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Grimes History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Grimes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Grimes

What does the name Grimes mean?

Irish surnames are all based on the Gaelic language native to Ireland. The original Gaelic form of the name Grimes is "O Gormghaile" in Connacht, or "O Goirmleadhaigh" in Ulster.

Early Origins of the Grimes family

The surname Grimes was first found in County Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, where the Grimes family held a seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Grimes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grimes research. Another 208 words (15 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grimes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grimes Spelling Variations

Many spelling variations of the surname Grimes can be found in the archives. One reason for these variations is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. The different spellings that were found include Gormley, O'Gormley, Grehan, Gormleigh, Gormly, Gormlie, Grimes and many more.

Early Notables of the Grimes family

More information is included under the topic Early Grimes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grimes Ranking

In the United States, the name Grimes is the 562^nd most popular surname with an estimated 52,227 people with that name. 1

Grimes migration to the United States +

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Grimes family came to North America quite early:

Grimes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Greorge Grimes, who landed in Virginia in 1622 2
Ann Grimes, who arrived in Jamestown, Va in 1624 2
Samuel Grimes a "pewterer" who landed in Boston in 1635
Jon Grimes, who landed in Virginia in 1635 2
Walter Grimes, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Grimes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Grimes, who settled in North Carolina in 1701
Archy Grimes, who arrived in Virginia in 1706 2
Archibald Grimes, who landed in Virginia in 1711 2
Isaac Grimes, who landed in Virginia in 1711 2
Constantine Grimes, who arrived in Virginia in 1717 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Grimes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bernard Grimes, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1802
James Grimes, who landed in America in 1805 2
Henry Grimes, who landed in America in 1806 2
Guy Grimes, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1818 2
Thomas Grimes, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Grimes migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Grimes Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

James Grimes, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

Grimes Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Catherine Grimes, who settled in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland in 1816
Catherine Grimes, aged 29, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
Patrick Grimes, aged 29, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Betsy Heron" from Belfast, Ireland
Sarah Grimes, aged 26, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Betsy Heron" from Belfast, Ireland
Patrick Grimes, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Perseus" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Grimes migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Grimes Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Grimes, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 3
Mr. John Grimes, British Convict who was convicted in Shropshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4
Mr. James Grimes, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Captain Cook" on 2nd May 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Thomas Grimes, English convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 27 September 1834, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mr. William Grimes, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 27th August 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1842 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Grimes migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Grimes Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Grimes, (b. 1809), aged 38, Irish settler arriving as Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 8
Mrs. Mary Grimes Née Moore, (b. 1818), aged 29, Irish settler travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 8
Miss Maria Grimes, Irish settler travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847, she died in hospital after arriving 8
Child Grimes, Irish settler born aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847, died on board 8
Miss Catherine Grimes, (b. 1845), aged 20, British dairywoman travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Grimes (post 1700) +

Kathryn Eileen Grimes (b. 2006), American competitive swimmer, silver medal winner at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, she competed at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics
Howard Lee Grimes (1941-2022), American drummer, best known as a member of the Hi Rhythm Section
Jane Brown Grimes (1941-2021), American President of the United States Tennis Association from 2007 to 2008, the second female president in USTA history, inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014
Stephen Henry "Steve" Grimes (1927-2021), American lawyer and jurist who served as a justice of the Florida Supreme Court from 1987 to 1996, including as Chief Justice from 1994 until 1996
Henry Grimes (1935-2020), American jazz double bassist, violinist, and poet; he died from COVID-19
Alison C. Lundergan Grimes, American Democratic Party politician, Member, Rules Committee, Democratic National Convention, 2008
Tammy Lee Grimes (1934-2016), American two-time Tony award winning actress and singer who starred in her own ABC television series, The Tammy Grimes Show in 1966, inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame
Oscar Ray Grimes Sr. (1893-1953), American Major League Baseball first baseman
James Wilson Grimes (1816-1872), American politician, United States Senator from Iowa (1859-1869), 3rd Governor of Iowa
Burleigh Arland Grimes (1893-1985), American Major League Baseball pitcher, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964
... (Another 50 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Grimes family +

SS Atlantic

Fisk Grimes, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking

USS Indianapolis

David Elimer Grimes, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 10
James Francis Grimes, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 10

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/captain-cook
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew