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Griffin Family History

Griffin Surname Meaning

Welsh: from the personal name Gruffin Griffin a pet form of Middle Welsh Gruffudd. In the Welsh border counties this name was introduced directly from Welsh and in the eastern counties of England by Bretons from France who came over with the Norman conquest.

Irish: Anglicized (part translated) form of Gaelic Ó Gríobhtha ‘descendant of Gríobhtha’ a personal name from gríobh ‘gryphon’.

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


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Where is the Griffin family from?

You can see how Griffin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Griffin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Griffin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2,129 Griffin families living in London. This was about 16% of all the recorded Griffin's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Griffin families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Griffin 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 Griffin ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Griffin. 8% of Griffin men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Griffin women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Griffin were Retired and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Griffin | 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 Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Gardener
    3%
  • Retired
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Griffin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Griffin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Griffin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Griffin

Passenger Lists

There are 110,000 immigration records available for the last name Griffin. 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.

View all Griffin immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 188,000 military records available for the last name Griffin. For the veterans among your Griffin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Griffin military records

You've only scratched the surface of Griffin family history

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What is the average Griffin lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Griffin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Griffin in 1940 was 40, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Griffin

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Griffin 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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