Gryffon
A variant of the mythological beast, the griffin, known for its strength and courage.
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Gryffon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gryffon today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gryffon births was 2016 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gryffon. 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 Gryffon. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2016
6 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2016 SSA rank
#11,199
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Gryffon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gryffon from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gryffon 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 Gryffon 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 Gryffon
The name Gryffon originates from the French language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "griffon," which itself comes from the Latin word "gryphus," meaning a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.
The griffon, as a symbol, was prevalent in medieval heraldry and was often associated with strength, valor, and vigilance. In medieval bestiaries, the griffon was portrayed as a fierce protector of treasure and was believed to have the ability to detect deception and trickery.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gryffon can be found in the medieval French epic poem "Le Roman de la Rose," written around the late 13th century. In this work, a character named Gryffon is mentioned, though little is known about the significance of this particular character.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gryffon. One of the earliest recorded was Gryffon de Brézé (1442-1491), a French nobleman and military leader who served as the Grand Seneschal of Normandy under King Louis XI.
Another prominent figure was Gryffon ap Cynan (c. 1055-1137), a Welsh prince and warrior who led a successful rebellion against the Norman invaders and briefly ruled the Kingdom of Gwynedd in the early 12th century.
In the 16th century, Gryffon de la Tour (1512-1572) was a French nobleman and military commander who fought in the Italian Wars and later became a prominent figure in the French Wars of Religion.
During the Renaissance, Gryffon Fourneau (c. 1535-1599) was a renowned French goldsmith and metalworker who created intricate and highly prized pieces for the royal court and nobility.
In more recent times, Gryffon Swain (1876-1942) was an American author and academic who taught at several prestigious universities and published works on literature and philosophy.
While the name Gryffon has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, its rich associations with medieval symbolism, heraldry, and myth have endured, lending it a sense of strength, valor, and mystique.
People
Gryffon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gryffon 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
Gryffon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gryffon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gryffon 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Gryffon a common name?
We classify Gryffon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gryffon most popular?
The single biggest year for Gryffon was 2016, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gryffon is about 13 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 Gryffon in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gryffon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gryffon 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 Gryffon still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gryffon 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 Gryffon 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 common is the name Gryffon?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Gryffon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.