Given name & surname · also Germanic
Geoffrey
“a man of peace”
Geoffrey is a form of Jeffrey. One German interpretation is “a man of peace.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Geoffrey carries the interpretation “a man of peace.” Geoffrey is a form of Jeffrey. One German interpretation is “a man of peace.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with Germanic and English naming traditions. The precise derivation is uncertain.
How it developed
Geoffrey is used as a form of Jeffrey.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1895. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Geoffrey through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 54,534
- 54,394 boys · 140 girls
- Most popular year
- 1975
- 1,395 babies
- 2025
- 31
- #3,599 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −35%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 31 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,599 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 35.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,395 in 1975. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 45,230 as a first name in 2020; 313 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Geoffrey’s family of names
In English usage, Geoffrey has a diminutive in Geoff. Geoffrey shares a linguistic root with Godofredo. Geoffrey has an alternative spelling in Jeffrey.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Geoffrey has relatives in 29 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
65 related names in 29 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 38
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Jeffreyvariant · English, Dutch
- Jefferyvariant · English
- Jeffvariant · English
- Jeffryvariant · English
- Jepdiminutive · English
- Geofferyvariant · English
- Jeoffreyvariant · English
- Jeffynickname · English
Show 30 moreShow fewer
- Geffreyvariant · Middle English, English
- Geoffclipped form · English
- Geofreyvariant · English
- Geoffryvariant · English
- Gefferyvariant · English
- Jefreyvariant · English
- Jeffrievariant · English
- Jeffrivariant · English
- Jeffreevariant · English
- Jeffereyvariant · English
- Jeferyvariant · English
- Jeofferyvariant · English
- Geoffiediminutive · English
- Geffreevariant
- Geffrievariant
- Geffrivariant
- Geffryvariant
- Geoffreevariant · English
- Geoffrievariant
- Geoffrivariant · English
- Geoffereevariant
- Geofferievariant
- Geofferivariant
- Geofroyvariant
- Jephryvariant · English
- Jephreyvariant · English
- Jeoffroivariant · English
- Jaffrayvariant · English
- Geophreyvariant · English
- Gefreyvariant · English
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 45
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Godfreydoublet · English
- Jepsonpatronymic from · English
- Godofredocognate · Spanish, Portuguese
- GottfriedGerman
- Joffreyequivalent
- Goeffreyequivalent
- Gotfredoequivalent
- Geffraiequivalent
Show 37 moreShow fewer
- Jaufréequivalent
- Giffreiequivalent
- Gefreiequivalent
- GalfredoPortuguese
- Goffredocognate · Italian
- GodefroyFrench
- GeoffroyFrench
- Gioffreequivalent
- Jofréequivalent
- Geffraynormand
- Sieffrecognate · Welsh
- Дже́ффріUkrainian
- GottfridSwedish
- GiunfriduSicilian
- GiuffriduSicilian
- GiuffrèSicilian
- GoiridhScottish Gaelic
- GoraidhScottish Gaelic
- Дже́ффриRussian
- JofrePortuguese, Catalan
- GodfrydPolish
- Jaufrepro
- KiowhiriMāori
- GorryManx
- GorreeManx
- GalfridusLatin
- 제프리Korean
- ジェフリーJapanese
- GofraidIrish
- Siothrúncognate · Irish
- ჯეფრიGeorgian
- ĜofredoEsperanto
- 傑弗里Mandarin
- জেফ্রিBengali
- SéafraIrish
- Geoffroicognate · French
- ДжефриBulgarian
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Geoffrey
- Geoffrey Chaucer14th century English poet and author (1343–1400)
- Geoffrey RushAustralian actor (born 1951)
- Geoffrey HintonBritish-Canadian computer scientist and psychologistborn 1947
- Geoffrey of MonmouthHistorian and Bishop of St Asaph, Wales (c.1095–1155)1100–1155
- Jeff BeckEnglish guitarist (1944–2023)
- Geoffrey WilkinsonBritish Nobel laureate in Chemistry1921–1996
- Geoffrey KondogbiaFrench footballer (born 1993)
- G. I. TaylorBritish mathematician and physicist (1886-1975)
- Geoffrey II of BrittanyEnglish noble, Duke of Brittany jure uxoris1158–1186
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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