Find out how popular the last name Ghim is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ghim.

Ghim, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ghim surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ghim in America

Ghim is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ghim surname appeared 145 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ghim.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ghim to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ghim

The surname GHIM has its origins in the Netherlands, where it first emerged in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "ghimmen," which means "to glow" or "to shine." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with a person involved in metalworking or perhaps a glassblower.

Records from the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen contain some of the earliest known references to the GHIM surname. In the town of Leeuwarden, a merchant named Geert GHIM is mentioned in a trade register dated 1572. Another early reference is found in the baptismal records of the Reformed Church in Groningen, where a Jan GHIM is listed as a witness in 1589.

The GHIM name can also be traced back to the nearby German region of East Frisia, where it may have been influenced by the Low German word "gimm" or "gimme," which means "to give." This could indicate that the name was associated with a generous or charitable person.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the GHIM surname was Willem GHIM, a master glassblower who lived in the city of Leiden in the late 16th century. His work is mentioned in the records of the Leiden Guild of Saint Luke, which oversaw the city's painters and artisans.

Another notable figure was Pieter GHIM (1580-1648), a Dutch Golden Age painter from Haarlem. He was a member of the Haarlem Guild of Saint Luke and is known for his portraits and genre scenes depicting everyday life in the Netherlands.

In the 18th century, the GHIM surname appears in the records of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), with several sailors and merchants bearing the name. One such individual was Jan GHIM (1720-1790), a ship's captain who made several voyages to the East Indies and the Cape Colony.

The GHIM name can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as Germany and Belgium. For instance, a German soldier named Hans GHIM is listed among the casualties of the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Throughout its history, the GHIM surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Ghym, Ghyme, and Ghymme. These variations can be found in archival documents and parish registers from the Netherlands and surrounding regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ghim

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ghim.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ghim was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ghim has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ghim was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ghim, please contact us.

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