At a glance
- In short
- Griffin is a Welsh boy's name from Gruffudd, linked to lord or prince.
- U.S. rank 2025
- #222 of boy names
- Babies in 2025
- 1,627 (0.089% of boys)
- Trend
- Steady #241 in 2020 to #222 in 2025
- Peak
- #214 in 2023
- Top state
- #46 in New Hampshire
- First recorded
- 1881
Meaning of Griffin
Griffin is a Latinized form of the Welsh name Gruffudd, better known in English as Griffith. The second part of the name is generally taken to mean lord or prince, while the meaning of the first part is uncertain.
The name shares its spelling with the griffin of myth and heraldry, a creature with a lion's body and an eagle's head and wings. Griffin is also the scientist who is the title character of H.G. Wells's novel The Invisible Man. A well-known bearer today is podcaster Griffin McElroy.
Griffin was rare in the U.S. until the 1970s. It climbed from 1,658th in 1975 to 225th in 1997 and has ranked in the 200s ever since, peaking at 214th in 2023 with 1,728 babies. In 2025 it ranked 222nd.
How to pronounce Griffin
English
- Pronounced grif-in /ˈgrɪfɪn/
Popularity of Griffin in the U.S.
Griffin was the #222 boy name in the U.S. in 2025, with 1,627 babies. It peaked at #214 in 2023 and has been in the top 1,000 since 1983. It first appears in the records in 1881.
- Rank among U.S. boy names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1881–2025 137 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,627 | 222 | ▲ 1 |
| 2024 | 1,617 | 223 | ▼ 9 |
| 2023 | 1,728 | 214 | ▲ 16 |
| 2022 | 1,540 | 230 | ▲ 2 |
| 2021 | 1,592 | 232 | ▲ 9 |
| 2020 | 1,492 | 241 | ▼ 9 |
| 2019 | 1,624 | 232 | ▼ 8 |
| 2018 | 1,678 | 224 | ▲ 19 |
| 2017 | 1,522 | 243 | ▼ 13 |
| 2016 | 1,695 | 230 | ▲ 6 |
| 2015 | 1,614 | 236 | ▲ 7 |
| 2014 | 1,537 | 243 | ▼ 18 |
| 2013 | 1,623 | 225 | ▼ 5 |
| 2012 | 1,652 | 220 | ▲ 7 |
| 2011 | 1,581 | 227 | ▲ 5 |
| 2010 | 1,517 | 232 | – |
| 2009 | 1,558 | 232 | ▲ 11 |
| 2008 | 1,504 | 243 | ▼ 1 |
| 2007 | 1,486 | 242 | ▲ 14 |
| 2006 | 1,353 | 256 | ▼ 12 |
| 2005 | 1,376 | 244 | ▼ 3 |
| 2004 | 1,385 | 241 | ▼ 16 |
| 2003 | 1,536 | 225 | ▲ 3 |
| 2002 | 1,472 | 228 | ▲ 11 |
| 2001 | 1,418 | 239 | ▼ 6 |
| 2000 | 1,468 | 233 | ▼ 14 |
| 1999 | 1,545 | 219 | ▼ 4 |
| 1998 | 1,491 | 215 | ▲ 10 |
| 1997 | 1,365 | 225 | ▲ 56 |
| 1996 | 990 | 281 | ▲ 74 |
| 1995 | 689 | 355 | ▲ 49 |
| 1994 | 565 | 404 | ▲ 83 |
| 1993 | 432 | 487 | ▲ 74 |
| 1992 | 329 | 561 | ▲ 73 |
| 1991 | 259 | 634 | ▼ 32 |
| 1990 | 277 | 602 | ▲ 34 |
