Explore the Family Name Griff
The meaning of Griff
1. English: topographic name for someone living near a pit or hollow, from Middle English grif ‘pit, hollow, narrow valley’ (Old Norse gryfja), or a habitational name from Griff in Warwickshire, Griffe in Derbyshire, or Griff Farm in Rievaulx, North Yorkshire, all probably named with this word. 2. Welsh and English: from the Welsh personal name Gryff, a short form of Gruffudd. See Griffith. 3. German: variant of Greif 1.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Griff in the United States?
The surname Griff, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, has seen a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 44,027 in popularity among surnames in the United States and fell to 47,107 by 2010 — a 7 percent decrease. The number of people with the Griff surname dropped slightly during this period, from 461 individuals in 2000 to 451 in 2010, representing a decline of 2.17 percent. Hence, the proportion of people named Griff per 100,000 citizens decreased by nearly 12 percent over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #44,027 | #47,107 | -7% |
| Count | 461 | 451 | -2.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.17 | 0.15 | -11.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Griff
In regard to ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates a shift in the ethnic identity associated with the Griff surname between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of individuals with the Griff surname identified as White (88.5 percent in 2000 and 82.26 percent in 2010), there was a significant increase in those identifying as Hispanic and Black. The percentage of Griffs who identified as Hispanic almost doubled from 1.52 percent in 2000 to 2.88 percent in 2010, marking an impressive 89.47 percent increase. Similarly, the proportion identifying as Black rose from 8.89 percent in 2000 to 12.86 percent in 2010, depicting a 44.66 percent increase. Those reporting two or more races also appeared in 2010, accounting for 1.55 percent, while Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native identities remained at zero during both census years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.5% | 82.26% | -7.05% |
| Black | 8.89% | 12.86% | 44.66% |
| Hispanic | 1.52% | 2.88% | 89.47% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 1.55% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |