Jefferson Boy

Popularity: #650 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JEFF-er-sun //ˈdʒɛfərsən//

Origin: English; French

Meaning: English: son of Jeffrey; French: derived from the Old French name Geffroi

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Jefferson is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name "Jeffrey," which itself comes from the Old French "Geoffroi," a variant of the Germanic name "Godefrid." The components of this name can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic elements "god," meaning "god," and "frid," meaning "peace." The name entered the English language following the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century, as many Norman names were adopted into English vernacular. Over time, the suffix "-son" was added, indicating "son of Jeffrey," which evolved into Jefferson.

Historically, the name Jefferson gained prominence in the 18th century, particularly through the figure of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. His contributions to American political philosophy and the founding of the nation solidified the name's association with ideals of liberty and democracy.

Jefferson's influence extended beyond politics; he was also a noted architect and a proponent of education, founding the University of Virginia in 1819. Culturally, the name Jefferson carries connotations of leadership and intellectualism, reflecting the legacy of Thomas Jefferson and his role in shaping American history.

The name has been used in various contexts, including literature and the arts, often symbolizing the Enlightenment values of reason and individual rights. The diminutive form "Jeff" has also been historically relevant, serving as a more informal version of the name while retaining its original associations.

Overall, Jefferson embodies a rich historical narrative that intertwines with significant cultural and political developments.

Famous people named Jefferson

In this section, you will find notable people named Jefferson. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Jefferson who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Jefferson who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Jefferson Airplane is a rock band best known for White Rabbit, Somebody to Love, and Volunteers.

Jefferson Davis was a military officer and politician best known for being the President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.

Fictional characters named Jefferson

The following list of fictional characters named Jefferson is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Jefferson is a fictional character from the TV series Once Upon a Time. He is the Mad Hatter, known for his obsession with his daughter and his ability to manipulate time and space.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Jefferson, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

JacksonMadisonGraysonHarrisonAddisonCarter

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Jefferson. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

JasperJettJaxonJefferyJettisonJethroJovian

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Jefferson was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Jefferson has ranked as high as #1241 nationally, which occurred in 2009, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Georgia.

In the past 5 years the name Jefferson has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Jefferson is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Jefferson was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Jefferson.

Year Total Births Boy
2025 298 298
2024 375 375
2023 339 339
2022 332 332
2021 357 357
2020 357 357
2019 326 326
2018 364 364
2017 353 353
2016 432 432
2015 378 378
2014 439 439
2013 414 414
2012 394 394
2011 326 326
2010 363 363
2009 444 444
2008 419 419
2007 417 417
2006 359 359
2005 348 348
2004 310 310
2003 249 249
2002 254 254
2001 225 225
2000 243 243
1999 287 287
1998 227 227
1997 236 236
1996 236 236
1995 242 242
1994 225 225
1993 266 266
1992 209 209
1991 224 224
1990 207 207
1989 186 186
1988 170 170
1987 145 145
1986 153 153
1985 170 170
1984 159 159
1983 139 139
1982 158 158
1981 182 182
1980 176 176
1979 175 175
1978 164 164
1977 161 161
1976 194 194
1975 177 177
1974 234 234
1973 285 285
1972 233 233
1971 266 266
1970 276 276
1969 246 246
1968 214 214
1967 208 208
1966 186 186
1965 171 171
1964 205 205
1963 177 177
1962 214 214
1961 223 223
1960 173 173
1959 234 234
1958 192 192
1957 160 160
1956 160 160
1955 196 196
1954 178 178
1953 155 155
1952 154 154
1951 162 162
1950 147 147
1949 133 133
1948 123 123
1947 137 137
1946 120 120
1945 105 105
1944 119 119
1943 98 98
1942 101 101
1941 104 104
1940 102 102
1939 88 88
1938 61 61
1937 73 73
1936 67 67
1935 101 101
1934 105 105
1933 86 86
1932 119 119
1931 108 108
1930 100 100
1929 94 94
1928 109 109
1927 129 129
1926 142 142
1925 143 143
1924 177 177
1923 159 159
1922 160 160
1921 162 162
1920 154 154
1919 146 146
1918 149 149
1917 152 152
1916 109 109
1915 150 150
1914 105 105
1913 92 92
1912 64 64
1911 47 47
1910 25 25
1909 24 24
1908 25 25
1907 32 32
1906 25 25
1905 22 22
1904 21 21
1903 20 20
1902 24 24
1901 27 27
1900 24 24
1899 11 11
1898 38 38
1897 17 17
1896 23 23
1895 28 28
1894 30 30
1893 25 25
1892 40 40
1891 40 40
1890 39 39
1889 39 39
1888 33 33
1887 32 32
1886 34 34
1885 38 38
1884 39 39
1883 32 32
1882 34 34
1881 31 31
1880 43 43

Top States for Jefferson (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 48
15%
CA 34
10%
FL 31
9%
NC 24
7%
NY 21
6%
NJ 20
6%
GA 19
6%
VA 17
5%
TN 15
5%
MD 12
4%
KY 10
3%
MA 9
3%
SC 9
3%
CO 8
2%
PA 7
2%
MN 7
2%
IN 7
2%
LA 6
2%
OK 6
2%
WA 6
2%
AL 5
2%
AR 5
2%
NE 5
2%