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Jeffrey Name Meaning, Origins & History

Jeffrey

Pronunciation: JEF-ree

Meaning Peace Origin Germanic Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#552
TREND
32
Peak Years
1962, 1961, 1963
Lowest Years
1885, 1911, 1910
Energy Archetype
Courageous & Inventive

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Jeffrey in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Jeffrey

  • An all-time favorite: U.S. records show 979,593 boys named Jeffrey from 1880 through 2025.
  • Decades of popularity: Jeffrey stayed in the U.S. top 100 for 55 consecutive years, from 1945 through 1999.
  • More than 983 thousand babies named Jeffrey: U.S. records list 983,091 babies given the name Jeffrey from 1880 through 2025. Even 3,498 girls received the name Jeffrey - about 1 girl for every 280 boys.

What Does the Name Jeffrey Mean?

Jeffrey is an English masculine name, an alternate spelling of Geoffrey. It goes back to a Germanic name that passed into England through Norman French as Geoffroi (Latinized as Gaufridus). The second element is Germanic frid (also frithu), meaning "peace." The first element is disputed: it may be gaut, a Germanic tribal name (the Geats of Scandinavia), or gawi, meaning "district" or "region." On the tribal reading the name means "peace of the Geats"; on the regional reading it would mean something closer to "district peace."

The familiar gloss "God's peace" is a customary interpretation rather than a secure etymology. It most likely comes from blending Geoffrey with the similar-sounding name Godfrey, which really is built from god ("god") and frid ("peace"). Geoffrey and Godfrey are related in sound and history but differ in origin.

Jeffrey Name History & Origins

The name reached England with the Normans after the Conquest of 1066, in Old French forms such as Geoffroi and the Latinized Gaufridus. It was established enough in medieval England to belong to Geoffrey of Monmouth, whose Latin account of British history dates to the twelfth century, and to the poet Geoffrey Chaucer in the fourteenth century. The English spellings Geoffrey and Jeffrey grew up side by side for the same name; the J- spelling reflects the way the French initial g- before e or i was pronounced and later written.

The short form Jeff became a familiar name in its own right, and the full name also produced the surnames Geoffrey and Jeffrey. In the United States, Jeffrey became the more usual of the two spellings during the twentieth century, while Geoffrey stayed more common in Britain.

How Popular is the Name Jeffrey?

Jeffrey remained among the top 100 boy names in the U.S. from 1945 to 1999. Its highest annual birth count was in 1962, and people born that year turn 64 in 2026.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Famous People Named Jeffrey

Jeffrey Edward Epstein

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Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

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How the Name Jeffrey Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.

Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.

✦ Jeffrey's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jeffrey's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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