Show ContentsGriffey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Griffey surname is derived from the Welsh personal names Griffin, Gruffin, or Griffith. These were pet-forms of the Middle Welsh name Gruffudd, which was borne by many Welsh princes. The name came to Ireland in the 12th century with the Anglo-Norman invasion of Strongbow. There was also a native Irish line whose name originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Gríobhtha, which is derived from the word "gríobhtha," which means "griffin-like." 1 It is thought that most of the bearers of the Griffith variant of the name are of Welsh ancestry.

Early Origins of the Griffey family

The surname Griffey was first found in the province of Munster, where they had been granted lands by Strongbow after the Anglo Norman invasion into Ireland in 1172.

Early History of the Griffey family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Griffey research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1710 is included under the topic Early Griffey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Griffey Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Griffin, O'Griffin, Griffen, O'Griffen, Griffith, Griffey, Griffy, O'Griffy and many more.

Early Notables of the Griffey family

More information is included under the topic Early Griffey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Griffey Ranking

In the United States, the name Griffey is the 7,755th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2


United States Griffey migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Griffey Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Griffey, who settled in the colonies of Maryland or Virginia in 1671
  • Thomas Griffey, who arrived in Virginia in 1671 3
Griffey Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Griffey, who settled in New Jersey in 1868

Canada Griffey migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Griffey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Michael Griffey, who settled in Ontario in 1871

Australia Griffey migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Griffey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Patrick Griffey, aged 30, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Victoria Regia"

Contemporary Notables of the name Griffey (post 1700) +

  • Clinton G. Griffey, American politician, Member of Michigan State Senate 31st District, 1889 4


The Griffey Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ne vile Velis
Motto Translation: Wishing nothing base.


  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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