Explore the Family Name Griffiths
The meaning of Griffiths
Welsh (Glamorgan and western England): Anglicized form of the patronymic (ap) Gruffudd, from Old Welsh Grippiud (see Griffith).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Griffiths in the United States?
The surname Griffiths, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, maintained its rank of 2444 in terms of popularity between 2000 and 2010, showing no change. The count, however, increased by 9.16 percent, going from 13,563 individuals in 2000 to 14,805 in 2010. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a minimal decrease of -0.2 percent, making it nearly stable at around 5.02 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,444 | #2,444 | 0% |
| Count | 13,563 | 14,805 | 9.16% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.03 | 5.02 | -0.2% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Griffiths
Regarding ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that among those with the surname Griffiths, the majority identified as White, although this proportion decreased slightly from 88.83 percent in 2000 to 85.43 percent in 2010. Interestingly, all other ethnic identities saw an increase, except for the American Indian and Alaskan Native group, which fell by 42.86 percent. Hispanic identity increased by 44.52 percent, becoming 2.24 percent of those with the surname in 2010. The Black community also saw growth, increasing by 30.88 percent to represent 9.79 percent of the Griffiths population in 2010. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and of two or more races also increased, reaching 0.56 and 1.81 percent respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.83% | 85.43% | -3.83% |
| Black | 7.48% | 9.79% | 30.88% |
| Hispanic | 1.55% | 2.24% | 44.52% |
| Two or More Races | 1.33% | 1.81% | 36.09% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.53% | 0.56% | 5.66% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.28% | 0.16% | -42.86% |
Griffiths ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Griffiths is British & Irish, which comprises 66.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (15.8%) and Eastern European (3.2%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Nigerian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 66.2% |
| French & German | 15.8% |
| Eastern European | 3.2% |
| Other | 14.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Griffiths
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Griffiths have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
What Griffiths haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Griffiths is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Davies, Pritchard, Griffith, Cameron, Rees, Jones, Logan, Hughes, Lloyd, Morgan.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Griffiths surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Griffiths have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Griffiths" Surname 38.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Griffiths" Surname 34.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Griffiths" Surname 20.9%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Griffiths" Surname 18.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Griffiths?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Griffiths are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition