| ![Show Contents]() Griffey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of GriffeyWhat does the name Griffey mean? The name 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 Griffey surname is derived from the Welsh personal names Griffin, Gruffin, or Griffith, pet-forms of the Middle Welsh name Gruffudd. Early Origins of the Griffey familyThe surname 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. Early History of the Griffey familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Griffey research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1172 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Griffey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Griffey Spelling VariationsThe scribes who created documents long before either the Gaelic or English language resembled their standardized versions of today recorded words as they sounded. Consequently, in the Middle Ages the names of many people were recorded under different spellings each time they were written down. Research on the Griffey family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Griffey, Griffy, O'Griffey, Griffin and others. Early Notables of the Griffey familyMore information is included under the topic Early Griffey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Griffey Rankingthe United States, the name Griffey is the 7,755th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2
| Griffey migration to the United States | + |
Under the rule of England, land ownership in Ireland changed dramatically, and many native Irish families found themselves renting out land to farm from absentee owners. This was one of the prime reasons that immigration to North America began in the late 18th century: Irish farmers dreamed of owning their own parcel of land to work for themselves. At this point, the immigrants were at least of modest means for the passage across the Atlantic was often quite dear. In the 1840s the Great Potato Famine created an exodus of people of quite different means. These people were most often destitute: they either sold anything they had to gain a passage or they were sponsored by philanthropic societies. Many of these immigrants were sick from disease and starvation: as a result many did not survive the long transatlantic journey. Although those settlers that did survive were often despised and discriminated against by people already established in these nations, they were critical to rapid development of the powerful industrial nations of the United States and the country that would later become known as Canada. An examination of immigration and passenger lists shows many persons bearing the name of Griffey or one of its variants:
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
| Griffey migration to Canada | + |
Griffey Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- Michael Griffey, who settled in Ontario in 1871
| Griffey migration to Australia | + |
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) | + |
- George Kenneth Griffey Jr. (b. 1969), nicknamed "Junior" and "the Kid", an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder who played for 22 years, winner of 10 Gold Glove Awards in center field and is tied for the record of most consecutive games with a home run, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016
- Dick Griffey (1938-2010), American record producer and promoter, father of Carolyn Griffey
- Dan Griffey (b. 1970), American politician, Member of the Washington House of Representatives (2015-)
- Carolyn Griffey (b. 1969), American soul vocalist and member of the soul funk group Shalamar
- Anthony Dean Griffey (b. 1970), American operatic tenor
- George Kenneth Griffey Sr. (b. 1950), American Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder who played from 1973 through 1991, father of Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr
- Clinton G. Griffey, American politician, Member of Michigan State Senate 31st District, 1889 4
- MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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