Origins of the Griffin surname

What does the name Griffin mean?

The Griffin surname originates in England. It is thought to be a patronymic name, referring to those who are the son or descendant of a person named 'Griffin', an anglicised version of the Welsh name 'Griffith'. Some also believe it to come from a corruption of the Norman descriptive 'Ruffin', referring to someone who had a ruddy complexion.

Alternative variations of the name Griffin

Griffin, Griffyn, Grifin, Gryffin, Griffen

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Delve deeper into the Griffin family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 243North West 352Isle of Man 29Yorkshire 725East Midlands 400West Midlands 1267East 449London 2806South East 1328South West 1031South Wales 396Mid Wales 26West Wales 3North Wales 38Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Griffins lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

73,000 Griffin Travel & migration records
140,000 Griffins found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Griffin

How common is your surname?

257th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Griffin surname. The oldest one dates back to 1397.

Who were Griffins most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Griffins.

What are the most common Griffin first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Griffin family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Griffins

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Griffins in 1921

Dressmaker

582

Laundress

517

Domestic Servant

346

General Servant Domestic

298

Servant

256

Common male occupations for Griffins in 1921

Agricultural Labourer

778

General Labourer

611

Farm Hands

570

Farm Labourer

420

Farmer

399

We found over 210,000 family trees with the Griffin surname

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