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The surname of Grimes originates from the Norse-Viking pre 7th Century personal name of “Grimr” which is both an Old Danish and Old Swedish name as well, appearing in both of these ancient languages as “Grim.” In England, this surname of Grimes was popular due to the influence of Scandinavian settlements in the particular areas of the northwestern and eastern counties. This pre 7th Century Norse personal name is also similar to the Old English word “grima” which translates to mean “ a mask.” This personal name was also given to the god named Woden. Thus, this name translates to mean “masked person,” and it is debatelably able to be translated as “shape-changer” or “shape-shifter” which was given to male children to encourage the god Woden’s protection. It is also plausible that the surname of Grimes derives from the Old English word “grim” which translates to mean “fierce.” The plural of this name, as in “Grimes” or other spelling variations of this surname, is said to be translated to mean “son of Grim.”