Griffin, a diminutive of Gruffudd, is believed to be derived from the Old Welsh elements cryf, meaning "strong," and iudd, meaning "lord" or "prince." It's the last name of "Fantastic 4" actor Ioan Gruffudd. The name Griffin can also be inspired by the English word griffin, referring to a fictional creature with the body of a lion and head/wings of an eagle. It started gaining popularity in the U.S. in the 1980s and has now been a top-250 boy's name every year since 2007. It's also the name "Glee" and "American Horror Story" director Ryan Murphy gave his son Griffin Sullivan, born in 2020.
