Griffin
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The story
Griffin is two inheritances wearing one name. It is the anglicized surname of Gruffudd, borne by Welsh princes for centuries, and it is also the mythological creature, eagle in front, lion behind, guardian of treasures. American parents mostly ignored both until recently: under 400 a decade through the 1970s, then about 1,400 in the 1980s, 8,100 in the 1990s, a five-fold decade, then 14,700, then 16,300 in the 2010s, with 9,700 so far this decade. No single cause is on record for the 1990s turn, and we decline to invent one; the name simply sits where two strong currents cross, the two-syllable surname wave and the fantasy shelf. In our records it goes to boys about 51,000 to 760. Griff is the established short form, as our nickname records note. The creature guarded gold; the name guards its own double pedigree.
How popular is Griffin around the world?
In the United States, 9,716 babies were named Griffin between 2020 and 2025.
Griffin is on the official records of the United States, Canada, South Australia and England and Wales.
United States
1 in 2,200
In the United States, 9,716 babies were named Griffin between 2020 and 2025.
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Griffin peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration
Canada
1 in 3,500
In Canada, 104 boys named Griffin were born in 2024, the 317th most common name among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)
South Australia
1 in 4,6002017
In South Australia, 4 boys were registered as Griffin in 2017.
share of that year’s name registrations
Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names
England and Wales
1 in 20,000
In England and Wales, 29 boys named Griffin were born in 2025, ranked 1,035th among boys that year.
share of that year’s name registrations
Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales
Ireland
last on record 2023
Griffin is not on the 2025 record for Ireland, where names under 3 in a year are withheld at source.
The count never rose above 6 in a year, too few to chart.
Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names
New Zealand
last on record 2024
Griffin is not on the 2025 record for New Zealand, where names under 10 in a year are excluded at source.
share of that year’s name registrations
First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time
Scotland
last on record 2023
Griffin is not on the 2024 record for Scotland, where spellings under 3 in total are suppressed at source.
The count never rose above 4 in a year, too few to chart.
Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names
Not on the record in Spain, Mexico City, Argentina, Puerto Rico and Poland: those registries withhold small counts, so rare uses may sit below their floors.
Not on the Chile record: nametree keeps spellings that reached 5 registrations in some year, so rarer uses are not shown. Not on the Montevideo record for 1940 to 2011: that registry withholds nothing, so this spelling was not given there in those years. Not on the France record: nametree keeps spellings that reached 20 births in some year, so rarer uses are not shown. Not on the Austria record for 1984 to 2025: Statistik Austria publishes every first name down to a single birth, so this name was not given there in those years (before 2010 the record covers babies with Austrian citizenship only). Not on Norway’s list: Statistics Norway lists only first names carried by 200 or more living people, so rarer names are not shown.
When you meet Griffin
Most people given the name Griffin in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
Keep exploring
Names like Griffin · Names that go with Griffin · Nicknames for Griffin · Middle names for Griffin · Strong names
The Griffin deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Griffin truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Griffin fits with your family’s names and surname.
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