Show ContentsGrimmett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The prestigious family surname Grimmett originated in the lands which eventually became the modern German state of Prussia. This territory was known for its beautiful landscape, its advanced technology, and its military power. However, in the medieval era, Prussia was fragmented and inhabited by numerous barbarian tribes who fought amongst themselves for control of the land. The borders of the Barbarian kingdoms, which were established after the fall of the Roman Empire, changed repeatedly. The region that came to be known as Prussia was roughly divided among the territories of Brandenburg-Prussia, West Prussia and East Prussia. The Grimmett family emerged in Brandenburg-Prussia, which is essentially the birthplace of modern Germany. By the 19th century, Brandenburg-Prussia had incorporated East Prussia, West Prussia and many other German territories. Moreover, in the late 19th century, it led the German states in the unification of Germany.

Early Origins of the Grimmett family

The surname Grimmett was first found in Prussia, where the name became noted for its many branches within the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region.

The Brother Grimm, Jacob Ludwig Karl Grimm (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Carl Grimm (1786-1859), were German academics, philologists and cultural researchers, born in the town of Hanau in Hesse-Cassel. Their "fairy tales" or "folk stories" were complied in seven editions with many revisions in each edition. The collection included "Cinderella" ("Aschenputtel"), "The Frog Prince" ("Der Froschkönig"), ("Die Gänsemagd"), "Hansel and Gretel" ("Hänsel und Gretel"), "Rapunzel", "Beauty and the Beast", "Little Red Riding Hood", "The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats", "The Three Little Pigs" and many more.

In England, Edward Grim (fl. 1170-1177), was a biographer of Becket, a native of Cambridge, a clerk, and had attained the degree of Master at some university before the end of 1170, when he visited Thomas Becket on the latter's return to Canterbury. "On the fatal evening, 29 Dec., Grim accompanied Thomas into the church, stood by him during his altercation with the knights, and shielded him from their violence, till, his own arm being nearly cut off by a stroke aimed at the primate, he fell to the ground, but was able to crawl away to the altar where the archbishop's other clerks had taken refuge, and thus escaped with his life." [1]

Early History of the Grimmett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grimmett research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1785, 1786, 1792, 1828, 1859, 1863 and 1901 are included under the topic Early Grimmett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grimmett Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Grimmett include Grimm, Grim, Grimme, Grimmen, Grimmer, Grimer, Grymm and many more.

Early Notables of the Grimmett family

Notable figures of the time with the name Grimmett were Jacob (1785-1863) and his brother Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859), born in Hessen, who were the founders of folklore as well as historians of the...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grimmett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grimmett Ranking

In the United States, the name Grimmett is the 6,081st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [2]


Australia Grimmett migration to Australia +

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

Grimmett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Richard Grimmett, English convict from Warwick, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia [3]
  • Joseph Grimmett, aged 28, a sawyer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Mallard" [4]
  • James Grimmett, aged 20, a sawyer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Mallard" [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Grimmett (post 1700) +

  • O. B. Grimmett, American Republican politician, Chair of Monroe County Republican Party, 1969 [5]
  • Naida Grimmett, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Idaho, 1948 [5]
  • Lib Grimmett, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Texas State House of Representatives 115th District, 2012 [5]
  • Emmett Grimmett, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State House of Representatives 18th District, 1978 [5]
  • Dorothy Grimmett, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Idaho, 1948 [5]
  • Stephen Grimmett (1959-2022), British heavy metal vocalist, best known as the lead vocalist for the band Grim Reaper
  • Steve Grimmett (b. 1959), English heavy metal vocalist
  • Clarence Victor "Clarrie" Grimmett (1891-1980), New Zealand-born cricketer for Australia, World Record Holder-Most Career Wickets in Test cricket, 216 wickets in 37 Tests (1936-1953), inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
  • Geoffrey Richard Grimmett FRS (b. 1950), English mathematician, known for his work on the mathematics of random systems arising in probability theory, Professor of Mathematical Statistics in the Statistical Laboratory, University of Cambridge
  • William Lawrence "Bill" Grimmett (b. 1956), Canadian former politician in Ontario, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 1999


  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
  4. South Australian Register Thursday 26th April 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Mallard 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/mallard1855.shtml
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, July 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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