Grimm Family History

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Grimm Name Meaning

nickname for a dour and forbidding individual, from Old High German grim ‘stern’, ‘severe’. from a Germanic personal name from grima ‘mask’, ‘helmet’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


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

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Grimm Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Grimm name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Grimm. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    45%

  • Germanic Europe

    17%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    16%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    4%

  • Norway

    4%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Grimm Family Origin

Where is the Grimm family from?

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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 the 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.

View Census Data for Grimm

Grimm Family Occupations

What did your Grimm ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, a less common occupation for the Grimm family was Seaman. Farmer, Farm Laborer and Priest were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Grimm. The most common Grimm occupation in Canada was Farmer. 67% of Grimm's were Farmers.

View Census data for Grimm | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    67%

  • Farm Laborer

    8%

  • Priest

    8%

  • Seaman

    8%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Grimm ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Grimm Historical Records

What Grimm family records will you find?

Census Record

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 1881 Canadian census records for Grimm

Passenger List

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 Card

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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Grimm Life Expectancy

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

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Grimm ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Famous Grimm Family Ancestors

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