| ![Show Contents]() Griffins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of GriffinsWhat does the name Griffins mean? The name Griffins 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 Griffins surname is derived from the Welsh personal names Griffin, Gruffin, or Griffith, pet-forms of the Middle Welsh name Gruffudd. Early Origins of the Griffins familyThe surname Griffins 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 Griffins familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Griffins research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1172 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Griffins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Griffins Spelling VariationsOne explanation for the many variations is that scribes and church officials frequently spelled the name as it sounded: an imprecise method at best. Understandably then, various spellings of the surname Griffins were found in the many archives researched. These included Griffey, Griffy, O'Griffey, Griffin and others. Early Notables of the Griffins familyMore information is included under the topic Early Griffins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Griffins migration to the United States | + |
Suffering from poverty and racial discrimination, thousands of Irish families left the island in the 19th century for North America aboard cramped passenger ships. The early migrants became settlers of small tracts of land, and those that came later were often employed in the new cities or transitional work camps. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Although the immigrants from this period were often maligned when they arrived in the United States, they provided the cheap labor that was necessary for the development of that country as an industrial power. Early immigration and passenger lists have revealed many immigrants bearing the name Griffins:
Griffins Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Martha Griffins, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1709 2
- Thomas Griffins, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1716 2
- William Griffins, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 2
| Griffins migration to Australia | + |
Griffins Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- John Griffins, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "General Hewett"
- MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
- 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)
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