Griffin is an appealing name of Welsh and classical origin. This baby name offers a seamless combination of both ruggedness and royalty. Griffin also has a solid place in popular literature and folklore. Dr. Griffin is the main protagonist in H.G. Wells' The Invisible Man, and Griffin Jennings is the central character of History Is All You Left Me. Keep reading to learn more about this name.
Meaning and Origin of the name Griffin:
Griffin has two distinct etymologies. The most common source of Griffin is the male name of Welsh origin. This name derives from Griffinus; the Latin spelling of the medieval Welsh surname Griffith. The name Griffith itself was an anglicized spelling of Gruffydd or Gruffudd. That surname ultimately derived from the Old Welsh word Grippiud (meaning “strong lord” or “prince”).
The second etymology is through the ancient Greek element grȳ́ps (meaning “curved” or “hooked nose”). This ancient Greek stem became the Latin root grȳphus and further evolved into grifon (Middle French) and griffoun (Middle English). In this context, Griffin refers to a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.
Nicknames for the name Griffin:
- Griff
- Fin
- Finnie
- Riff
- Ian
- Griffy
Symbolism of the name Griffin:
Griffins are traditionally symbols of guardianship and divine rule. In medieval heraldry, griffins appear on coats of arms to represent the king's right to absolute power.
Style of the name Griffin:
Classic
Gender of the name Griffin:
Griffin is a boy's name.
Pronunciation of the name Griffin:
GRIF-in
Number of syllables in the name Griffin:
Two
Emotion evoked from the name Griffin:
The name Griffin evokes feelings of capability and strength.
Alternative spellings for the name Griffin:
- Gryffin
- Griffon
- Gryphon
Popularity of the name Griffin:
According to the Social Security Administration index, Griffin was the 241st most popular baby name for boys in 2020. Griffin has ranked among the top 400 baby boy names since 1995.
Related names for the name Griffin:
Great middle names for Griffin and their meanings:
- Adam (man, son of the red earth)
- Brady (broad meadow, broad-chested)
- Beau (beautiful, handsome)
- Brooks (freshwater streams)
- Cormac (charioteer)
- Dominic (of the Lord)
- Maxwell (great stream)
- Theodore (gift of God)
- Todd (fox)
- Wesley (West Meadow)
Famous people with the name Griffin:
- Griffin Boyette Bell (judge)
- Griffin Riley Conine (baseball player)
- Griffin Dunne (actor)
- Griffin Arthur Fraser (son of actor Brendan Fraser)
- Griffin Andrew McElroy (podcaster)
- Griffin Patrick O'Neal (actor)
- Griffin Reinhart (hockey player)
Griffins in popular culture:
- Griffin Bowen (character in the film Poltergeist)
- Griffin Grey (character on The Flash
- Griffin “Griff” Hawkins (character on Boy Meets World)
- Griffin Holbrook (character in Party of Five)
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Tomsickova Tatyana/Shutterstock.com.