The name O'Griffey originally appeared in Gaelic as Ó Gríobhtha, which is derived from the word "gríobhtha," which means "griffin-like." 1 While most of the instances of this name in Ireland can be traced to this native Irish source, the name also came to Ireland in the 12th century with the Anglo-Norman invasion of Strongbow. In this instance, he O'Griffey surname is derived from the Welsh personal names Griffin, Gruffin, or Griffith, pet-forms of the Middle Welsh name Gruffudd.
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Early Origins of the O'Griffey family
The surname O'Griffey was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.
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Early History of the O'Griffey family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our O'Griffey research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1172 and 1778 are included under the topic Early O'Griffey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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O'Griffey Spelling Variations
Lacking standardized spellings, scribes and church officials recorded people's name according to how they sounded. This practice often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname O'Griffey are preserved in the archival documents of the period. The various spellings of the name that were found include Griffey, Griffy, O'Griffey, Griffin and others.
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Early Notables of the O'Griffey family
More information is included under the topic Early O'Griffey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the O'Griffey family
Many Irish families boarded ships bound for North America in the middle of 19th century to escape the conditions of poverty and racial discrimination at that time. Although these immigrants often arrived in a destitute state, they went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. An inquiry into many immigration and passenger lists has revealed many early immigrants to North America bearing the O'Griffey family name: Thomas Griffey, who came to the colonies of Maryland or Virginia in 1671; William Griffy, who was on record in South Carolina in 1782; James Griffey, who settled in New Jersey in 1868.
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