This unusual name is of both English and Dutch origin, where it is not recorded as Slimm and Slim, but in the early registers as Slyme, Slimme and Slym. In the Netherlands, the translation is not as may be thought, i.e., "a slim person", but in fact it means "A clever person", and was a metonymic for a teacher or academic. The "English" version is believed to be topographical for one who was resident at a particularly muddy place. The various recordings include the following examples; Annetje Slim, daughter of Gerrit Cales Slim, christened on November 11th 1689 at Moordrecht, Holland, whilst in Germany Marie Elisabeth Slimm married Jacobus Negener on November 12th 1745 at Alme, Westphalia. In England, the recordings include Margaret Slimm, of Finsbury, London on November 8th 1751, she was the daughter of Benjamin and Margaret Slimm of possibly huguenot origins. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Slimme, which was dated April 8th 1621, a witness at St. Giles Church, Cripplegate, London, during the reign of King James 1, of England and V1 of Scotland, 1603 - 1625. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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