| 1989 | 248 | 636 | ▼ 16 |
| 1988 | 232 | 620 | ▼ 51 |
| 1987 | 252 | 569 | ▲ 185 |
| 1986 | 144 | 754 | ▼ 28 |
| 1985 | 148 | 726 | ▲ 259 |
| 1984 | 82 | 985 | ▼ 6 |
| 1983 | 81 | 979 | ▲ 263 |
| 1982 | 56 | 1,242 | ▲ 169 |
| 1981 | 45 | 1,411 | ▼ 224 |
| 1980 | 59 | 1,187 | ▼ 98 |
| 1979 | 67 | 1,089 | ▼ 2 |
| 1978 | 64 | 1,087 | ▲ 12 |
| 1977 | 62 | 1,099 | ▲ 45 |
| 1976 | 56 | 1,144 | ▲ 514 |
| 1975 | 30 | 1,658 | ▲ 276 |
| 1974 | 23 | 1,934 | ▲ 190 |
| 1973 | 19 | 2,124 | ▲ 695 |
| 1972 | 12 | 2,819 | ▼ 616 |
| 1971 | 18 | 2,203 | ▲ 196 |
| 1970 | 15 | 2,399 | ▼ 936 |
| 1969 | 30 | 1,463 | ▲ 737 |
| 1968 | 14 | 2,200 | ▼ 294 |
| 1967 | 17 | 1,906 | ▲ 721 |
| 1966 | 10 | 2,627 | ▼ 543 |
| 1965 | 15 | 2,084 | ▲ 30 |
| 1964 | 15 | 2,114 | ▼ 157 |
| 1963 | 17 | 1,957 | ▲ 322 |
| 1962 | 13 | 2,279 | ▼ 209 |
| 1961 | 16 | 2,070 | ▲ 245 |
| 1960 | 13 | 2,315 | ▼ 509 |
| 1959 | 20 | 1,806 | ▼ 40 |
| 1958 | 20 | 1,766 | ▲ 121 |
| 1957 | 18 | 1,887 | ▲ 376 |
| 1956 | 13 | 2,263 | ▼ 691 |
| 1955 | 24 | 1,572 | ▲ 96 |
| 1954 | 21 | 1,668 | ▲ 370 |
| 1953 | 15 | 2,038 | ▼ 289 |
| 1952 | 19 | 1,749 | ▲ 25 |
| 1951 | 18 | 1,774 | ▲ 245 |
| 1950 | 14 | 2,019 | ▼ 317 |
| 1949 | 19 | 1,702 | ▼ 46 |
| 1948 | 20 | 1,656 | ▼ 57 |
| 1947 | 22 | 1,599 | ▼ 124 |
| 1946 | 23 | 1,475 | ▲ 656 |
| 1945 | 11 | 2,131 | ▼ 393 |
| 1944 | 16 | 1,738 | ▲ 26 |
| 1943 | 17 | 1,764 | ▲ 278 |
| 1942 | 13 | 2,042 | ▼ 454 |
| 1941 | 19 | 1,588 | ▲ 92 |
| 1940 | 17 | 1,680 | ▲ 115 |
| 1939 | 15 | 1,795 | ▲ 289 |
| 1938 | 12 | 2,084 | ▼ 396 |
| 1937 | 17 | 1,688 | ▲ 374 |
| 1936 | 12 | 2,062 | ▼ 406 |
| 1935 | 18 | 1,656 | ▲ 69 |
| 1934 | 17 | 1,725 | ▼ 139 |
| 1933 | 19 | 1,586 | ▲ 409 |
| 1932 | 14 | 1,995 | ▲ 212 |
| 1931 | 12 | 2,207 | ▼ 29 |
| 1930 | 13 | 2,178 | ▼ 655 |
| 1929 | 23 | 1,523 | ▼ 75 |
| 1928 | 26 | 1,448 | ▲ 673 |
| 1927 | 15 | 2,121 | ▼ 655 |
| 1926 | 25 | 1,466 | ▲ 117 |
| 1925 | 23 | 1,583 | ▲ 45 |
| 1924 | 23 | 1,628 | ▲ 16 |
| 1923 | 22 | 1,644 | ▲ 239 |
| 1922 | 18 | 1,883 | ▼ 295 |
| 1921 | 23 | 1,588 | ▼ 45 |
| 1920 | 24 | 1,543 | ▼ 94 |
| 1919 | 25 | 1,449 | ▲ 90 |
| 1918 | 23 | 1,539 | ▼ 60 |
| 1917 | 23 | 1,479 | ▲ 167 |
| 1916 | 19 | 1,646 | ▲ 136 |
| 1915 | 16 | 1,782 | ▼ 522 |
| 1914 | 22 | 1,260 | ▲ 181 |
| 1913 | 14 | 1,441 | ▼ 173 |
| 1912 | 14 | 1,268 | ▼ 230 |
| 1911 | 11 | 1,038 | ▲ 155 |
| 1910 | 8 | 1,193 | back (not recorded in 1909) |
| 1908 | 8 | 1,021 | back (not recorded in 1907) |
| 1906 | 9 | 852 | ▼ 16 |
| 1905 | 9 | 836 | ▲ 369 |
| 1904 | 5 | 1,205 | ▼ 422 |
