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Griffiths Surname Meaning & Origin

What the Griffiths last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.

Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Griffiths coat of arms for you.

Meaning and origin of the Griffiths last name

Meaning of the Griffiths last name: a descendant of Griffith (fierce lord). The surname Griffiths is another way of writing Griffith, a Welsh family name. The shared meaning is a descendant of Griffith (fierce lord). Around 162,512 people carry the Griffiths name today, with many in England, Australia and the United States.

Arms associated with the Griffiths name

Sharing a surname establishes no coat of arms entitlement; heraldry follows documented individual lineages.

Smith lists Griffiths as a variant of Griffith.

Get your full Griffiths family history

This is only a glimpse of the Griffiths story. The full Griffiths history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Griffiths coat of arms. Get the full Griffiths report.

Griffiths name FAQ

What does the Griffiths name mean?

A descendant of Griffith (fierce lord). Common variants include Griffith.

Where does the Griffiths surname come from?

It originates in Wales, and is also found in England and Australia.

Is there a Griffiths coat of arms?

Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Griffiths coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.

Sources: Elsdon C. Smith, Dictionary of American Family Names (1956), individual surname entries; modern indexed dictionary entries supersede conflicting interpretations.; Forebears, Surnam.es and individual surname distribution references.