NameCensus.

UK surname

Griffey

Derived from the Welsh name Gruffydd, meaning "lord" or "prince," or from Griffin, a mythological creature with eagle and lion features.

In the 1881 census there were 105 people recorded with the Griffey surname, ranking it #19,183 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 149, ranked #23,844, down from #19,183 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Heston, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Clifton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stroud, South Somerset and Torridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Griffey is 173 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.9%.

1881 census count

105

Ranked #19,183

Modern count

149

2016, ranked #23,844

Peak year

1998

173 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Griffey had 105 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,183 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016, ranked #23,844.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 153 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Griffey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Griffey surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Griffey 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 70 #21,020
1861 historical 68 #25,196
1881 historical 105 #19,183
1891 historical 112 #22,291
1901 historical 142 #18,633
1911 historical 153 #17,633
1997 modern 162 #20,107
1998 modern 173 #19,821
1999 modern 170 #20,153
2000 modern 165 #20,501
2001 modern 157 #20,884
2002 modern 159 #21,086
2003 modern 162 #20,624
2004 modern 159 #21,007
2005 modern 156 #21,221
2006 modern 161 #20,972
2007 modern 160 #21,296
2008 modern 157 #21,766
2009 modern 162 #21,791
2010 modern 164 #22,109
2011 modern 165 #21,829
2012 modern 165 #21,782
2013 modern 165 #22,163
2014 modern 162 #22,624
2015 modern 157 #22,997
2016 modern 149 #23,844

Geography

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Where Griffeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Heston, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Clifton, Hythe St Leonard, Cheriton, Newington, Saltwood, West Hythe, Burmarsh and Berkeley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stroud, South Somerset, Torridge, Powys and Mid Devon. 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 Heston Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Clifton Gloucestershire
4 Hythe St Leonard, Cheriton, Newington, Saltwood, West Hythe, Burmarsh Kent
5 Berkeley Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stroud 014 Stroud
2 South Somerset 002 South Somerset
3 Torridge 002 Torridge
4 Powys 018 Powys
5 Mid Devon 007 Mid Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Griffey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Griffey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Griffey, 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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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, Griffey 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

Griffey is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Griffey falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Griffey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Griffey

The surname GRIFFEY is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Old French word "griffon," which referred to a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.

The name is thought to have originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who possessed certain characteristics associated with the griffon, such as strength, courage, or fierceness. Alternatively, it could have been a reference to someone who worked with or kept griffons, perhaps as a heraldic symbol or as part of their trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GRIFFEY can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1195, where a person named Richard Grifin is mentioned. This early spelling variation suggests that the name may have evolved from an earlier form before taking on its more modern spelling.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which lists a Robert Griffyn. This spelling variation further illustrates the evolution of the name over time.

During the medieval period, the GRIFFEY name was associated with several notable individuals. One such person was John Griffy, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London, who lived in the late 14th century and was involved in the wool trade.

Another historically significant bearer of the name was Sir Ralph Gruffydd, a Welsh soldier and landowner who fought alongside King Edward I during the conquest of Wales in the late 13th century. He was awarded lands in Anglesey for his services to the crown.

In the 16th century, the name GRIFFEY appears in various parish records and registers across England. One notable example is Thomas Griffey, a clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of St. Michael's Church in Cambridge in the mid-1500s.

Fast-forwarding to the 17th century, the name GRIFFEY is found in the records of the Virginia Company of London, which established colonies in North America. One such individual was William Griffey, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 as an indentured servant and later became a landowner and tobacco planter.

The 18th century saw the rise of a prominent GRIFFEY family in Kentucky, with members such as Walter Griffey, a Revolutionary War veteran, and his son, Walter Griffey Jr., who served as a judge and legislator in the early years of the state's history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Griffey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Griffey 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. Gloucestershire leads with 34 Griffeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.93x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 34 16.93x
Kent 20 5.72x
Middlesex 19 1.85x
Devon 17 7.97x
Leicestershire 5 4.40x
Sussex 4 2.32x
Lancashire 2 0.16x
Surrey 2 0.40x
Glamorgan 1 0.56x
Hampshire 1 0.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Clifton in Gloucestershire leads with 20 Griffeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 196.85x.

Place Total Index
Clifton 20 196.85x
Hythe St Leonard 12 975.61x
Bideford 10 438.60x
Berkeley 7 625.00x
Hackney London 7 12.19x
Charlton 6 258.62x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 5 26.44x
Melton Mowbray 5 245.10x
Westminster St James 5 47.48x
Hove 4 52.77x
St Pancras London 4 4.85x
Holsworthy 3 500.00x
Northam 2 129.03x
St Marylebone London 2 3.66x
Toxteth Park 2 4.86x
Bristol St Augustine 1 30.86x
Cardiff St Mary 1 10.18x
East Stonehouse 1 23.81x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 20.49x
Folkestone 1 14.75x
Godalming 1 31.85x
Newington In Elham 1 500.00x
South Stoneham 1 21.98x
Stapleton 1 26.25x
Wandsworth 1 10.14x
Willesden 1 10.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Ellen 5
Elizabeth 4
Emma 4
Alice 3
Annie 2
Fanny 2
Lucy 2
Allice 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Bessey 1
Caroline 1
Catherine 1
Decima 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Hephzibah 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lilian 1
M.R. 1
Maria 1
Selina 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Griffey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Griffey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 105 people were recorded with the Griffey surname. That placed it at #19,183 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Griffey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016. That gives Griffey a modern rank of #23,844.

What does the Griffey surname mean?

Derived from the Welsh name Gruffydd, meaning "lord" or "prince," or from Griffin, a mythological creature with eagle and lion features.

What does the Griffey map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Griffey 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.