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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did Griffin go to the doctor? He had a griff-infection.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Griffy)

Griffin
Griffin surname map
Origin
Word/nameIrish
Meaning"descendant of the Griffin-like"
[1]

Griffin is a surname of primarily Irish origin. Griffin was the 75th most common surname on the island of Ireland in 1891.[2] It was estimated in 2000 that Griffin is the 114th most common surname in the U.S., with a population in the order of two hundred thousand.[1]

Griffin in Ireland

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The surname "Griffin" has a number of sources in Ireland.

Uí Ghríofa

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The spelling Ó Gríofa (male) or Ní Ghríofa (female) is associated with the Co. Clare family, whose surname was also anglicised as O'Griffey or O'Griffy. Ó Gríofa translates to English as "descendant of the Griffin-like".

Prior to the Irish spelling review, Ó Gríofa was spelt Ó Gríobhtha.[3] The Ó Gríofa were chieftains of the Cineal Cuallachta[4] branch of the Dál gCais,[5] or Dalcassians, with their castle at Ballygriffy located in North Ballygriffey, Dysert (formerly the barony of Inchiquin). The Ó Gríofa are of the same stock as the O'Deas and the O'Quins, who belong to the Uí Fhearmaic.[6][7]

The surname appears in the 14th-century medieval Gaelic chronicle Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh (“The Triumphs of Turlough”), written around 1310–1320, which records the wars of Toirdhealbhach Ó Briain (Turlough O’Brien), King of Thomond. The chronicle mentions a notable figure, Tomás mac Urthaile Ó Gríofa, who acted as both a military leader and diplomatic envoy, commissioned to negotiate on behalf of the Dalcassians with the Anglo-Norman de Clare family. This reference highlights the family's significant status in medieval Irish politics and warfare.

Another prominent member of the family was Mathgamhain Ó Gríobhtha (Matthew O'Griffey), who was Bishop of Killaloe from 1463 until his death in 1483. The Annals of the Four Masters record his death in 1483 as that of “Mathgamhain Ua Griobhtha”, Bishop of Killaloe, and state that he was buried at the monastery of the Canons in Corcovaskin.[8] Clare historian Michael MacMahon identifies him as Bishop Matthew Ó Griobhtha (O'Griffey) and notes that he was probably associated with the Augustinian tradition, as he was buried in the Augustinian monastery on Canons' Island.[9]

Gerald Griffin (1803–1840) was an Irish novelist, poet and playwright born in Limerick. His family was descended from the Gaelic Ó Gríobhtha, a Clare family whose name was anglicised as Griffy, Griffith and Griffin. According to his brother Daniel's biography, members of the family had moved from County Clare into neighbouring Limerick, including their grandfather James Griffin of Corgarriff, while his father Patrick Griffin had also lived for several years in County Clare before settling in Limerick.[10] Griffin is best known for his novel The Collegians (1829), and later joined the Christian Brothers, dying in Cork in 1840.[11]

Mártán Ó Gríobhtha (Martin Griffin or Griffy) was a blacksmith and Irish-language scribe from Kilrush, County Clare, active in the mid-19th century. He produced substantial manuscripts of Irish traditional literature, including an 881-page manuscript entitled An Sgeulaidhe ("The Story-teller"), written in 1842–1843 and containing thirty-eight Fenian and other legends, some copied from manuscripts dating to 1749.[12] Another manuscript made by Ó Gríobhtha in 1844 survives in Cambridge University Library, while the National Library of Ireland also records a manuscript of Irish poetry for which he was the scribe.[13][14]

Mícheál Ó Gríobhtha (1869–1946) was an Irish-language writer, translator and civil servant from County Clare. He was born at Cathair Aoidh, Liscasey, County Clare, on 21 January 1869, grew up in a bilingual environment, and subsequently worked in the Irish civil service. From 1922 until his retirement he worked in the Department of Education, where he was involved in Irish-language publications and terminology.[15] Ó Gríobhtha was also a prolific Irish-language writer and translator. His publications included Go mbeannuighthear dhuit (1925), Bean an Bhrait Bháin (1928) and other works of Irish fiction and drama. The National Library of Ireland catalogues Bean an Bhrait Bháin under his name and identifies him as its author.[16] Ó Gríobhtha played an important role in the preparation of Bunreacht na hÉireann, the Constitution of Ireland adopted in 1937. At the request of Éamon de Valera, he prepared the first Irish draft of the Constitution in 1936, with Risteárd Ó Foghludha subsequently assisting as editor. De Valera particularly valued Ó Gríobhtha's clear and precise Irish. The Irish-language version subsequently became the authoritative text where the two language versions differ.[17][18]

