively, a nickname from Middle English grim ‘fierce, grim’ (compare Grimm). 4. Scottish: variant of Graham.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Grim in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Grim has seen a slight decrease in rank from 4514 in 2000 to 4771 in 2010, marking a change of -5.69 percent. Despite its drop in rank, the actual count of individuals bearing the surname Grim increased by 2.56 percent, from 7233 in 2000 to 7418 in 2010. Consequently, this led to a slight decrease in the proportion per 100,000 people bearing the Grim surname, from 2.68 in 2000 to 2.51 in 2010, a -6.34 percent change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,514 | #4,771 | -5.69% |
| Count | 7,233 | 7,418 | 2.56% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.68 | 2.51 | -6.34% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Grim
Shifting focus to the ethnicity associated with the surname Grim, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows shifts among various ethnic identities between 2000 and 2010. The largest growth was observed among those identifying as two or more races, which surged by 78.16 percent. Meanwhile, individuals identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase of 47.46 percent. Smaller growths were evident in the Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories, with increases of 14.63 percent, 8.51 percent, and 6.15 percent respectively. Conversely, the proportion of individuals with the Grim surname who identified as White decreased slightly by 1.78 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.13% | 91.47% | -1.78% |
| Black | 3.76% | 4.08% | 8.51% |
| Hispanic | 1.18% | 1.74% | 47.46% |
| Two or More Races | 0.87% | 1.55% | 78.16% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.65% | 0.69% | 6.15% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.47% | 14.63% |
Grim ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Grim is French & German, which comprises 41.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (41.0%) and Eastern European (6.0%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 41.5% |
| British & Irish | 41.0% |
| Eastern European | 6.0% |
| Other | 11.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Grim
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Grim have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.50% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 83.90% |
What Grim haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Grim is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z60 and R-CTS8125, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Aldrich, Putnam, Messenger, Garza, Duvall, Chamberlin, Nix, Atherton, Dodds, Brantley.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Grim surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Grim have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Grim" Surname 32.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Grim" Surname 28.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Grim" Surname 23.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Grim" Surname 15.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Grim?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Grim are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition