2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Seagriff
A locational surname originating from the sea cliffs or griffs in coastal regions.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Seagriff. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seagriff 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.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Seagriff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seagriff, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seagriff
The surname SEAGRIFF has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "sæ," meaning sea, and "grif," meaning griffin, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle. This combination likely referred to a person who lived near the sea and may have been associated with a coat of arms featuring a griffin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1189, which mention a Richard Seagriff. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during the late 12th century.
The SEAGRIFF surname is also linked to various place names in England, such as Seagriff Manor in Gloucestershire and Seagriff Farm in Somerset. These locations may have been named after early bearers of the surname or vice versa.
During the 13th century, a John Seagriff was recorded as a landowner in the Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire (1273). This historical document provides valuable insights into the distribution of landholdings and the names of individuals who held them at the time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the SEAGRIFF surname was Thomas Seagriff (c. 1530-1594), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake during the reign of Queen Mary I for his religious beliefs.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Sir William Seagriff (1597-1667), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the 17th century.
Throughout the centuries, the SEAGRIFF name has seen various spellings, such as Seagrove, Seagrave, and Seagrave, reflecting regional variations and changes in pronunciation over time.
Other notable individuals with the SEAGRIFF surname include John Seagriff (1741-1819), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, and Robert Seagriff (1798-1879), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.
While the SEAGRIFF surname may not be as common today as it once was, its rich history and connections to various regions of England, as well as its unique blend of maritime and mythological elements, make it a fascinating name to explore.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seagriff
Among Census respondents with the surname Seagriff, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Seagriff 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 Seagriff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seagriff
Seagriff appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-4 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 986 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 Seagriff 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 | #153,769 | #154,755 | -0.6% |
| Count | 106 | 102 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seagriff bearers went from 106 to 102 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 986 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #154,755.
FAQ
Seagriff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seagriff?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Seagriff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Seagriff?
Seagriff ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Seagriff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Seagriff.
Has Seagriff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seagriff went from 106 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Seagriff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seagriff, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Seagriff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seagriff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Hispanic (1.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Seagriff (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 Seagriff mean?
A locational surname originating from the sea cliffs or griffs in coastal regions. 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 Seagriff (0.03 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 have the last name Seagriff?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Seagriff at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.