| 1903 | 9 | 783 | ▲ 230 |
| 1902 | 6 | 1,013 | ▼ 234 |
| 1901 | 8 | 779 | ▲ 271 |
| 1900 | 7 | 1,050 | back (not recorded in 1899) |
| 1898 | 6 | 1,002 | ▼ 60 |
| 1897 | 6 | 942 | ▲ 159 |
| 1896 | 5 | 1,101 | back (not recorded in 1895) |
| 1894 | 5 | 1,074 | back (not recorded in 1893) |
| 1892 | 5 | 1,066 | ▼ 225 |
| 1891 | 6 | 841 | ▼ 27 |
| 1890 | 7 | 814 | ▼ 25 |
| 1889 | 7 | 789 | back (not recorded in 1888) |
| 1887 | 5 | 921 | back (not recorded in 1886) |
| 1885 | 5 | 936 | ▼ 172 |
| 1884 | 7 | 764 | back (not recorded in 1883) |
| 1882 | 5 | 943 | ▼ 162 |
| 1881 | 6 | 781 | new |
Griffin by state
Griffin ranks #46 in New Hampshire (2025).
Rank by state 45 states and DC
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 46 | 27 |
| Maine | 61 | 18 |
| Vermont | 64 | 7 |
| North Dakota | 93 | 12 |
| Minnesota | 114 | 55 |
| Wisconsin | 119 | 51 |
| District of Columbia | 120 | 7 |
| Maryland | 139 | 42 |
| Utah | 140 | 37 |
| Rhode Island | 140 | 8 |
| Michigan | 143 | 70 |
| South Dakota | 145 | 9 |
| Massachusetts | 153 | 46 |
| Kentucky | 153 | 35 |
| Alabama | 155 | 37 |
| Iowa | 156 | 27 |
| Montana | 159 | 8 |
| Colorado | 165 | 43 |
| Idaho | 166 | 16 |
| Ohio | 167 | 80 |
| Kansas | 167 | 23 |
| Nebraska | 173 | 16 |
| Tennessee | 178 | 53 |
| Connecticut | 187 | 18 |
| Indiana | 188 | 45 |
| Missouri | 189 | 38 |
| Oklahoma | 197 | 25 |
| North Carolina | 198 | 63 |
| Illinois | 205 | 57 |
| Washington | 205 | 40 |
| Georgia | 217 | 56 |
| Oregon | 220 | 19 |
| Arkansas | 221 | 16 |
| Pennsylvania | 225 | 54 |
| New York | 240 | 81 |
| Virginia | 251 | 34 |
| West Virginia | 254 | 7 |
| Nevada | 267 | 11 |
| South Carolina | 275 | 20 |
| Louisiana | 293 | 17 |
| New Jersey | 324 | 26 |
| Arizona | 332 | 23 |
| Florida | 338 | 57 |
| California | 344 | 103 |
| Mississippi | 471 | 6 |
| Texas | 477 | 70 |
Notable people named Griffin
- Griffin Newman is an American actor and comedian.
- Griffin Andrew McElroy is an American podcaster and former video game journalist best known for cofounding Polygon and for the podcasts My Brother, My Brother and Me and The Adventure Zone.
- Griffin Alexander Canning is an American pitcher for the New York Mets in Major League Baseball who debuted with the Angels in 2019 and won a Gold Glove in 2020.
- Griffin Gluck is an American actor who rose from child roles to acclaimed turns in American Vandal and Locke and Key, starred in Tall Girl and North Hollywood, and appeared in Cruel Summer.