Grimm
/ɡrɪm/
noun
Origin
German
grim — fierce, cruel, angry, or stern
Overview
Meaning Now
- A surname of German origin, famously associated with the folklorist brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.
- Referring to the collection of folktales compiled by the Brothers Grimm, often titled 'Grimm's Fairy Tales'.
Literal older meaning
fierce, severe, or grim
Language path
Old High German → German
Earliest form
grimm
Earliest period
Medieval period
Journey
The surname Grimm originates from a descriptive nickname for a person with a stern, ferocious, or intense disposition. It gained global cultural prominence in the 19th century through Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, the German academics who collected and published 'Kinder- und Hausmärchen', which transformed the perception of oral folktales.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*grimmaz
“fierce, angry”
- Old High German
grim
“fierce, severe”
- Middle High German
grim
“stern, fierce, savage”
- German
Grimm
“surname (originally a nickname)”
Established as a family name
Connections
Word parts
Grimm
root
fierce, stern
Related across languages
Old English
fierce, cruel
Old Norse
grimmr
fierce, stern
Explore next
Related to Grimm
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.