Griffin (surname) explained

Griffin
Meaning:"descendant of the Griffin-like"
Origin:Irish
Footnotes:[1]

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 in Ireland

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

Found along the Mayo, Roscommon and Galway border.[6] [7]

Griffith

In Ireland, the surname Griffin can also be associated with the Welsh surname "Griffith", but to a much lesser degree.[8]

Griffin in Wales

The surname "Griffin" in Wales, generally speaking, is a variant of the surname "Griffith", or other similar Welsh names.

Notable people with the surname

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Fictional characters with the surname

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Genealogy. United States Census Bureau. https://web.archive.org/web/20120515010621/https://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/names_files.html. 15 May 2012. unfit.
  2. Matheson 1891
  3. Book: Cairney, C. Thomas . 1989 . Clans and Families of Ireland and Scotland . Jefferson, North Carolina, United States, and London . . 61-69 . 0899503624.
  4. Book: O'Laughlin, Michael C. . Families of County Clare Ireland . 2000 . Irish Genealogical Foundation . 978-0940134980 . O'Laughlin.
  5. Web site: FamilyTreeDNA.
  6. Web site: Irish Surname Maps.
  7. Web site: Sloinne.
  8. O'Laughin 1997

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