Grifin
A Germanic name meaning "son of a spirited ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Grifin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Grifin today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Grifin births was 2007 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Grifin. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Grifin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2007
5 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2007 SSA rank
#13,017
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Grifin: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Grifin 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 Grifin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Grifin
The name Grifin is a variant spelling of the English name Griffin, which has its origins in the Greek word "gryphon." The gryphon was a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, often depicted as a guardian of treasure and priceless possessions.
Grifin is a relatively rare name, and its earliest recorded use can be traced back to the late medieval period in England. During this time, the name was likely adopted as a surname or nickname for someone who bore a resemblance to the mythical gryphon or displayed qualities associated with the creature, such as strength, courage, and fierceness.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Grifin was a Welsh poet and scholar named Grifin ap Rhys, who lived in the 14th century. He was renowned for his contribution to Welsh literature and is believed to have been a member of the renowned poets' society, the Poets of the Princes.
In the 16th century, a English soldier named Grifin Markham gained fame for his military exploits during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served in several campaigns against the Spanish and is credited with the capture of a Spanish galleon during the Anglo-Spanish War.
Another notable figure with the name Grifin was Grifin Higgs, an English mathematician and astronomer from the 17th century. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and is best known for his work on calculating the orbits of comets.
In the 19th century, Grifin Mills was a prominent American businessman and industrialist. He founded the town of Millville, New Jersey, and established several successful textile mills and factories in the area. His entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen played a vital role in the economic development of the region.
Finally, Grifin Colapinto was an Italian-American artist and sculptor who lived in the early 20th century. He is renowned for his intricate wood carvings and sculptures, many of which can be found in museums and private collections around the world. His work is celebrated for its attention to detail and masterful craftsmanship.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Grifin, showcasing its diverse cultural and historical roots, as well as its association with qualities such as strength, courage, and creativity.
People
Grifin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Grifin 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
Grifin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Grifin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Grifin 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Grifin a common name?
We classify Grifin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Grifin most popular?
The single biggest year for Grifin was 2007, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Grifin is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Grifin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Grifin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Grifin 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.
Is Grifin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Grifin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Grifin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Grifin?
Want to know how many Americans are named Grifin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.