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Grimm Family History

Grimm Name Meaning

German and Swiss German: nickname for a dour and forbidding individual from Old High German grim ‘stern severe’. 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). English: from Middle English grim ‘fierce grim’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Grim, Grime, Grima, Brumm, Grimmer, Grieme, Prim, Gamm, Gumm, Greim

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Grimm family from?

You can see how Grimm families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Grimm family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Grimm families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 23 Grimm families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 42% of all the recorded Grimm's in Canada. Nova Scotia and 1 other province had the highest population of Grimm families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Grimm surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Grimm ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the Canada named Grimm. 91% of Grimm men worked as a Farmer. .

View Census Data for Grimm | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    91%
  • Fireman
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Grimm family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 74,000 census records available for the last name Grimm. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Grimm census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Grimm

Passenger Lists

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Grimm. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Grimm immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 33,000 military records available for the last name Grimm. For the veterans among your Grimm ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Grimm military records

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What is the average Grimm lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Grimm life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Grimm in 1942 was 38, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Grimm

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