Griffin

The Griffin surname is derived from the Welsh personal names Griffin, Gruffin, or Griffith. These were pet-forms of the Middle Welsh name Gruffudd, which was borne by many Welsh princes. The name came to Ireland in the 12th century with the Anglo- Norman invasion of Strongbow. There was also a native Irish line whose name originally appeared in Gaelic as O Gríobhtha, which is derived from the word "gríobhtha," which means "griffin-like." It is thought that most of the bearers of the Griffith variant of the name are of Welsh ancestry.