Griffiths History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

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The name Griffiths is from the rugged landscape of Wales. It is a Celtic name that was 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 most prominent of these was Griffith ap Cynan, the King of North Wales and the founder of the first Royal tribe of Wales; he was the eldest son of Rhodri Mawr, the first recorded King of Wales.

Gruffydd ab Llewelyn (d. 1063), King of the Welsh, was the son of Llewelyn, the son of Seisyll. His father, who, according to a late authority, had married Angharad, daughter of Maredudd, son of Owain, a descendant of Hywel Dda (Gwentian Brut, sub an. 994), had been a vigorous ruler over Gwynedd. 1

Gruffydd ab Rhydderch (d. 1055), king of the South Welsh, was the son of Rhydderch, son of lestin, who in 1023 had assumed the government of the south after the death of Llewelyn ab Seisyll, and was killed by the Irish in 1033. 1

Gruffydd ab Cynan (1055?-1137), King of Gwynedd or North Wales, was, through his father Cynan, son of Iago, a descendant of Rhodri Mawr and of the ancient royal line of Gwynedd. 1

Gruffydd ab Gwenwynwyn (d. 1286?), was Lord of Cyveiliog, Upper Powys, or, as it was called from his father, Powys Gwenwynwyn, was the son of Gwenwynwyn, the son of Owain Cyveiliog. 1

Early Origins of the Griffiths family

The surname Griffiths was first found in Chirk, where Gruffyd ap Madog Vnyon was listed in 1392. 2

Early History of the Griffiths family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Griffiths research. Another 248 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1332, 1392, 1553, 1558, 1567, 1570, 1599, 1601, 1618, 1622, 1628, 1637, 1640, 1646, 1665, 1666, 1700 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Griffiths History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Griffiths Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Griffiths has occasionally been spelled Griffith, Griffiths, Gryffudd, Gryffuths and others.

Early Notables of the Griffiths family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was Mauirce Griffith, Griffyth or Griffyn (d. 1558), Bishop of Rochester, born in Wales, and educated in the south suburb of Oxford, among the Dominicans. 1 Edmund Griffith (1570-1637), was Bishop of Bangor, born at Cevnamlwch in Lleyn, the promontory of Carnarvonshire, in 1570. 1 John Griffith or Griffin (fl. 1553), was a Welsh monk of the order of Cistercians in the, monastery of Halesowen in Worcestershire. 1 George Griffith (1601-1666), was Welsh bishop of...
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Griffiths Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Griffiths World Ranking

In the United States, the name Griffiths is the 2,821st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 3 However, in Canada, the name Griffiths is ranked the 888th most popular surname with an estimated 6,018 people with that name. 4 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Griffiths is the 659th popular surname with an estimated 67 people with that name. 5 Australia ranks Griffiths as 125th with 21,553 people. 6 New Zealand ranks Griffiths as 145th with 3,427 people. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Griffiths as 58th with 74,163 people. 8

Migration of the Griffiths family to Ireland

Some of the Griffiths family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Griffiths migration to the United States +

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in search of land, work, and freedom. These immigrants greatly contributed to the rapid development of the new nations of Canada and the United States. They also added a rich and lasting cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Griffiths:

Griffiths Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Griffiths Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Griffiths Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Griffiths migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Griffiths Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Griffiths Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Griffiths migration to Australia +

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

Griffiths Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
Griffiths Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Griffiths migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Griffiths Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Griffiths migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 19
Griffiths Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Griffiths (post 1700) +
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