NameCensus.

UK surname

Griffin

An English and Welsh surname derived from the mythological creature with the body of a lion and head and wings of an eagle.

In the 1881 census there were 14,053 people recorded with the Griffin surname, ranking it #289 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 24,277, ranked #238, up from #289 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stratford-on-Avon, Forest of Dean and Warwick.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Griffin is 25,058 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 72.8%.

1881 census count

14,053

Ranked #289

Modern count

24,277

2016, ranked #238

Peak year

1999

25,058 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Griffin had 14,053 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #289 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 24,277 in 2016, ranked #238.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 19,300 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Griffin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Griffin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Griffin 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 8,201 #338
1861 historical 8,373 #331
1881 historical 14,053 #289
1891 historical 14,846 #287
1901 historical 17,494 #288
1911 historical 19,300 #233
1997 modern 23,874 #231
1998 modern 24,833 #229
1999 modern 25,058 #228
2000 modern 24,709 #235
2001 modern 24,159 #232
2002 modern 24,600 #235
2003 modern 23,908 #235
2004 modern 23,898 #234
2005 modern 23,441 #234
2006 modern 23,289 #237
2007 modern 23,402 #239
2008 modern 23,528 #238
2009 modern 24,104 #240
2010 modern 24,538 #240
2011 modern 24,276 #239
2012 modern 23,884 #240
2013 modern 24,414 #239
2014 modern 24,588 #239
2015 modern 24,255 #239
2016 modern 24,277 #238

Geography

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Where Griffins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stratford-on-Avon, Forest of Dean, Warwick, Blaenau Gwent and Torridge. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stratford-on-Avon 004 Stratford-on-Avon
2 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
3 Warwick 007 Warwick
4 Blaenau Gwent 008 Blaenau Gwent
5 Torridge 004 Torridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Griffin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Griffin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Griffin, 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 Griffin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Griffin 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, Griffin 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

Griffin is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Griffin 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 Griffin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Griffin

The surname Griffin originated in England and Wales during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "griffon," which itself comes from the Latin "gryphus" and Ancient Greek "gryps," meaning a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. The name likely referred to someone who bore the griffin as a heraldic symbol or who may have had a fierce or valiant disposition.

The earliest recorded instances of the Griffin surname date back to the late 12th century. One of the earliest known bearers was William Griffin, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195. The surname is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where a Richard le Griffon is listed.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a precursor to the Griffin surname can be found in the form of the Old English personal name "Grif," which appears in various locations across England. This suggests that the name may have originated from a nickname or descriptive term before evolving into a hereditary surname.

The Griffin surname is closely associated with several notable historical figures. One of the most famous was Leoline Griffin (c. 1615-1690), a Welsh politician and military leader who served as a Member of Parliament and played a significant role in the English Civil War. Another prominent individual was Edward Dorr Griffin (1770-1837), an American Presbyterian minister and theologian who served as the president of Williams College.

Other notable bearers of the Griffin surname include:

1. Walter Burley Griffin (1876-1937), an American architect who designed the planned city of Canberra, Australia. 2. John Griffin (c. 1719-1793), an American Baptist minister and author who was a pioneer of religious freedom in America. 3. Gerald Griffin (1803-1840), an Irish novelist, poet, and playwright known for works such as "The Collegians" and "The Invasion." 4. John Joseph Griffin (1859-1927), an Irish-American prelate who served as the Bishop of Springfield, Massachusetts.

