2000
#2,444
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,563
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.03
Uncommon Last name
Griffiths
Welsh surname derived from the given name Gruffydd, meaning "lord" or "prince" in Welsh.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,972 Americans carry the last name Griffiths. That puts it at #2,401 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,195 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Griffiths surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Griffiths with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 20,195
Census rank
#2,401
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,800 bearers of the surname Griffiths in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2401st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Griffiths, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Griffiths
The surname Griffiths is of Welsh origin, deriving from the personal name Gruffydd, a Welsh form of the name Griffith. This name is derived from the Welsh words "gryw" meaning "vigorous" and "fychan" meaning "young man." The surname is found primarily in Wales, especially in the counties of Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, and Carmarthenshire.
The name Gruffydd was borne by several Welsh rulers and princes, including Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, the King of Gwynedd and effective ruler of Wales from 1057 until his death in 1063. He was a prominent figure in the conflicts between the Welsh and the Norman invaders.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Griffiths dates back to 1292, when a John Griffith was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire. Other early records include a Walter Griffith listed in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1348 and a Robert Griffith mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.
The surname Griffiths has been subject to various spellings throughout history, including Griffith, Griffyth, Griffis, and Griffis. Many of these variations can be attributed to the translation of the Welsh name into English and regional pronunciation differences.
Notable individuals with the surname Griffiths include Sir Rhys ap Griffith (c. 1508-1580), a Welsh soldier and landholder who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1572. Another prominent figure was John Griffiths (1806-1885), a Welsh Congregationalist minister and writer who was instrumental in the establishment of the University of Wales.
Other notable Griffiths include:
1. Ralph Griffiths (1720-1803), an English publisher and founder of the Monthly Review.
2. Martha Wright Griffiths (1912-2003), an American lawyer and politician who championed the Equal Rights Amendment.
3. Andy Griffiths (born 1961), an Australian children's author best known for the "Just!" book series.
4. Gareth Griffiths (born 1955), a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
5. Trevor Griffiths (born 1935), an English playwright and screenwriter known for works such as "Comedians" and "Reds."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Griffiths
Among Census respondents with the surname Griffiths, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Griffiths bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Griffiths surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.7% · 12,097
- Black or African American10.9% · 1,619
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 482
- Two or more races3.0% · 447
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 131
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Griffiths
Griffiths appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,444
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,805
+1,242 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 5.02
Rank movement No rank change
2020
#2,401
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,800
-5 bearers (-0.0%)
Per 100,000 4.95
Rank movement Up 43 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,444 | 13,563 | 5.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,444 | 14,805 | 5.02 | +1,242 bearers (+9.2%) | No rank change |
| 2020 | #2,401 | 14,800 | 4.95 | -5 bearers (-0.0%) | Up 43 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Griffiths surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,444 | #2,401 | 1.8% |
| Count | 14,805 | 14,800 | -0.0% |
| Per 100K | 5.02 | 4.95 | -1.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Griffiths bearers went from 14,805 to 14,800 (+-0.0% change). The surname moved up 43 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,444 to #2,401.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Griffiths
FAQ
Griffiths surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Griffiths?
Name Census estimates that about 16,972 living Americans carry the surname Griffiths. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,195 residents.
How common is Griffiths?
Griffiths ranks #2,401 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,800 people with the surname Griffiths. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,972), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Griffiths.
Has Griffiths become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Griffiths went from 14,805 recorded bearers to 14,800. That is a decrease of 5 (-0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,444 to #2,401.
What does the Census say about the background of Griffiths?
Among Census respondents with the surname Griffiths, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (10.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Griffiths in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.7% (12,097 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Griffiths appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.7%), Black (10.9%), Hispanic (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Griffiths (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Griffiths mean?
Welsh surname derived from the given name Gruffydd, meaning "lord" or "prince" in Welsh. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Griffiths (4.95 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Griffiths?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.