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Griffiths Family History
This ancient Welsh surname derives from the Old Welsh personal name 'Grippiud', which gradually developed into 'Griffudd', 'Gruffudd', 'Gruffydd', as well as 'Griffith' which was the most popular spelling when it became adopted as a hereditary surname. The suffix '-udd' relates to an Old Welsh word meaning 'lord' or 'prince'. The first half of the name may possibly derive from the Latin 'rufus', meaning red-haired, but this is not certain.
Griffith, and related variations, was a very popular personal name throughout much of Welsh history, and was the name of several Welsh princes and prominent leaders, including Gruffudd ap Cynan who was the king of Gwynedd from 1081 until his death in 1137.
As a surname it is patronymic, in that it means 'son of Griffith'. As such it refers back to an ancestor who lived at some point between the 16th and 19th centuries, the period when the traditional Welsh patronymic naming system gave way very gradually to fixed, hereditary surnames. In western parts of Wales, and in the north west in particular hereditary surnames were generally adopted by ordinary people during the late 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. The ancestor whose personal name was Griffith and who gave the family its surname would therefore have lived during that particular period.
Both Griffith and Griffiths remain popular spellings of this surname today.
In Wales Griffiths is currently the country's 10th most popular surname. Throughout the whole of Wales and England, around 117,000 individuals bear the Griffiths surname. Elsewhere in the world, it is a relatively common surname in Canberra, Australia (one in 767 families), Auckland, New Zealand (one in 869) and in Sydney, Australia (one in 1,020). There are over 309,000 individuals living in the United States recorded with this surname.
Notable people
- John Willis Griffiths (1809—82), an American naval architect, designed the first of the great clipper ships, the Rainbow, which began a new era in ship-building.
- D.W. Griffith (1874—1948) an influential American film director and a pioneer of film editing techniques during the early years of cinema, as well as the art of film narrative.
- Terry Griffiths (b.1947), a celebrated Welsh professional snooker player who was world champion in 1979.
SOURCES:
Forebears, https://forebears.io/
Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison
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Alan Griffiths
My grandfather Henry Griffiths was from the East End of London, his mother was descended from the Hugenots, whilst his father was probably from somewhere in South Wales.
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Eilir Wales101
Hello Alan. A good place to start if you want to trace where you grandfather was from originally would be to trace his marriage record to your grandmother. This will include his father's name and occupation and confirm his age at the time. You can use that information to trace him on earlier records such as (if he was born before 1921 or 1911) on the 1921 and 1911 censuses . If he and your grandmother married before 1939, and you have an idea of of there they may have been living in 1939, then you can try to trace them on that year's Civilian Register - his entry should include his birth date. This will help you to trace his birth record. The information from all these sources will help to establish where in south Wales he was born.
Eilir Wales101
Hello Alan. If you want to establish where your grandfather was born, then a good place to start would be his marriage certificate that you can order from the General Register Office. That record will include his father's name and occupation, and it will confirm his age, so you can work out around when he was born. If he was born before 1921 or 1911 you can try searching for him on those years' censuses – censuses include information on individuals' birth places. And if you have an idea of where he was living in 1939, try searching for him on that year's Civilian Register - his entry will include his birth date, and with that information you can then try tracking down his birth record, which should confirm where exactly in south Wales he was born.
Harry Griffiths
I want to know my origins. I’m a tribalist, I wish that one day in the future, there is a place where those who do not forget the ways of the past can mix it with technology, like in the game Horizon Zero Dawn. Imagine a place where we live simple lives, no nations that run by corrupt people. I’m not an extremist, I only want to be who I am and I feel that the first step is to know where I came from.
Griffiths
Hello fellow Griffiths, I am Ronelle from Cape Town South Africa, I am trying to find out more about my father's side of the family. I never really knew my father, he left when I was 2 years old after being married to my mother for 21 years. He in turn did not really know his father either, I don't even have a name of my grandfather. Is there someone willing to help me find out more about him. My father was Walter George (Wally) Griffiths, bright red hair, sky blue eyes, I would really love to know more about the Griffiths family name, any information is much appreciated and welcomed.
Eilir Wales101
Hello Ronelle. To discover more about your father's family, start by tracing his birth certificate which should establish his parents' identities. Do you have an idea of around when and where he was born? If he was born in South Africa, then you can approach the local authorities there for his birth record. If he was born elsewhere, then there may be a record of his arrival (or departure from, for example, the UK) on a passenger list - this may give you a clue as to where he was living before he arrived in South Africa. Delving deeper into his early history and that of his parents would depend on where - which country - he was born, and so tracing his birth record would definitely be the first step to find out more.
Cathy Griffiths
Hello Griffiths Family. I would like to meet you. I am a Griffiths in Louisiana, USA. I don't know who the 1 Griffiths listed in Louisiana but I would like to know. I look forward to meeting you.
Cheers,
Cathy Griffiths
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