Grimes Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Grimes last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Grimes last name
Meaning of the Grimes last name: son of Grim (masked one). Grimes is an English surname meaning "son of Grim", from the Old Norse name Grímr, "masked one", one of the names of the god Odin. It was common among Viking settlers, and place-names such as Grimsby keep the same name. The last name is most common in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and the East Midlands. A curious detail: in Ireland Grimes was also used for several Gaelic names.
Arms associated with the Grimes name
In heraldry the full achievement adds a helmet, mantling and other parts around the shield, and coats of arms associated with the Grimes name are usually shown in that fuller form.
Get your full Grimes family history
This is only a glimpse of the Grimes story. The full Grimes history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Grimes coat of arms. Get the full Grimes report.
Grimes name FAQ
What does the Grimes name mean?
Son of Grim (masked one). Common variants include Grime, Grymes.
Where does the Grimes surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Ireland and Australia.
Is there a Grimes coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Grimes coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland.