Griffes last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Griffes is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Griffes.

Meaning of Griffes

A French surname derived from the Old French word "griffe" meaning "claw" or "talon."

Griffes, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Griffes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Griffes in America

Griffes is the 52851st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Griffes surname appeared 392 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Griffes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Griffes to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 52851 53556 -1.33%
Count 392 362 7.96%
Proportion per 100k 0.13 0.13 0.00%

The history of the last name Griffes

The surname GRIFFES has its origin rooted in the French language, originating from the northern regions of France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "griffe," which translates to "claw" or "talon." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked with animals or had a distinctive physical feature resembling a claw or talon.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GRIFFES surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Normandy, France. Historical records from this time period indicate that the name was often spelled as "Griffes" or "Griffez," reflecting the linguistic variations common in those days.

The GRIFFES name gained prominence during the 14th century when a prominent family bearing this surname held significant landholdings in the village of Griffe, located in the Picardy region of northern France. This village name is believed to have influenced the spelling and propagation of the GRIFFES surname.

In the 15th century, the GRIFFES name appeared in several historical records, including the "Livre des Bourgeois de Paris," a register of the bourgeoisie of Paris. This document mentions a certain Jean GRIFFES, who was a respected merchant and landowner in the city during that era.

Throughout the centuries, the GRIFFES surname has been carried by notable individuals in various fields. One such example is Charles GRIFFES (1884-1920), an American composer and pianist who was a leading figure in the American musical renaissance of the early 20th century. His compositions, including "The Pleasure-Dome of Kubla Khan" and "The White Peacock," showcased his innovative and impressionistic style.

Another notable bearer of the GRIFFES surname was Jacques GRIFFES (1628-1698), a French mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. His work on the motion of celestial bodies and the development of mathematical models for planetary orbits was highly influential during the 17th century.

In the realm of literature, Marie-Thérèse GRIFFES (1752-1826) was a French author and playwright who wrote several critically acclaimed works during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Her plays, which often explored themes of social justice and gender equality, were widely performed in Paris and other major cities across Europe.

The GRIFFES surname also has a notable presence in the world of sports. Henri GRIFFES (1921-2003) was a French tennis player who achieved great success in the 1940s and 1950s, winning multiple Grand Slam titles and representing France in the Davis Cup.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Griffes

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Griffes.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Griffes was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 93.37% 366
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.57% 14
Hispanic Origin 2.30% 9

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Griffes has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 93.37% 95.58% -2.34%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 3.57% 1.66% 73.04%
Hispanic 2.30% 1.38% 50.00%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Griffes was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Griffes, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Griffes last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 16, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/griffes-surname-popularity/.

"Griffes last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/griffes-surname-popularity/. Accessed 16 July, 2025

Griffes last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/griffes-surname-popularity/.

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