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.
Be wary and circumspect in your judgment, when a fortune is with a malevolent; nor be you overconfident that the malice of the infortune shall be averted. - William Lilly (1602.-1681.)