Griffin - Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Gríofa
Meaning: “griffin-like, fierce”
Traditional stronghold: Clare, Kerry
Pronunciation: GRIF-in; Irish Ó Gríobhtha: oh GREEV-ha
History of the Griffin name
Griffin in Ireland usually represents Ó Gríobhtha, from gríobhtha, 'griffin-like' or 'fierce', the mythical griffin being a byword for a formidable warrior. The principal sept belonged to Thomond, holding lands at Ballygriffey near Ennis in County Clare, where the ruins of their castle survive; a second sept was seated in Kerry near Ballinvoher. The Irish name was easily assimilated to the pre-existing Welsh and English surname Griffin, which had arrived with the Normans, and the two sources are now impossible to disentangle in some families. The name remains most numerous in Clare, Kerry and Limerick, and travelled widely with emigration to Britain and America.
Variants: Griffy · O'Griffy · Griffen
Famous bearers of the name
- Gerald Griffin - Limerick novelist whose book The Collegians inspired the play The Colleen Bawn.
- Merv Griffin - Irish-American entertainer and creator of the game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.
- Liam Griffin - Manager who led Wexford to the 1996 All-Ireland hurling title.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: O'Brien · O'Sullivan · O'Connor · McCarthy · Kennedy · Quinn · O'Connell · Fitzgerald