Contents [hide]

Griffiths History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Sources

Griffiths History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales-Alt
Wales

Etymology of Griffiths

What does the name Griffiths mean?

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.

Early Origins of the Griffiths family

The surname Griffiths was first found in Chirk, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, descended from the ancient Princes of Wales.

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 and 1392 are included under the topic Early Griffiths History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Griffiths Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Griffith, Griffiths, Gryffudd, Gryffuths and others.

Early Notables of the Griffiths family

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

Griffiths World Ranking

the United States, the name Griffiths is the 2,821^st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Griffiths is ranked the 888^th most popular surname with an estimated 6,018 people with that name. 2 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Griffiths is the 659^th popular surname with an estimated 67 people with that name. 3 Australia ranks Griffiths as 125^th with 21,553 people. 4 New Zealand ranks Griffiths as 145^th with 3,427 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Griffiths as 58^th with 74,163 people. 6

Griffiths migration to the United States +

Griffiths Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Griffith Griffiths, who settled in Virginia in 1663

Griffiths Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Griffiths, who landed in Carolina in 1709 8
Samuel Griffiths, who arrived in America in 1715-1716 8
Ann Griffiths, who arrived in America in 1764 8

Griffiths Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Griffiths, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 8
Mr. John Griffiths, aged 6, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Britannia" on 20th July 1840
Miss Margt Griffiths, aged 26, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Britannia" on 20th July 1840
Mrs. Mary Griffiths, aged 61, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Britannia" on 20th July 1840
Mr. William Griffiths, aged 54, British miner who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Britannia" on 20th July 1840
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Griffiths migration to Canada +

Griffiths Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Thomas Griffiths, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
Ann Griffiths, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
William Griffiths, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Ms. Anne Griffiths U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbor, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 9
Mr. James Griffiths U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbor, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Griffiths Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mary Griffiths, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1814
Thomas Griffiths, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Prudence" in 1838
Biddy Griffiths, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Prudence" in 1838
John Griffiths, who arrived in Esquimalt British Columbia in 1862

Griffiths migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet, Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet

Miss Ann Griffiths, British settler convicted at Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for , transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 7
Mr. John Griffiths, (b. 1740), aged 49, Welsh settler convicted at Montgomery, Wales in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 8
Mr. William Griffiths, British settler convicted at Devon, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 8

Second Fleet

Mr. Nathan Griffiths, British settler convicted in Surrey, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Admiral Barrington" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8
Mr. John Griffiths, British settler convicted in Shrewsbury (Salop), England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Third Fleet" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8
Mr. William Griffiths, British settler convicted in Cheshire, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing birds, transported aboard the ship "Admiral Barrington" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8
Mr. Edward Griffiths, British settler convicted in Cheshire, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing birds, transported aboard the ship "Admiral Barrington" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 8

Third Fleet

Mr. Samuel Griffiths, (b. 1751), aged 36, English settler convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire on 24th March 1784, sentenced for 7 years for stealing animals, transported aboard the ship "Alexander" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 8
Mr. Thomas Griffiths, (b. 1759), aged 28, English settler convicted in London on 15th September 1784, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 8

Following the First, Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Griffiths Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Miss Elizabeth Griffiths, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years , transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10

Griffiths Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Rachel Griffiths, (b. 1786), aged 17, Welsh convict who was convicted in Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Wales for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1849 11
Miss Rachel Griffiths, (b. 1786), aged 18, British convict who was convicted in England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Exmouth" on 2nd January 1804, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
John Griffiths, English convict from Surrey, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 13
Miss Elizabeth Griffiths, (b. 1792), aged 20, English servant who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the "Emu" in October 1812, the ship was captured and the passengers put ashore, the convicts were then transported aboard the "Broxburnebury" in January 1812 arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1832 14
Mr. Harry Griffiths, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 25th August 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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

Mr. Thomas H Griffiths, Australian settler travelling from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia aboard the ship "Bee" arriving in New Zealand in 1832 16
John Griffiths, aged 22, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
Lucy Griffiths, aged 22, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
Simeon George Griffiths, aged 1, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
Mr. John Griffiths, (b. 1820), aged 22, British shepherd and gardener travelling from London aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" arriving in Nelson, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1842 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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. 18

Griffiths Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Richard Griffiths, (Griffs), aged 24 who settled in Barbados in 1634 aboard the ship "Hopewell"

Contemporary Notables of the name Griffiths (post 1700) +

W. M. Griffiths, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 50th District, 1939-50 19
Stephen D. Griffiths (b. 1894), American Republican politician, Member of Missouri State House of Representatives from Macon County, 1945-48 20
Thomas C. Griffiths, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Washington at-large, 1889 20
Rosalie Griffiths, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1980 20
Robert E. Griffiths, American politician, Mayor of Washington, Pennsylvania, 1933 20
R. C. Griffiths, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Tenerife, 1905 20
Percy Wilfred Griffiths (1893-1983), American Republican politician, Mayor of Marietta, Ohio, 1938-39; U.S. Representative from Ohio 15th District, 1943-49 20
Martha Wright Griffiths (1912-2003), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, 1947; Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Wayne County 1st District, 1949-52 20
Marjorie M. Griffiths, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut Democratic State Central Committee, 1940 20
... (Another 31 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Griffiths family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Leonard F Griffiths (b. 1923), English Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Eastbourne, Sussex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 20
Mr. Clifford John Griffiths, British Petty Office Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 21
Mr. David J Griffiths, British Ordinary Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 22
Mr. Griffiths, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 22
Mr. Thomas Griffiths, British seaman who was aboard the ship "HMS Queen Charlotte" off the coast of Capraia, Italy when she caught fire on the 17th March 1800; listed as survived
... (Another 24 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/experiment
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Emu
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, June 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html