Griffin
Boy name · #222 in 2025 · Distinctive
In 2025, 1,627 baby boys were named Griffin, placing it at #222 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #236, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,106 boys born in 2025 was named Griffin.
The 144-year story
Griffin first appears in the Social Security records in 1881, when 6 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 1,728 babies and a rank of #214. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Griffin per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Griffin against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Griffin in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Griffin is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Griffin is most common
Geography matters for names, and Griffin is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Griffin is most common in NH (6 per 1,000), ME (4.7 per 1,000), ND (3.6 per 1,000), MN (2.2 per 1,000), WI (2.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Griffin is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Griffin
Statistically, parents drawn to Griffin tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Emerson, Gideon, Joaquin, Kieran, and Holden.
EmersonGideonJoaquinKieranHoldenSimonBraxtonGavin
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Griffin | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,627 | #222 |
| 2024 | 1,617 | #223 |
| 2023 | 1,728 | #214 |
| 2022 | 1,540 | #230 |
| 2021 | 1,592 | #232 |
| 2020 | 1,492 | #241 |
| 2019 | 1,624 | #232 |
| 2018 | 1,678 | #224 |
| 2017 | 1,522 | #243 |
| 2016 | 1,695 | #230 |
| 2015 | 1,614 | #236 |
| 2014 | 1,537 | #243 |
| 2013 | 1,623 | #225 |
| 2012 | 1,652 | #220 |
| 2011 | 1,581 | #227 |
| 2010 | 1,517 | #232 |
| 2009 | 1,558 | #232 |
| 2008 | 1,504 | #243 |
| 2007 | 1,486 | #242 |
| 2006 | 1,353 | #256 |
| 2005 | 1,376 | #244 |
| 2004 | 1,385 | #241 |
| 2003 | 1,536 | #225 |
| 2002 | 1,472 | #228 |
| 2001 | 1,418 | #239 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Griffin a popular boy name?
Griffin ranked #222 among boys in 2025 with 1,627 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #236.
When was the name Griffin most popular?
Griffin peaked in 2023, when 1,728 American boys received the name (ranked #214 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Griffin?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,106 newborn American boys was named Griffin. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.