What's the surname "Griffin" as Gaeilge?

Poxyshamrock

For years, I always thought my surname was O'Griofa or O'Griobhtha but lately I've been told by my teacher it's O'Grifín which I don't really like cos it sounds a bit anglicized for my liking.

Any one know?

Cheers!

enfeild

In Irish Placenames Griffin takes the following shapes;
Criomhthann, Ghrífín, Ghrífín, Grifín, Mhic-Grifín, Uí Chriomhthain, Uí Chriomhthain, Uí Ghrifin. Its quite a common name in Townland names.
Regards.
Tom. * *

An gal gréine

In "Irish Names and Placenames" by Pádraig de Bhulbh (Kilmallock, 1906) he has the following for Griffin:
Ó Gríobhtha - Munster and Connacht.
Ó Gríbhthín - Kerry, west Limerick and west Cork.
Ó Gríobhtháin -Tipperary.
Mac Criomhtháin -Carlow and Wexford.
Ó Grialluis - Galway and parts of Mayo.

Mag Niallghuis - Spoken language is the only authority for the name in this case. "The spelling therefore may not be etymologically correct".

spurious

Mac Lysaght ('The Surnames of Ireland', 1957) says Ó Gríobhtha, from gríobhtha meaning griffin-like.

rainbowtrout

A friend of mine is Griffin and used O'Griofa as the Irish version

Badhbh

I have Griffin relatives. In Connamara it's written as
"Ó Gríofa" (modern spelling)

enfeild

The above names of Griffin is from the book 'The Anglicized words of Irish Placenames' by Tom Burnell.
Regards.
Tom

mairtinomarta

Badhbh wrote: »

I have Griffin relatives. In Connamara it's written as
"Ó Gríofa" (modern spelling)

This is correct. It's "Ó Gríofa" for the lads, "Ní Ghríofa" for the daughters and "Bean Uí Ghríofa" for the wife!

Jonathan

An gal gréine wrote: »

Mac Criomhtháin -Carlow and Wexford.

Are you sure about that?

That is McCrohan in Irish.

enfeild

McCrohan is also found in Ballymacraheen in Cork where the Irish is given as Baile Mac Criothain.
Regards.
Tom

An gal gréine

I double-checked it and that's what he has. So I checked his entry for McCrohan and there is only one, Mac Cruacháin. There is a more modern book called "An Sloinnteoir Gaeilge agus an t-Ainmneoir" published by Coiscéim which has only one entry for McCrohan and its Mac Criomhthainn ( you'll note there's no fada on the 'a' )
There may be some relation between the Griffins and the Crohans because if you silence the 'fs' in Griffin and do the same with Mac Criomthainn ( the 'mth' does have an 'f' sound in places) it then sounds very similar to Crohan.

Jonathan

An gal gréine wrote: »

There is a more modern book called "An Sloinnteoir Gaeilge agus an t-Ainmneoir" published by Coiscéim which has only one entry for McCrohan and its Mac Criomhthainn ( you'll note there's no fada on the 'a' )

Spot on.

That's my surname. and the Irish is correct.

Trendygal123

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

For years, I always thought my surname was O'Griofa or O'Griobhtha but lately I've been told by my teacher it's O'Grifín which I don't really like cos it sounds a bit anglicized for my liking.

Any one know?

Cheers!

no its actually none of the above!:P Itas Nì Griofa! The reason i know is im training in school(which is an irish one) and my name is C. Griffin so i am known as Ms. Nì Griofa!

dlofnep

rainbowtrout wrote: »

A friend of mine is Griffin and used O'Griofa as the Irish version

O'Griofa is the english version of Ó Gríofa.

rainbowtrout

Trendygal123 wrote: »

no its actually none of the above!:P Itas Nì Griofa! The reason i know is im training in school(which is an irish one) and my name is C. Griffin so i am known as Ms. Nì Griofa!

But isn't Ni/Nic used for females and O/Mac used for males? So wouldn't it be

Maire Ni Griofa and Sean O'Griofa?

An gal gréine

rainbowtrout wrote: »

But isn't Ni/Nic used for females and O/Mac used for males? So wouldn't it be

Maire Ni Griofa and Sean O'Griofa?

Máire Ní Ghríofa and Seán Ó Gríofa

rainbowtrout

An gal gréine wrote: »

Máire Ní Ghríofa and Seán Ó Gríofa

Oh ya, forgot the h