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

Grim, 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 Grim surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grim in America

Grim is the 4771st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grim surname appeared 7,418 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Grim.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grim 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 Grim

The surname Grim originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English word "grim," which means "fierce" or "stern." The name likely referred to someone with a grim or fierce countenance or demeanor.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Grim date back to the late 11th century. It appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. The surname is also found in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the late 12th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Grim was Roger Grim, a 12th-century English churchman and biographer of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury who was assassinated in 1170. Roger Grim was an eyewitness to Becket's murder and wrote an account of the event.

In the 13th century, the surname Grim was associated with various place names, such as Grimsby in Lincolnshire and Grimston in Norfolk. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Grim. One example is Hans Grim (1490-1564), a Swiss Protestant Reformer and follower of Huldrych Zwingli. Another is Jakob Grim (1785-1863), a German philologist and one of the Brothers Grimm, famous for collecting and publishing folktales and fairy tales.

Other notable bearers of the surname Grim include:

1. John Grim (1677-1756), an English Baptist minister and hymnwriter.
2. Robert Grim (1832-1912), an American politician who served as the 13th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana.
3. William Grim (1836-1905), an American Civil War veteran and industrialist who founded the Grim Shipbuilding Corporation.
4. Edgar Grim (1899-1986), an American artist known for his landscape paintings and murals.
5. Elmer Grim (1918-2014), an American World War II veteran and recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

The surname Grim has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including religious figures, scholars, politicians, artists, and military heroes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grim

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

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 Grim 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 Grim 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 Grim was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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