NameCensus.

UK surname

Griffen

Derived from the Welsh name Gruffudd or Griffith, meaning "lord" or "prince."

In the 1881 census there were 976 people recorded with the Griffen surname, ranking it #3,988 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 360, ranked #12,867, down from #3,988 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Trowbridge, London parishes and Dudley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Great Yarmouth, IZ17 and Netherton and Kirkhill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Griffen is 1,350 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 63.1%.

1881 census count

976

Ranked #3,988

Modern count

360

2016, ranked #12,867

Peak year

1901

1,350 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Griffen had 976 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,988 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 360 in 2016, ranked #12,867.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,350 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Griffen surname distribution map

The map shows where the Griffen surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Griffen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Griffen over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 753 #3,529
1861 historical 967 #2,882
1881 historical 976 #3,988
1891 historical 1,309 #3,317
1901 historical 1,350 #3,715
1911 historical 522 #7,577
1997 modern 347 #12,251
1998 modern 352 #12,489
1999 modern 352 #12,552
2000 modern 336 #12,921
2001 modern 329 #12,921
2002 modern 322 #13,354
2003 modern 303 #13,718
2004 modern 324 #13,197
2005 modern 321 #13,195
2006 modern 336 #12,842
2007 modern 344 #12,743
2008 modern 340 #12,989
2009 modern 341 #13,214
2010 modern 361 #12,933
2011 modern 357 #12,915
2012 modern 354 #12,851
2013 modern 358 #12,952
2014 modern 371 #12,689
2015 modern 363 #12,793
2016 modern 360 #12,867

Geography

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Where Griffens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Trowbridge, London parishes, Dudley and St Leonard Shoreditch. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Great Yarmouth, IZ17 and Netherton and Kirkhill. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Trowbridge Wiltshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Dudley Staffordshire
4 St Leonard Shoreditch London (East Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Great Yarmouth 007 Great Yarmouth
2 Great Yarmouth 005 Great Yarmouth
3 IZ17 West Dunbartonshire
4 Great Yarmouth 013 Great Yarmouth
5 Netherton and Kirkhill North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Griffen

These lists show first names that appear often with the Griffen surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Griffen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Griffen, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Griffen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Griffen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Griffen is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Griffen is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Griffen falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Griffen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Griffen, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Griffen

The surname Griffen originated in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "grifon," which means "griffin," a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. This name was likely bestowed upon someone who was known for their fierceness or bravery, as the griffin was a symbol of strength and valor.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William Griffen, mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273. The Hundred Rolls were a series of administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable insight into the names and locations of individuals living in England at the time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which listed a John Griffen from the village of Hemingborough. This suggests that the name had spread throughout different regions of England by this period.

The Griffen surname is also associated with several place names, such as Griffenfield in Yorkshire and Griffydam in Leicestershire. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname, including Griffyn, Griffyn, and Griffon.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir Ralph Griffen, a Welsh military leader who fought alongside Owain Glyndŵr in the early 15th century during the Welsh Revolt against English rule. Sir Ralph was born around 1360 and played a crucial role in the struggle for Welsh independence.

Another prominent figure was John Griffen, a Catholic martyr who was executed in 1539 during the English Reformation for refusing to accept King Henry VIII's Act of Supremacy, which declared the monarch as the supreme head of the Church of England.

In the literary world, Edward Griffen (1770-1837) was an English writer and editor who published works on various subjects, including history, politics, and biography. He is best known for his biography of William Shakspere, which was published in 1821.

Lastly, Sir Lepel Henry Griffen (1838-1908) was a British colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab province in British India from 1886 to 1892. He was highly regarded for his administrative skills and efforts to promote education and infrastructure development in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Griffen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Griffen surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 87 Griffens recorded in 1881 and an index of 0.91x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 87 0.91x
Lanarkshire 85 2.75x
Wiltshire 70 8.30x
Sussex 62 3.85x
Somerset 51 3.32x
Warwickshire 47 1.95x
Lancashire 46 0.41x
Gloucestershire 41 2.19x
Surrey 41 0.88x
Oxfordshire 31 5.26x
Yorkshire 29 0.31x
Devon 26 1.31x
Kent 26 0.80x
Hampshire 24 1.23x
Norfolk 24 1.64x
Staffordshire 22 0.68x
Worcestershire 19 1.53x
Renfrewshire 18 2.43x
Dunbartonshire 16 6.24x
Stirlingshire 15 4.26x
Buckinghamshire 14 2.43x
Huntingdonshire 14 7.39x
Dorset 13 2.08x
Northamptonshire 13 1.45x
Essex 12 0.64x
Leicestershire 12 1.13x
Lincolnshire 12 0.79x
Durham 11 0.39x
Cambridgeshire 10 1.65x
Cheshire 10 0.47x
Derbyshire 9 0.60x
Cornwall 8 0.74x
Midlothian 8 0.63x
Ayrshire 7 0.98x
Berkshire 7 0.98x
Hertfordshire 5 0.76x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.39x
Aberdeenshire 4 0.45x
Argyllshire 4 1.51x
Flintshire 4 1.56x
Glamorgan 3 0.18x
Cumberland 2 0.24x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.95x
Wigtownshire 2 1.58x
Channel Islands 1 0.35x
Fife 1 0.18x
Herefordshire 1 0.26x
Perthshire 1 0.23x
Royal Navy 1 0.88x
Selkirkshire 1 1.16x
Suffolk 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Trowbridge in Wiltshire leads with 26 Griffens recorded in 1881 and an index of 69.72x.

