Griffith
A classic Welsh surname from an old personal name meaning roughly “strong lord” or “prince.”
The #414 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,945 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Griffith comes from the Welsh personal name Gruffudd, later Latinized in medieval records as Griffith or Griffiths in some contexts. The name is usually explained as containing elements meaning “strong” or “firm” plus “lord” or “chief,” so the sense is often given as “strong lord” or “powerful ruler.” It began as a forename borne by Welsh rulers and nobles, and only later became a hereditary surname.
History
The historical excerpts show Griffith functioning first as a Welsh given name and then as a patronymic surname in Wales and among Welsh families more widely. It remained especially common in Welsh naming practice, and later spread through migration to England, North America, and other English-speaking areas. The surname Griffith is also closely related to the surname Griffiths, both descending from the same Welsh personal name.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Welsh records often used “ap” or “ab” to mean “son of,” so many early bearers were literally identified as “the son of Griffith.”
From the historical record
“Maredud ab Grufud. — [Meredith son of Griffith] do. do. A.D. 1270.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Griffith
- D. W. Griffith (1875–1948)
- Melanie Griffith (b. 1957)
- Florence Griffith Joyner (1959–1998)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.