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From:
Subject: [PACE] Welsh surname development" Griffith"
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:21:04 -0400

GRIFFITH (in PACE ancestry)

I just came across this interesting, informative message
Re: [Black Country] Griffiths
on
which may interest those of Welsh Heritage
or others interested in surname development.

The Black Country refers to
the Industrial area of the English Midlands
starting in the Iron Bridge Gorge of Shropshire


GRIFFITH is in Shropshire PACE ancestry not once
but a few times, even back to 1600s, first decade.

"In the 1st two decades (1600s), at PREES, there appeared to be
RICHARD, THOMAS, GRIFFITH, ROWLAND PACE"
from:
http://www.pacefamilyhistory.info/records/preespr.htm
from the microfilm

from a David Griffiths
on :

My understanding is that previous forms of the name morphed into Gruffyd
(and Griffin), as given names - when first written down. ( See
http://www.data-wales.co.uk/griffiths.htm for details.)

Under the ancient Welsh Patronymic naming system, the son of a man with
the given name Grifffith took the surname Griffiths (similarly for Jones
Williams Davis and Hughes - to name but a few others). According to
the000000 BBC web site linked below, "The process of conversion to the
system of fixed names in Wales began in the 15th century and continued
through to the middle of the 18th century. The trend was stratified
socially - the higher classes in society began the process, which then
was passed on to the lower classes."
(
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/familyhistory/pages/surnames.shtml
)

So.... even the ability to trace Griffith(s) surnames back to Wales may
very well depend on the status of our Griffith(s) forebears, and on the
date that they left Wales !

On a more up-to date note re spellimg in North America, it has been my
personal observation that - unlike the UK - Griffith is much more
familiar than Griffiths, here. At first I assumed this was due to the
Hollywood influence (Andy and Melanie, etc.) but cursory examination of
phone books confirms a preponderence of Griffith surnames. There was a
tendency to "anglicise" (or simplify) many European surnames on
immigration, here, and I personally suspect that the discrepancy between
UK and US common spelling could well have beeen the "americanization" of
Griffiths to Griffith.

Having said that, from my own research of the name in UK parish
registers (going back several hundred years), at a certain point in time
(in the 1700's), I have found much more variation in spelling of the
surname - sometimes seeming to be quite arbitrarily, and obviously due
to lower standards of literacy amongst those involved in the
transcription. If the majority of North American Griffith(s) are
descended from immigrants before that time, this might explain the
preponderance of Griffith, over here - except that I would expect to
find proportional numbers of Griffits, Griffice, etc. (which doesn't
seem to be the case).
-------------------------------------
GTPace, Ontario
Shropshire surnames of BARNETT BAUGH GROOM GREGORY MADDOX HARRISON JAMES
PALMER PASCAL PICKEN SUMNER TURNER and a few others I've been collecting
posting at http://www.pacefamilyhistory.info/records/index.htm

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