Parent’s name

Grimes surname meaning

An English surname often meaning “son of Grim,” from the Norse or English personal name Grim, with nickname origins also possible.

Confidence: Disputed
US frequency: Rank 709 · 47,264 people
Common variants: Grimes, Grim, Grimm, Grime

Confidence: Disputed. More than one origin is plausible, or sources disagree. We show the conflict rather than pick a cute answer.

The short story

Grimes is commonly an English patronymic surname meaning “son of Grim,” with the plural or genitive ending marking family association. Grim was a Norse and Old English personal name, and its history overlaps words for a mask, a fierce or severe person, and a figure in Germanic naming tradition. Some records may instead preserve a direct nickname from Old English grim, while Gaelic gruaim, “surly” or gloomy, creates another proposed route. Grim, Grimm, and Grime are useful comparisons. The catalog uses parent’s name as the lead, with disputed confidence because early histories converge.

Also seen as: Grimes, Grim, Grimm, Grime

Sources used

Ancestry surname meaning for Grimes (Grim personal-name and patronymic routes)
British Surnames 'Grimes' (Norse, English, and Gaelic comparisons)
Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)