Place Total Index
Trowbridge 26 69.72x
Barony 25 3.20x
Steeple Ashton 23 1008.77x
Glasgow 20 3.65x
Kensington London 17 3.21x
Paddington London 16 4.56x
Cambusnethan 15 21.89x
Birmingham 12 1.50x
Castor 12 314.14x
Udimore 12 845.07x
West Ashby 12 937.50x
West Ashton 12 1200.00x
Hastings St Clement 11 72.66x
Middlesbrough 11 8.94x
Chatham 10 11.17x
West Bromwich 10 5.42x
Bishops Itchington 9 387.93x
Clapham 9 7.55x
Great Yarmouth 9 7.41x
Little Claybrooke 9 463.92x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 5.88x
Shoreditch London 9 2.18x
St George Hanover Square 9 5.35x
Stilton 9 424.53x
Asterleigh 8 4705.88x
Bridgewater 8 19.19x
Canford Magna 8 220.99x
Griston 8 898.88x
Kirkintilloch 8 22.97x
Lye 8 38.59x
Milverton 8 113.48x
Stockport 8 7.38x
Avening 7 105.90x
Battle 7 64.52x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 7 41.08x
Christ Church Newgate 7 157.66x
East Pennard 7 351.76x
Gaydon 7 813.95x
Glassford 7 147.37x
Hardington Mandeville 7 338.16x
Kingswinford 7 5.99x
Liverpool 7 1.02x
New Kilpatrick 7 28.70x
Pett 7 760.87x
Wellington 7 33.62x
Cheltenham 6 4.16x
Chertsey 6 19.97x
Chipping Norton 6 44.05x
Derby St Werburgh 6 6.96x
Greenwich 6 3.95x
Halifax 6 4.32x
Hove 6 8.50x
Kilsyth 6 26.75x
Lambeth 6 0.72x
Old Monkland 6 4.90x
Penn 6 167.13x
Portsea 6 1.57x
Rugby 6 18.43x
St Luke London 6 3.92x
Wigan 6 3.79x
Wisbech St Peter 6 19.80x
Campsie 5 25.89x
Croydon 5 1.94x
Great Brickhill 5 274.73x
Guestling 5 190.84x
Keymer 5 44.01x
Leamington Priors 5 8.45x
Moss Side 5 8.39x
Nottingham St Mary 5 1.50x
Port Glasgow 5 13.99x
St Pancras London 5 0.65x
Walcot 5 6.11x
West Ham 5 1.20x
Aberdeen Old Machar 4 2.17x
Camberwell 4 0.66x
Dundonald 4 15.19x
Great Bolton 4 2.67x
Heckmondwike 4 13.15x
Shettleston 4 14.48x
Wilton 4 67.00x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Griffen surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Griffen surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 44
William 37
George 34
Henry 28
James 23
Charles 19
Thomas 19
Albert 17
Joseph 14
Alfred 10
Frank 8
Frederick 8
Edward 7
Michael 7
Richard 7
Walter 7
Arthur 5
Stephen 5
Edwin 4
Frederic 4
Robert 4
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Harry 3
Isaac 3
Patrick 3
Thos. 3
Eli 2
Percy 2
Samuel 2
Sidney 2
Andrew 1
Charity 1
Dan 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edmond 1
Evan 1
Fredric 1
Fredrick 1
Gregory 1
Harold 1
Jonathan 1
Luke 1
Moses 1
Nathan 1
Nephi 1
Nicholas 1
Richd. 1
Wilson 1

FAQ

Griffen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Griffen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 976 people were recorded with the Griffen surname. That placed it at #3,988 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Griffen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 360 in 2016. That gives Griffen a modern rank of #12,867.

What does the Griffen surname mean?

Derived from the Welsh name Gruffudd or Griffith, meaning "lord" or "prince."

What does the Griffen map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Griffen bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.