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

Griffey, 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 Griffey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Griffey in America

Griffey is the 10560th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Griffey surname appeared 3,035 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Griffey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Griffey 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.

The history of the last name Griffey

The surname GRIFFEY is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Old French word "griffon," which referred to a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.

The name is thought to have originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who possessed certain characteristics associated with the griffon, such as strength, courage, or fierceness. Alternatively, it could have been a reference to someone who worked with or kept griffons, perhaps as a heraldic symbol or as part of their trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GRIFFEY can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1195, where a person named Richard Grifin is mentioned. This early spelling variation suggests that the name may have evolved from an earlier form before taking on its more modern spelling.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which lists a Robert Griffyn. This spelling variation further illustrates the evolution of the name over time.

During the medieval period, the GRIFFEY name was associated with several notable individuals. One such person was John Griffy, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London, who lived in the late 14th century and was involved in the wool trade.

Another historically significant bearer of the name was Sir Ralph Gruffydd, a Welsh soldier and landowner who fought alongside King Edward I during the conquest of Wales in the late 13th century. He was awarded lands in Anglesey for his services to the crown.

In the 16th century, the name GRIFFEY appears in various parish records and registers across England. One notable example is Thomas Griffey, a clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of St. Michael's Church in Cambridge in the mid-1500s.

Fast-forwarding to the 17th century, the name GRIFFEY is found in the records of the Virginia Company of London, which established colonies in North America. One such individual was William Griffey, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 as an indentured servant and later became a landowner and tobacco planter.

The 18th century saw the rise of a prominent GRIFFEY family in Kentucky, with members such as Walter Griffey, a Revolutionary War veteran, and his son, Walter Griffey Jr., who served as a judge and legislator in the early years of the state's history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Griffey

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

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 Griffey was:

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 Griffey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Griffey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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