Jeffery Boy

Popularity: #828 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JEFF-ree //ˈdʒɛfəri//

Origin: English; German

Meaning: English: God's peace; German: traveler

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Jeffery is derived from the Old High German name "Gislebert," which is composed of the elements "gisil," meaning "pledge" or "hostage," and "beraht," meaning "bright" or "famous." This name evolved through various forms, including the Old French "Geoffroi," before entering the English language as "Jeffrey" or "Jeffery" in the medieval period. The transition from Old High German to Old French and then to Middle English reflects the linguistic influences of the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, which brought many Old French names into English usage.

Historically, the name Jeffery gained prominence in England during the Middle Ages, with notable figures such as Geoffrey Chaucer, the renowned poet of the 14th century, contributing to its recognition. Chaucer's works, particularly "The Canterbury Tales," helped to solidify the name's place in English literature.

Additionally, the name appears in various forms in historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists individuals named Geoffrey, indicating its early adoption in England. Culturally, the name Jeffery has been associated with qualities of brightness and nobility, stemming from its etymological roots.

The name has also been linked to various saints and ecclesiastical figures throughout history, further embedding it in the cultural and religious fabric of medieval Europe. The diminutive form "Jeff" has emerged as a common variant, although it is more contemporary.

Overall, the name Jeffery carries a legacy that reflects its Germanic origins, medieval significance, and enduring cultural associations.

Famous people named Jeffery

In this section, you will find notable people named Jeffery. 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 Jeffery who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Jeffery 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.

Jeffery Deaver is an author best known for The Bone Collector, The Devil's Teardrop, and the Lincoln Rhyme series.

Jeffery Tambor is an actor best known for Arrested Development, Transparent, and The Larry Sanders Show.

Jeffery Wright is an actor best known for Westworld, Basquiat, and The Hunger Games series.

Jeffery Gitomer is a sales trainer and author best known for The Little Red Book of Selling, The Sales Bible, and Customer Satisfaction is Worthless.

Jeffery Jones is an actor best known for Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Beetlejuice, and The Devil's Advocate.

Fictional characters named Jeffery

The following list of fictional characters named Jeffery 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.

Jeffery is a fictional character from the animated television series The Magic School Bus. He is a classmate of the main characters who often participates in their educational adventures.

Sibling suggestions

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

JessicaJordanJasmineJaredJocelynJulian

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Jeffery. 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.

JeffGeoffreyJaredJasperJettJethroJesseJeremiah

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Jeffery was first seen in the United States in 1894.

Jeffery has ranked as high as #93 nationally, which occurred in 1962, and has been most popular in California, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Texas.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Jeffery 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 Jeffery 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 Jeffery.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 110 110 0
2024 151 151 0
2023 153 153 0
2022 173 173 0
2021 184 184 0
2020 215 215 0
2019 244 244 0
2018 259 259 0
2017 312 312 0
2016 314 314 0
2015 305 305 0
2014 388 388 0
2013 397 397 0
2012 373 373 0
2011 409 409 0
2010 447 447 0
2009 479 479 0
2008 533 533 0
2007 556 556 0
2006 643 643 0
2005 607 607 0
2004 623 623 0
2003 697 697 0
2002 734 734 0
2001 778 778 0
2000 837 837 0
1999 924 924 0
1998 965 965 0
1997 1,080 1,080 0
1996 1,119 1,119 0
1995 1,278 1,273 5
1994 1,416 1,416 0
1993 1,626 1,626 0
1992 1,822 1,822 0
1991 2,121 2,121 0
1990 2,334 2,321 13
1989 2,485 2,478 7
1988 2,604 2,584 20
1987 2,671 2,645 26
1986 2,795 2,769 26
1985 2,980 2,947 33
1984 3,041 3,025 16
1983 3,176 3,154 22
1982 3,332 3,311 21
1981 3,356 3,334 22
1980 3,352 3,324 28
1979 3,386 3,357 29
1978 3,574 3,543 31
1977 3,585 3,564 21
1976 3,586 3,564 22
1975 3,931 3,903 28
1974 4,390 4,363 27
1973 4,437 4,407 30
1972 5,094 5,063 31
1971 6,132 6,100 32
1970 6,742 6,701 41
1969 6,783 6,738 45
1968 7,269 7,223 46
1967 7,275 7,226 49
1966 7,944 7,904 40
1965 7,770 7,734 36
1964 8,402 8,360 42
1963 8,538 8,486 52
1962 9,331 9,282 49
1961 8,969 8,923 46
1960 7,704 7,658 46
1959 7,520 7,487 33
1958 6,874 6,842 32
1957 7,544 7,508 36
1956 6,598 6,569 29
1955 5,481 5,466 15
1954 3,951 3,935 16
1953 3,053 3,042 11
1952 2,201 2,183 18
1951 1,642 1,631 11
1950 1,223 1,216 7
1949 1,062 1,049 13
1948 803 795 8
1947 744 744 0
1946 559 552 7
1945 364 352 12
1944 344 336 8
1943 319 313 6
1942 286 281 5
1941 211 204 7
1940 128 128 0
1939 53 53 0
1938 40 40 0
1937 22 22 0
1936 34 34 0
1935 25 25 0
1934 27 27 0
1933 27 27 0
1932 22 22 0
1931 16 16 0
1930 29 29 0
1929 29 21 8
1928 25 25 0
1927 34 29 5
1926 23 23 0
1925 29 29 0
1924 25 25 0
1923 18 18 0
1922 23 23 0
1921 13 13 0
1920 10 10 0
1919 14 14 0
1918 15 15 0
1917 17 17 0
1916 17 17 0
1915 13 13 0
1914 16 16 0
1913 15 15 0
1912 15 15 0
1910 7 7 0
1909 8 8 0
1907 5 5 0
1894 5 5 0

Top States for Jeffery (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 17
17%
OH 12
12%
GA 12
12%
MI 9
9%
CA 7
7%
FL 6
6%
SC 6
6%
TN 6
6%
IL 5
5%
IN 5
5%
LA 5
5%
AL 5
5%
NC 5
5%