Griffith, and its Welsh form Gruffudd or Gruffydd, is a name of Welsh origin that may be used as a personal name or surname, with or without the s as in Griffiths. The name has many variations as a result of the natural evolution of the name in Welsh, as well as the translation of the name from Welsh into both Latin and English. The anglicized and Welsh forms are treated as different spellings of the same name in Wales. The name can also be associated with the Irish surname Griffin.
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Evolution and history
One of the oldest forms which gave rise all other variations is Grippiud or Gripuid, which evolved into Old Welsh Griffudd. The second element of the name, iudd, as a noun has a meaning of 'lord' and is found in other Welsh names such as Meredith (Mared[i]udd) and Bleidd[i]udd. In North Wales Griffudd evolved into Gruffudd. “When u came to have the same quality as the clear y (the y of monosyllables and final syllables) the name generally became Gruffydd, and this is now regarded as the standard form,” according to T.J. Morgan and Prys Morgan . Gruffudd of Old Welsh became spelt as Gruffydd in Middle Welsh and Modern Welsh of today. The high central vowel sound of u/y was lost entirely in South Wales and replaced by the i sound, and the form Griffidd became standard in the south, the region to first be encountered by Anglo-Norman scribes.
Variations
Anglo-Norman scribes rendered Griffidd and Gruffydd as Griffith, with both Gruffydd and Griffith becoming the standardized forms for the same name since the High Middle Ages and into the modern era. The form of the name encountered in Latin texts is Griffith, Griffini and Gruffin.
Many variations have evolved since the Middle Ages and Tudor period, with many springing from abbreviated forms such as Griff.
Griffri, Griffith, Griffyn, Griffei, Griffies, Griffitte, Griffits, Griffitts, Griffes, Griffyths, Gripthis, Gripphes, Griffithi, Griffen, Griffee, Griffey, Gruffudd, Gruffydd
Patronymics evolving from Griffith include Griffiths and Griffyths, son of Griffith.
Hypocoristic forms
Hypocoristic forms, or “pet names”, included Guto, Gutyn, Gitto, Getyn, Gitton, and Gutta, with many of these becoming surnames themselves. Derivations of Gruffydd by way of Guto/Gitto include Gittos, Gittose, Gittoss, Gittas, Gyttes, Gitts, Gytts, Gittus, Gitthouse, Gyttors, Gittonce, Gittal, Gittall, Gyttall, Gittall, Gethyn.
The name Gatehouse may have originated in some parts of Wales and the March from Gittose or a variant as a conscious effort to further anglicize the name.