indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from nickname & from given name)
Usage English, German, Danish, Swedish (Rare), Norwegian (Rare)
Meaning & History
From a nickname for a stern and forbidding individual, derived from the Old High German word grim "stern, severe". Or possibly from the given name Grímr derived from Old Norse gríma "mask, helmet". Famous bearers are Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, who traveled throughout Germany collecting fairy tales, such as the popular story "Hansel and Gretel".