The Griffin Coat of Arms: Meaning and Design

What a griffin means in heraldry

Courage, strength and leadership, with a watchful eye. The griffin borrows from the two most popular animals in heraldry: the eagle for sharp sight and the sky, the lion for strength and the earth. Put together, it reads as someone both brave and vigilant. Heraldic meanings come from later writers rather than any fixed rule, so treat them as tradition, but this one is old and widely shared.

In ancient stories griffins guarded gold and treasure, which is why many people still choose one to stand for protecting what matters: a family, a home, a team or a business.

Segreant, keythong and the griffin's own words

Heralds gave the griffin its own vocabulary. Where a lion rearing on its hind legs is rampant, a griffin in the same pose is segreant, usually with its wings raised. That rearing griffin is the one drawn in Crest Studio.

• Passant: walking, as with other beasts.
• Griffin's head: the eagle-like head alone, often with its ears showing, since a heraldic griffin has ears where an eagle has none.
• Keythong: in British heraldry, a "male griffin" is drawn without wings, with spikes or rays coming from its body. It is rare and makes a striking choice if you want something unusual.

The spelling varies too: griffin, gryphon and griffon all appear in old books and mean the same creature.

Famous griffins in heraldry

• Pomerania: a red griffin with gold beak and claws on a silver shield, the arms of the Dukes of Pomerania. The dynasty was even known as the House of Griffins, and the oldest known reference to its griffin is a deed from the early 1190s. The family died out with Duke Bogislaw XIV in 1637, but the red griffin lives on in the arms of the Polish West Pomeranian Voivodeship and the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
• Perugia, Italy: a griffin segreant wearing a crown, a symbol of the city since the Middle Ages.
• Genoa, Italy: two griffins support the old republic's shield with its red cross.
• Trinity College, Oxford: uses griffins in its crest.

These belong to their regions and institutions, so use them for inspiration and give your griffin its own colors, name and motto.

Designing your griffin crest

Colors

A red griffin on silver is the Pomeranian classic and very bold. A gold griffin on blue or black looks regal, and a silver griffin on green feels fresh and calm. Each follows the rule of tincture: a metal (gold or silver) against a color, so the beast stands out at any size.

Griffin supporters

Griffins are also popular as supporters, the animals that stand on either side of the shield. In Crest Studio you can add a pair of griffin supporters to any design, so even a crest with a key, a book or an initial on the shield can have griffins guarding it.

Names with a griffin in them

Griffith, Griffin and the German Greif all echo the creature in sound, and a griffin crest for a family with one of those names is a classic heraldic pun, known as canting arms.

For teams, schools and guilds

The griffin is a favorite mascot because it combines two strong animals in one bold silhouette. See school house crests and clan and guild logos. Comparing beasts? The eagle and lion guides cover its two halves, and the phoenix crest guide covers the other great fiery bird of heraldry.

Mottos

Try Semper Vigilans (always watchful), Fortis et Fidelis (strong and faithful) or plain English such as "Guard What Matters". The Latin motto generator has more with translations.

Design a griffin crest

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