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Griff Family History

Griff Surname Meaning

English: topographic name for someone living near a pit or hollow from Middle English grif ‘pit, hollow, narrow valley’ (Old Norse gryfja) or a habitational name from Griff in Warwickshire, Griffe in Derbyshire, or Griff Farm in Rievaulx, North Yorkshire, all probably named with this word.

Welsh and English: from the Welsh personal name Gryff, a short form of Gruffudd. See Griffith.

German: variant of Greif.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Griff family from?

You can see how Griff families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Griff family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Griff families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 25 Griff families living in London. This was about 30% of all the recorded Griff's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Griff families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Griff surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Griff ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Griff. 82% of Griff women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Griff | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    82%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    19%

What Griff family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 9,000 census records available for the last name Griff. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Griff census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Griff

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Griff. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Griff. For the veterans among your Griff ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Griff family history

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What is the average Griff lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Griff life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1963, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Griff in 1960 was 59, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Griff

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Griff ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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