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Griffin is a surname of Irish, English and Welsh origin. Griffin was the 75th most common surname on the island of Ireland in 1891.[2] It was estimated in 2000 that Griffin is the 114th most common surname in the U.S., with a population in the order of two hundred thousand.[1]
 Griffin surname map | |
| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Word/name | Irish |
| Meaning | "descendant of the Griffin-like" |
| [1] | |
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The surname "Griffin" has a number of Gaelic sources in Ireland. According to historian C. Thomas Cairney, the O'Griffeys were one of the chiefly families of the Dal gCais or Dalcassians who were a tribe of the Erainn who were the second wave of Celts to settle in Ireland between about 500 and 100 BC.[3]
Ó Gríofa
The spelling Ó Gríofa (male) or Ní Ghríofa (female) is associated with the Co. Clare family, whose surname was also anglicised as O'Griffey or O'Griffy. Ó Gríofa translates to English as "descendant of the Griffin-like".
Prior to the Irish spelling review, Ó Gríofa was spelt Ó Gríobhtha. The Ó Gríofa were chieftains of the Cineal Cuallachta branch of the Dál gCais, or Dalcassians, with their castle at Ballygriffy located in North Ballygriffey, Dysert (formerly the barony of Inchiquin). The Ó Gríofa are of the same stock as the O'Deas and the O'Quins, who belong to the Cineal Fearmaic, or more appropriately, the Ui Fearmaic.[4]
Ó Grifín
The "Ó Grifín" (male) / "Ní Ghrifín" (female) spelling belongs to the Kerry family. The Kerry Griffins are descendants of Gallowglasses who fought in the Desmond Rebellions against the English.[5]
Ó Gríofáin
Griffith
In Ireland, the surname Griffin can also be associated with the Welsh surname "Griffith", but to a much lesser degree.[8]
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The surname "Griffin" in Wales, generally speaking, is a variant of the surname "Griffith", or other similar Welsh names.
A
- Abigail Griffin, American politician
- Adrian Griffin (born 1974), American basketball player
- Alan Griffin (politician) (born 1960), Australian politician
- Alex Griffin (born 1971), English guitarist
- Alfredo Griffin (born 1957), Dominican Republic baseball player
- Alistair Griffin (born 1977), English singer/songwriter and musician
- Andy Griffin (born 1979), English footballer
- Angela Griffin (born 1976), English television actress
- Anne Dias-Griffin (born 1971), French/American hedge fund manager
- Anne Griffin (writer) (fl 2013 –), Irish short story writer and novelist
- Anthony Griffin (rugby league), Australian rugby league football coach
- Anthony Jerome Griffin (1866–1935), American politician
- Archie Griffin (born 1954), American football player
- Arthur Griffin (disambiguation), several people
- AJ Griffin (born 1988), American baseball player
B
- Bartholomew Griffin (died 1602), English poet
- Becky Griffin (born 1977), Israeli model and actress, and daughter of Bob Griffin
- Ben Griffin (disambiguation), several people
- Benjamin Griffin (disambiguation), several people
- Bernard William Griffin (1899–1956), Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster 1943–56
- Bessie Griffin (1922–1989), American Gospel singer
- Blake Griffin (born 1989), American basketball player
- Bob Griffin (born 1950), American-Israeli basketball player, and English Literature professor, and father of Becky Griffin
- Brian C. Griffin (born 1953), American businessman & administrator
- Brian Griffin (photographer) (1948–2024), British photographer
C
- Cedric Griffin (born 1982), American football player
- Charles Griffin (1825–1867), American Union general
- Charlie Griffin (born 1979), British footballer
- Clarence Griffin (1888–1973), American tennis player
- Clive Griffin (born 1964), British singer
- Colin Griffin (born 1982), Irish race walker
- Colin Griffin (footballer) (born 1956), English footballer
- Cornelius Griffin (born 1986), American football player
- Cyrus Griffin (1749–1810), American lawyer & administrator
D
- Dale "Buffin" Griffin (1948–2016), British musician
- Daniel T. Griffin (1911–1941), American Navy pilot
- Danny Griffin (footballer) (born 1977), Northern Ireland footballer
- David Griffin (disambiguation)
- David Ray Griffin (1939–2022), philosopher, theologian, and proponent of 9/11 conspiracy theories
- Des Griffin, American conspiracy theorist
- Dev Griffin (born 1984), British DJ and presenter
- Donald Griffin (1915–2003), American zoologist
- Doug Griffin (1947–2016), American baseball player
- Drew Griffin (1962-2022), American journalist
E
- Eddie Griffin, African-American actor and comedian
- Edgar Griffin, British politician
- Edna Griffin (1909-2000), civil rights activist
- Eric Griffin (musician), American rock guitarist
- Eric Griffin (basketball) (born 1990), basketball player for Hapoel Be'er Sheva of the Israel Basketball Premier League
F
- Floyd Griffin (born 1944), American politician
- Forrest Griffin (born 1979), American MMA fighter
- Foster Griffin (born 1995), American baseball player
- Francis Griffin (disambiguation)
- Francis E. Griffin (1910–1973), American architect
- Francis Vielé-Griffin (1864–1937), French poet
- Frank Hastings Griffin (1886-1975), American chemist who invented Rayon
G
- G. Edward Griffin (born 1931), American film producer, publisher, author and lecturer
- Gavin Griffin (born 1981), American poker player
- Geoffrey Griffin (cricketer) (1939–2006), South African Test cricketer
- Geoffrey William Griffin, youth leader in Kenya
- George C. Griffin, American university teacher and administrator
- George Eugene Griffin (1781-1863), English pianist and composer
- Gerald Griffin, Irish novelist, poet and playwright
- Gerald D. Griffin (born 1934), American aeronautical engineer
- Grey Griffin (alternate name of Grey DeLisle)
H
- Harriet Griffin (1903–1991), American mathematician
