Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Griffin

Griffin is the transferred use of a surname linked to England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The name is most likely derived from an ancient Welsh personal name "Gruffydd" with “gruff” probably meaning ‘dragon’ and “ydd/udd” signifying a chief or a lord. As a baptismal name among Anglo-Saxons, Grifan was used with hopes the child would grow up to be a fierce person (from the Germanic “grifan” maning to snatch or grab passing people or a mythical dragon-like creature). In Ireland, the old surname Ó Griobhtha came from the ancient Gaelic "griobh" meaning ‘gryphon, griffin’ which is the name for a majestic creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, considered king of all creatures. As a male given name, Griffin was in sporadic use in the late 19th century but took hold by the 20th century.

All About the Baby Name – Griffin

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME GRIFFIN

Romance is the hallmark of the Six personality. They exude nurturing, loving, and caring energy. Sixes are in love with the idea of love in its idealized form - and with their magnetic personalities, they easily draw people toward them. Like the number Two personality, they seek balance and harmony in their life and the world at large. They are conscientious and service-oriented, and a champion for the underdog. These personalities naturally attract money and are usually surrounded by lovely material objects - but their human relationships are always primary. They thrive in giving back to others rather than being motivated by their own desires. This is when they achieve great things. Sixes are natural teachers, ministers and counselors.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME GRIFFIN

The name Griffin had very low usage at the end of the 19th century in America. For most of the 20th century, the name wasn’t even on the charts it was so rarely used. It wouldn’t be until 1983 that Griffin reappeared on the charts for good. The name has been growing steadily for the past 30 years and has advanced over 750 positions on the charts to reach moderately high levels of usage. The name has an interesting etymology and is tied to one of the most legendary creatures of folklore, the griffin. The powerful griffin is the union of a terrestrial beast (the lion) and an aerial bird (the eagle) and is therefore admired for its courage and boldness. Somehow, we see Griffin as a good name for a red-headed baby boy – a fierce and fiery little dragon. Since the griffin symbolizes strength and leadership, it’s a universally good choice in a name. Its Celtic roots make Griffin even more appealing.

Quick Facts

ON GRIFFIN

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Celtic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

225

PRONUNCIATION:

GRIF-fin

SIMPLE MEANING:

Dragon, fierce person, king of creatures

Characteristics

OF GRIFFIN

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Griffin

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME GRIFFIN

Griffin is the protagonist of H. G. Wells’ science fiction novel, The Invisible Man, published in 1897. It was made into a film in 1933, starring Claude Rains. Griffin is a reclusive laboratory scientist who discovers a way to make the human form invisible. He experiments successfully on himself, with one significant drawback – he neglects to perfect the reversal of the project and – voila – he is invisible to one and all. This might have intriguing advantages, but Griffin is so bent on trying to find the antidote and committing any number of crimes in the process, he never has fun with it. All jesting aside, Griffin represents the cold specter of science without the redeeming force of humanity. His obsession brings no good to himself or others, and ultimately destroys him. Nonetheless – it’s a cool sounding name!

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME GRIFFIN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Griffin


Popular Songs

ON GRIFFIN

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Griffin


Famous People

NAMED GRIFFIN

Griffin Bell (former U.S. Attorney)
Griffin Dunne (actor)

Children of Famous People

NAMED GRIFFIN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Griffin

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME GRIFFIN

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Griffin