“Grim” names for the Winter Solstice

Welcome to the shortest day of the year!

The lack of sunlight is making things seem pretty grim outside, so today let’s check out some “grim” baby names.

Here are a few we’ve talked about already:

• The saint name Grimoaldus
• The recent Idaho baby name Grimsley
• The rejected Icelandic name Skallagrimur
• The 2012 debut name Grimm
• The early Boston name Grimstone
• The ever-name Evergrim
• The Domesday Book names Alfgrim, Arngrim, Fargrim, Grim, Grimbald, Grimbert, Grimkel, Grimulf, Hafgrim, Hundgrim, Kolgrim, Madalgrim, Moregrim, Mulagrim, Mylnugrim, Odhgrim, Ordgrim, Segrim, Steingrimr, Thorgrim, and Ulfgrim

And here are 10 more rare-but-legit personal names with the word “grim” in them. All of these come from surnames:

• Grimble
• Grimley
• Grimmer
• Grimmett
• Grimsby
• Grimsey
  • Fun fact: The one Icelandic island that crosses the Arctic Circle is called Grímsey Island.
• Grimshaw
• Grimstead
• Grimward
• Grimwood

Speaking of Grimwood…several successive generations of boys in the Death (or De’Ath) family of Suffolk, England, were named Grimwood — “Grimwood Death.” Grimmest name of them all, perhaps?

Do you know of any other good grim-names?

P.S. In most “grim” names, the element grim can be traced back to either of two ancient Germanic words — one meaning “grim, cruel,” the other meaning “mask, helmet.”