Explore the Family Name Grimm
The meaning of Grimm
1. German and Swiss German: nickname for a dour and forbidding individual, from Old High German grim ‘stern, severe’. 2. German and Swiss German: from an ancient Germanic personal name from grīma ‘mask, helmet’. This surname (in any of the possible senses; see also 1 above) is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). 3. English: from Middle English grim ‘fierce, grim’. History: This surname (see 1 and 2 above) is listed in the register of Huguenot ancestors recognized by the Huguenot Society of America.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Grimm in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Grimm saw a slight drop in popularity from 2000 to 2010, moving from rank 1510 to 1630, representing a decrease of nearly 8 percent. Despite this slip in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the surname increased by 1.59 percent, from 21,757 in 2000 to 22,103 in 2010. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, the surname Grimm became slightly less common, decreasing by 7.19 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,510 | #1,630 | -7.95% |
| Count | 21,757 | 22,103 | 1.59% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.07 | 7.49 | -7.19% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Grimm
From an ethnic identity perspective, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of individuals with the surname Grimm identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, though there was a slight decrease of 1.05 percent over the decade. The data shows increasing diversity among those with this surname. The percentage identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic rose by 19.64 percent and 39.73 percent respectively. Those identifying as two or more races also saw an increase, up by 42.53 percent. Meanwhile, the number of those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native changed minimally, with a decrease of 6.82 percent for the former and an increase of 2.86 percent for the latter.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.88% | 94.87% | -1.05% |
| Hispanic | 1.46% | 2.04% | 39.73% |
| Two or More Races | 0.87% | 1.24% | 42.53% |
| Black | 0.88% | 0.82% | -6.82% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.56% | 0.67% | 19.64% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.35% | 0.36% | 2.86% |
Grimm 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 Grimm is British & Irish, which comprises 38.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (38.1%) and Eastern European (6.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 38.9% |
| French & German | 38.1% |
| Eastern European | 6.5% |
| Other | 16.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Grimm
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 Grimm have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 81.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 81.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 81.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 81.10% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 80.90% |
What Grimm 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 Grimm 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 R-CTS241 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Powell, Pereira, Anders, Noble, Hewitt, Burgess, Fernandez, Machado, Lima, Souza.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Grimm surname are: H1, H, V. 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 Grimm 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.
"Grimm" Surname 45.6%
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.
"Grimm" Surname 26.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Grimm" Surname 20.5%
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.
"Grimm" Surname 19.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Grimm?
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 Grimm are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition