2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Glim
An English surname derived from the Old English word "glēm," meaning a gleam or shining light.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Glim. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Glim surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Glim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Glim, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Glim
The surname GLIM has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "glimo," which means "brightness" or "glow." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a bright or shining landmark, such as a lake or river.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GLIM can be found in the Bavarian town of Augsburg, where a certain Hans Glim was mentioned in a local census record from 1369. This indicates that the name had already been established in the region by that time.
In the 15th century, the name GLIM appeared in several historical documents, including the "Stadtbuch" (city book) of Nuremberg, where a merchant named Konrad Glim was listed as a resident in 1487. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of Germany by that time.
During the 16th century, the name GLIM gained prominence with the rise of a notable family from the town of Hadamar in the state of Hesse. The most famous member of this family was Johann Glim (1522-1598), a Lutheran theologian and author who served as a pastor in several towns across Germany.
Another significant figure with the surname GLIM was Hans Glim (1598-1673), a German artist and engraver from Nuremberg. He was known for his intricate etchings and woodcuts, many of which depicted scenes from the Bible and classical mythology.
In the 17th century, the GLIM name made its way to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands. One notable individual from this period was Pieter Glim (1632-1701), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life paintings and portraits.
As the centuries passed, the GLIM surname continued to spread across Germany and beyond. Some other notable individuals with this name include Friedrich Glim (1892-1976), a German writer and poet, and Günter Glim (1934-2016), a German politician and member of the Bundestag (German parliament).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glim
Among Census respondents with the surname Glim, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Glim bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Glim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 108
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Glim
Glim appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,884 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Up 5,884 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Glim surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #149,395 | #143,511 | 3.9% |
| Count | 110 | 118 | 7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Glim bearers went from 110 to 118 (+7.3% change). The surname moved up 5,884 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #143,511.
FAQ
Glim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Glim?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Glim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Glim?
Glim ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Glim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Glim.
Has Glim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Glim went from 110 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 8 (+7.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Glim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Glim, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Glim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Glim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (3.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Glim (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Glim mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English word "glēm," meaning a gleam or shining light. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Glim (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Glim?
Want to know how common the surname Glim is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.