Griffin
Griffin is a boys' name of Welsh origin meaning “strong lord; mythical griffin creature.” It ranked #222 in the United States in 2025. From the Welsh Gruffudd, combining griff (strong, grip) and udd (lord).
how do you pronounce Griffin?
GRIF-in
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Griffin mean?
The name Griffin means “strong lord; mythical griffin creature.” It comes from the Welsh language tradition.
From the Welsh Gruffudd, combining griff (strong, grip) and udd (lord). The griffin — a mythical creature with the body of a lion and head of an eagle — was a symbol of divine power in heraldry, adding a fantastical dimension to the name.
where does the name Griffin come from?
Wikipedia traces Griffin to Griffinus, a Latinised form of Griffith, itself an Anglicized form of the medieval Welsh Gruffydd, which the source derives from the Old Welsh Grippiud, glossed simply as 'prince', not the 'griff (strong) + udd (lord)' compound breakdown given elsewhere, which isn't confirmed by anything found here.
the history of Griffin
Wikipedia notes Griffinus was commonly used in medieval Wales as the Latinised form of Griffith; nothing here confirms the mythical-griffin heraldry association sometimes cited, since the source's account concerns the Welsh personal-name lineage rather than the fabulous creature.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #222 |
| 2024 | #223 |
| 2023 | #214 |
| 2022 | #230 |
| 2021 | #232 |
| 2020 | #241 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Griffin?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Griffin?
- Griffin Dunne (actor)
- Griffin Newman (actor)
what names are similar to Griffin?
what names go well with Griffin?
Sibling names that share Griffin's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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