Shim
An uncommon surname that can be a shortened form of a longer name, or an anglicized spelling linked to Hebrew and Gaelic personal names in older records.
The #6,801 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 62,272 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Shim is most likely a shortened or altered form of a personal name rather than an originally independent word. In English-language records it can reflect a pet form of names such as Simon or Simeon, which ultimately go back to Hebrew Shim‘on, meaning roughly "he has heard" or "hearing." In some Gaelic contexts, similar spellings may also point to Mac Shim, "son of Sim/Simon."
History
The spelling appears in historical records mainly as a reduced or simplified form, especially in immigrant or anglicized families. Because the same short form could arise in different places from different source names, the surname is not tied to one single family origin worldwide. In the United States it is relatively uncommon, and modern bearers may descend from several unrelated lines.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname dictionaries sometimes treat short forms like Shim as clues to a much longer original name, which makes this a classic example of how surnames can shrink over time.
From the historical record
“MAC KIM 1 (Celt. + Heb.) Son of Sim, MAC KIM M J q.v. [Gael. Mac Shim, nom. Sim {sh = A] MAC KIN for Mac Kian, q.v.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)