Griffin draws on two threads: a Welsh surname meaning something like "strong lord," and the mythical creature -- part eagle, part lion -- long used as a symbol of vigilant guardianship. Together they give the name a watchful, protective quality, strength kept in reserve rather than displayed.
Mars of a nativity, and not joined to good planets, signifieth the native to suffer by envy and hatred. - William Lilly (1602.-1681.)