The Griffin surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Griffin in Staffordshire, England, and Griffintown, a neighborhood in Montreal, Canada, which was named after the prominent Irish-American Griffin family who settled there in the early 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Griffin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Griffin 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 1,757 Griffins recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.28x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,757 1.28x
Lancashire 1,152 0.71x
Gloucestershire 908 3.37x
Warwickshire 905 2.61x
Staffordshire 806 1.74x
Surrey 804 1.20x
Worcestershire 748 4.17x
Yorkshire 598 0.44x
Somerset 490 2.21x
Hampshire 437 1.55x
Kent 429 0.91x
Devon 358 1.25x
Oxfordshire 348 4.10x
Wiltshire 321 2.64x
Berkshire 277 2.68x
Buckinghamshire 276 3.32x
Leicestershire 270 1.77x
Northamptonshire 238 1.84x
Lincolnshire 228 1.04x
Lanarkshire 189 0.43x
Sussex 181 0.78x
Durham 180 0.44x
Cheshire 176 0.58x
Norfolk 175 0.83x
Nottinghamshire 169 0.91x
Hertfordshire 168 1.77x
Glamorgan 167 0.70x
Derbyshire 139 0.65x
Dorset 125 1.39x
Essex 120 0.44x
Monmouthshire 111 1.12x
Cornwall 108 0.69x
Cambridgeshire 92 1.06x
Herefordshire 76 1.35x
Bedfordshire 49 0.69x
Shropshire 49 0.41x
Huntingdonshire 47 1.72x
Midlothian 36 0.20x
Cumberland 33 0.28x
Suffolk 32 0.19x
Dunbartonshire 28 0.76x
Wigtownshire 28 1.53x
Angus 21 0.16x
Renfrewshire 19 0.18x
Ayrshire 18 0.18x
Isle of Man 18 0.71x
Kirkcudbrightshire 17 0.85x
Royal Navy 17 1.04x
Channel Islands 16 0.39x
Northumberland 16 0.08x
Brecknockshire 15 0.55x
Stirlingshire 15 0.30x
Denbighshire 14 0.27x
Flintshire 14 0.38x
Argyllshire 10 0.26x
Westmorland 9 0.30x
Merionethshire 8 0.32x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.09x
Dumfriesshire 5 0.16x
Rutland 5 0.50x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.07x
Berwickshire 3 0.18x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.07x
Perthshire 3 0.05x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.02x
West Lothian 2 0.10x
Anglesey 1 0.04x
East Lothian 1 0.05x
Fife 1 0.01x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 312 Griffins recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.70x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 312 2.70x
Aston 209 2.19x
Islington London 166 1.25x
Camberwell 152 1.73x
St Pancras London 125 1.13x
Kensington London 124 1.62x
Liverpool 124 1.25x
Lambeth 115 0.96x
Leeds 90 1.17x
Bedminster 88 4.23x
St Marylebone London 86 1.17x
Nottingham St Mary 85 1.77x
Shoreditch London 82 1.38x
Hackney London 79 1.03x
Dudley 77 3.53x
West Bromwich 74 2.79x
Portsea 72 1.30x
Wolverhampton 72 2.02x
Paddington London 70 1.39x
Handsworth 69 6.03x
Leicester St Margaret 67 1.80x
Everton 66 1.27x
Newington 66 1.30x
Bermondsey 64 1.56x
Manchester 64 0.87x
Battersea 62 1.23x
St George Hanover Square 61 2.52x
Upton On Severn 60 51.03x
Barony 58 0.52x
Deptford St Paul 57 1.58x
Hammersmith London 57 1.68x
St Giles In Fields London 56 8.30x
Cheltenham 54 2.60x
Stoke Upon Trent 54 1.10x
Walsall Foreign 54 2.25x
Lewisham 53 2.12x
Glasgow 52 0.66x
Stonesfield 51 184.98x
Holy Trinity 48 1.47x
Kings Norton 48 2.98x
Croydon 45 1.21x
Hornsey 45 2.59x
Harborne 44 2.96x
Rotherhithe 43 2.53x
Bootle Cum Linacre 42 3.24x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 42 1.65x
Poplar London 42 1.62x
Chorlton On Medlock 41 1.58x
Chelsea London 40 0.97x
Govan 38 0.35x
Plymouth St Andrew 38 1.72x
Salford 38 0.79x
Westminster St John 38 2.27x
Bethnal Green London 37 0.62x
Clerkenwell London 37 1.14x
Warrington 37 1.91x
Cardiff St Mary 36 2.73x
Fulham London 36 1.81x
Kidderminster Borough 36 3.43x
Sculcoates 35 1.62x
West Derby 35 0.73x
St Luke London 34 1.54x
Bromsgrove 33 5.46x
Reading St Giles 33 3.26x
Redditch 33 9.07x
Swindon 33 3.50x
Wingrave 33 77.32x
Bristol St Paul In 32 4.46x
Wymering 32 69.04x
Brading 31 8.28x
Bristol St George 31 2.49x
Chipping Campden 31 35.33x
Hampstead London 31 1.45x
Honiton 31 19.58x
Wigan 31 1.36x
Bury 30 1.61x
Clifton 29 2.13x
Leamington Priors 29 3.40x
Merthyr Tydfil 29 1.26x
Yardley 29 6.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,002
Sarah 487
Elizabeth 472
Ann 279
Jane 242
Eliza 238
Emma 234
Ellen 233
Annie 181
Emily 180
Alice 170
Margaret 134
Louisa 118
Catherine 115
Hannah 102
Martha 100
Edith 97
Harriet 88
Florence 86
Ada 85
Maria 82
Kate 80
Caroline 70
Charlotte 70
Fanny 63
Susan 61
Bridget 56
Lucy 55
Anne 51
Agnes 50
Amelia 48
Clara 48
Harriett 46
Julia 44
Rose 40
Frances 37
Rebecca 37
Matilda 35
Elizth. 33
Esther 32
Ethel 29
Anna 27
Sophia 26
Jessie 25
Gertrude 23
Isabella 23
Laura 23
Susannah 22
Amy 20
Lydia 20

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 828
John 827
George 513
Thomas 501
James 458
Henry 291
Charles 272
Joseph 197
Edward 175
Alfred 130
Frederick 123
Richard 115
Arthur 105
Samuel 105
Albert 103
Walter 96
Harry 91
Robert 91
Frank 83
Michael 80
Patrick 79
Francis 52
Ernest 50
Daniel 49
David 45
Edwin 45
Herbert 42
Wm. 29
Martin 28
Thos. 28
Geo. 27
Benjamin 23
Stephen 23
Peter 21
Fred 19
Fredrick 19
Edmund 17
Tom 17
Fredk. 16
Isaac 14
Willm. 12
Chas. 11
Clement 11
Jesse 11
Mark 11
Philip 11
Willie 11
Jeremiah 10
Sydney 10
Oliver 9

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Griffin households.

FAQ

Griffin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Griffin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 14,053 people were recorded with the Griffin surname. That placed it at #289 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Griffin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 24,277 in 2016. That gives Griffin a modern rank of #238.

What does the Griffin surname mean?

An English and Welsh surname derived from the mythological creature with the body of a lion and head and wings of an eagle.

What does the Griffin map show?

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