James Griffin (1870–1955), known locally as Séamus Mór Ó Gríobhtha, was an Irish-language activist, seanchaí and folklorist from Kilkee, County Clare. He was involved in organising Irish-language classes and feiseanna in Clare and was among those responsible for the establishment of O'Curry Irish College at Carrigaholt, where he served as a trustee. His 1955 obituary described him as one of the oldest native Irish speakers in the district.[19]

County Kerry Griffins

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County Kerry Griffins are descendants of Gallowglasses who fought in the Desmond Rebellions against the English.[20]

The Kerry Griffin surname is also found in Irish as Ó Gríbhthín, with the modern spelling Ó Grífín. Irish Names and Surnames (1906) associates Ó Gríbhthín specifically with County Kerry, west Limerick and west Cork. The Irish-language form Ó Gríbhthín is also documented among speakers in County Kerry in the National Folklore Collection held by Dúchas, including Séamus Ó Gríbhthín and Máire Bean Uí Ghríbhthín.

Griffith

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In Ireland, the surname Griffin can also be associated with the Welsh surname "Griffith", but to a much lesser degree.[21]

Griffin in Wales

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The surname "Griffin" in Wales, generally speaking, is a variant of the surname "Griffith", or other similar Welsh names.

Notable people with the surname

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B

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D

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E

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F

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G

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H

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J

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K

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O

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Griffey

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  • Anthony Dean Griffey (born 1970), American operatic tenor
  • Carolyn Griffey (born 1969), American soul vocalist and member of the soul funk group Shalamar
  • Dan Griffey (born 1970), American politician
  • Dick Griffey (1938–2010), American record producer and promoter, father of Carolyn Griffey
  • Ken Griffey Jr. (born 1969), former Major League Baseball player
  • Ken Griffey Sr. (born 1950), former Major League Baseball player, father of Ken Griffey Jr.

Fictional characters with the surname

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See also

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References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "Genealogy". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012.
  2. ↑ Matheson 1891
  3. ↑ "Ó Gríobhtha". libraryireland.com. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  4. ↑ "Cineal Cuallachta". libraryireland.com. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  5. ↑ "Dal gCais". libraryireland.com. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  6. ↑ "Uí Fhearmaic". libraryireland.com. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  7. ↑ O'Laughlin, Michael C. (2000). Families of County Clare Ireland. Irish Genealogical Foundation. ISBN 978-0-940134-98-0.
  8. ↑ "Annals of the Four Masters, M1483.2". Corpus of Electronic Texts. University College Cork.
  9. ↑ MacMahon, Michael. "The Charter of Clare Abbey and the Augustinian Province in Co. Clare: Augustinian Tradition". Clare Libraries Local Studies. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  10. ↑ "National Tintings I: Gerald Griffin". Library Ireland. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  11. ↑ "Griffin, Gerald". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  12. ↑ "Fictions of our forefathers: Fion Mac Cumhail and his warriors" (PDF). The Irish Quarterly Review. National Library of Scotland. 1859.
  13. ↑ "A circle of writers, Kilrush - are they in parish records?". Clare County Library. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  14. ↑ "Poems in Irish, mainly collected in the Clare interest". National Library of Ireland. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  15. ↑ "Ó GRÍOBHTHA, Micheál (1869–1946)". ainm.ie. Cló Iar-Chonnacht. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  16. ↑ Ó Gríobhtha, Micheál. "Bean an bhrait bháin". National Library of Ireland Catalogue. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  17. ↑ "Constitution and language". The Irish Times. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  18. ↑ Micheál Ó Cearúil. "The Constitution of Ireland: The "Literal" Irish Text". {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  19. ↑ "Griffin". Patrick Waldron. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  20. ↑ "FamilyTreeDNA".
  21. ↑ O'Laughin 1997
  • "Surname Maps of Ireland" (map). barrygriffin.com. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  • O'Laughlin, M. C. (1997). "The Book of Irish Families Great & Small". Irish Genealogical Foundation ISBN 0940134098
  • Matheson, R. E. (1891). "Special Report on Surnames in Ireland"
  • Williams, M. (1996) "Researching Local History"
  • U.S. Census Bureau (1990), Population Division, Population Analysis & Evaluation Staff
  • Standish Hayes O’Grady (ed.), Caithréim Thoirdhealbhaigh, Irish Texts Society, 1929.
This page lists people with the surname Griffin.
If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.
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