- A. Harry Griffin, journalist and mountaineer
- Harry Griffin (cricketer), English cricketer
- Hayden Griffin (1943–2013), British stage designer
- Helen Griffin (1959–2018), Welsh actress and writer
I
- Ian P. Griffin, British astronomer
J
- James Bennett Griffin, American archaeologist
- James D. Griffin, American politician
- Jane Griffin (Lady Franklin)
- Jimmy Griffin, American singer and songwriter
- John Griffin (disambiguation)
- John-Ford Griffin, American professional baseball player
- John Griffin Griffin, name used by John Griffin Whitwell, 4th Baron Howard de Walden
- John Howard Griffin, American journalist and author
- Johnny Griffin, American jazz saxophonist
K
- Kathy Griffin, American comedian and actress
- Katie Griffin, Canadian actress and singer
- Kelsey Griffin (born 1987), American–Australian basketball player
- Kenneth C. Griffin, hedge fund manager and Forbes 400 member
- Kenneth W. Griffin (1909–1956), American organist
- Kevin Griffin, American singer, songwriter and record producer
L
- Larry Griffin, American murderer
- Leonard Griffin (soccer), American soccer player
- Lideatrick Griffin (born 2001), American football player
- Lois Griffin (Toronto politician)
- Lorna Griffin, American sportswoman
- Lynne Griffin, Canadian actress
- Liam Griffin (disambiguation)
M
- Malaika Griffin (born 1971), Anti-white racist convicted of the 1999 murder of Jason Patrick Horsley in Denver, Colorado
- Marcus Griffin, American football player
- Marion Mahony Griffin, American architect and artist
- Martin Griffin (disambiguation)
- Marvin Griffin, American politician
- Merv Griffin (1925–2007), entertainer, talk show host, and creator of the television game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune
- Michael D. Griffin, administrator of NASA
- Michael F. Griffin, anti-abortion activist who killed David Gunn
- Michael Griffin (American football) (born 1985), American football player
- Michael Griffin (Irish priest), murdered during the Irish War for Independence
- Miriam T. Griffin, classicist and Fellow of Somerville College, Oxford
- Montell Griffin (born 1970), American boxer
- Morgan Griffin (born 1992), Australian actress
N
- Nick Griffin (born 1959), former chairman of the British National Party
- Nonnie Griffin (1933–2019), Canadian stage actress
O
- Olaijah Griffin (born 1999), American football player
P
- Patrick Griffin (disambiguation), several people
- Patty Griffin (born 1964), American singer-songwriter
- Paul Griffin (disambiguation), several people
- Peter Griffin (disambiguation), several people
Q
- Quentin Griffin (born 1981), American football player
R
- Rashawn Griffin (born 1980), American visual artist, educator
- Renee Griffin (born 1968), American actress
- Richard Griffin and Company, 19th-century Scots publishing house
- Richard Allen Griffin (born 1952), American judge
- Rick Griffin (1944–1991), American illustrator & cartoonist
- Robert Griffin III (born 1990), American football player
- Robert P. Griffin (1923–2015), American politician
- Roger Griffin (born 1948), British historian
- Roger F. Griffin, British astronomer
- Ron Griffin (footballer) (1919–1987), English footballer
- Ron Griffin (artist) (born 1954), American artist
- Ruth Griffin (1893–1984), American actress better known as Ruth Renick
S
- S. A. Griffin (born 1954), American poet & actor
- Samuel Griffin (1746–1810), American lawyer & politician
- Sandy Griffin (1858–1926), American baseball player
- Shaquem Griffin (born 1995), American football player and twin brother of:
- Shaquill Griffin (born 1995), also an American football player
- Simon Goodell Griffin (1824–1902), American soldier
- Steve Griffin (born 1964), American football player
- Susan Griffin (born 1943), American author
T
- Taylor Griffin (born 1986), American basketball player (and brother of Blake Griffin)
- Ted Griffin (born 1970), American screenwriter
- Thomas Griffin (politician) (1773–1837), American politician, lawyer and judge
- Tom Griffin (disambiguation), several people
- Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born 1985), American musician known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign
- Tyson Griffin (born 1984), American martial artist
- Todd Griffin, American musician
V
- Victor Griffin (1924–2017), Irish Anglican priest and author
- Victor William Griffin (c. 1873–1958), Quapaw chief and peyote roadman from Oklahoma
W
- W. E. B. Griffin (1929–2019), American author
- Walter Burley Griffin (1878–1937), American architect and landscape architect most famous for planning Canberra
- William Richard Griffin (1882–1944), American auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse
- William Michael Griffin (born 1968), hip-hop MC known as Rakim
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- The Griffin family of Family Guy:
- Peter Griffin, father
- Lois Griffin, mother
- Meg Griffin, daughter and oldest child
- Chris Griffin, older son
- Stewie Griffin, younger son
- Brian Griffin, anthropomorphic pet dog
- Francis Griffin, Peter's (adoptive) father
- Thelma Griffin, Peter's mother
- Karen "Heavy Flo" Griffin, Peter's sister
- Griffin (The Invisible Man), fictional character in H. G. Wells' The Invisible Man, first name Jack only in film versions
- Judge Jürgen Griffin, a character in the Judge Dredd comic strip
- Henry Griffin, a character in The O.C.
- Kylie Griffin, a character in Extreme Ghostbusters and in the IDW Ghostbusters comic series
- Ric Griffin, a Holby City character played by actor Hugh Quarshie
- Sandi Griffin, a character in the animated series Daria
- Clarke Griffin, a character in The CW network series The 100
- Arthur Griffin, a secondary character in American television series Big Time Rush
- Hawley Griffin, a character from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
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