Grimaldi
Grimaldi is an Italian surname most prominently associated with a long-standing noble dynasty that ruled Monaco. The name is of Italian origin, linked to medieval personal names such as Grimaldo and Grimoald, and became connected with the Genoese noble house known as the House of Grimaldi. In popular tradition, Francesco Grimaldi, a soldier and monk, is said to have seized the fortress of Monaco in 1297, establishing the family’s rule over the town and later the principality.
Notable bearers include Joseph Grimaldi (1778–1837), an English stage clown who helped shape modern clowning; Francisco
Outside nobility, the name appears in geography and business. Grimaldi, Calabria, is a comune in southern Italy.