Gryffin
Of Celtic origin, brave and strong like the mythical beast, the griffin.
Name Census estimates that about 1,061 living Americans carry the first name Gryffin. It is a predominantly male name (98.1% of registrations). The average person named Gryffin today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gryffin births was 2022 (99 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gryffin. 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
- • Gryffin is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 9 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 323,048 Americans
Peak year
2022
99 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,503
Tracked since 2000
Gender
Gender distribution for Gryffin
Gryffin leans heavily male at 98.1% of total registrations, but 20 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Gryffin as a male name
- Ranked #2,503 in 2024
- 54 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (97 births)
Gryffin as a female name
- Ranked #14,174 in 2022
- 6 female births in 2022
- Peak: 2017 (8 births)
Popularity
Gryffin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gryffin from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 524 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Gryffin remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gryffin 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 Gryffin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gryffins live
The SSA's state-level files cover 15 states and territories. Texas, California, Ohio recorded the most babies named Gryffin, while Wisconsin, New Jersey, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gryffin
The name Gryffin is derived from the Welsh word "gruffudd," which means "strong lord" or "powerful leader." It has its origins in the 6th century, when it was a common name among the Welsh nobility and ruling class.
In the Middle Ages, the name Gryffin was popular among the Welsh royalty and aristocracy. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was Gruffudd ap Cynan, a Welsh prince who lived from 1055 to 1137 and was a prominent figure in the struggle for Welsh independence against the Normans.
The name Gryffin also appears in several medieval Welsh texts and chronicles, such as the "Mabinogion," a collection of Welsh mythological stories. In these tales, characters with the name Gryffin are often portrayed as brave warriors or wise leaders.
During the Renaissance period, the name Gryffin gained popularity across Europe, particularly in England and Scotland. One notable figure from this era was Gruffydd ap Rhys (1516-1584), a Welsh nobleman and soldier who fought in the English Civil War.
In the 17th century, the name Gryffin was adopted by English Puritan families, who were drawn to its biblical connotations of strength and leadership. One example is Griffith John (1831-1912), a Welsh Protestant missionary who worked in China.
In more recent history, the name Gryffin has been associated with several notable individuals, including Gruffydd Aled Williams (1879-1962), a Welsh poet and writer, and Gruffydd Eilian Davies (1923-2009), a Welsh actor and playwright.
Throughout its history, the name Gryffin has retained its strong connection to Welsh culture and heritage, while also gaining recognition in other parts of the world. Its enduring popularity can be attributed to its powerful meaning and rich historical significance.
People
Gryffin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gryffin 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
Gryffin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gryffin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,061 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gryffin 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 323,048 US residents.
Is Gryffin a common name?
We classify Gryffin as "Rare". It ranks above 90.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,069 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gryffin most popular?
The single biggest year for Gryffin was 2022, when 99 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gryffin is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gryffin a male name?
Yes, 98.1% of people registered as Gryffin 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.