Griff
Of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "hooked nose" or "curved beak".
Name Census estimates that about 233 living Americans carry the first name Griff. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Griff today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Griff births was 1960 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Griff. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
233
~ 1 in 1,471,049 Americans
Peak year
1960
14 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,384
Tracked since 1923
Popularity
Griff: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Griff from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 60 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1950s peak, Griff remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Griff by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Griff during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Griff
The name Griff has its roots in the Old English and Old Welsh languages, dating back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "griff," which means "force" or "courage," and the Old Welsh word "gruffudd," meaning "strong chief."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Griff can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which mentions a warrior named Griff who fought alongside King Alfred the Great in the 9th century. This suggests that the name was already in use among the Anglo-Saxons at that time.
In Welsh history, the name Gruffudd was borne by several prominent figures, including Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, a ruler of the Kingdom of Gwynedd in the 11th century. He played a significant role in the conflicts between the Welsh kingdoms and the Norman invaders.
Another notable bearer of the name was Gruffudd ap Cynan, a 12th-century King of Gwynedd who fought to defend Welsh sovereignty against the Norman rulers of England. He is remembered as a symbol of Welsh resistance and national pride.
During the Middle Ages, the name Griff also appeared in various literary works and historical records across Europe. One example is the 14th-century French epic poem "Roman de Renart," which features a character named Grimbert, a variant of the name Griff.
In more recent times, several famous individuals have borne the name Griff. Griff Rhys Jones, born in 1953, is a Welsh actor, comedian, and writer known for his work on British television shows like "Not the Nine O'Clock News" and "Alas Smith and Jones."
Griff Furst, born in 1942, is an American film director and producer who has worked on several notable projects, including the 1981 movie "The Canterbury Tales" and the 1988 film "Barfly."
Griff Harsh, born in 1957, is an American former professional baseball player who played for teams like the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1980s.
Griff Rees, born in 1918 and died in 1984, was a Welsh rugby union player who represented Wales in international matches and played for the Neath rugby club.
Griff Rhys Williams, born in 1839 and died in 1911, was a Welsh writer and journalist who contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of the Welsh language and culture.
People
Griff + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Griff as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Griff: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Griff?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 233 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Griff going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,471,049 US residents.
Is Griff a common name?
We classify Griff as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 286 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Griff most popular?
The single biggest year for Griff was 1960, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Griff is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Griff a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Griff in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.