Given name & surname
Jeffrey
“a man of peace”
Jeffrey is used as a given name and a surname. One German interpretation is “a man of peace.”
Original GermanGeoffrey
Meaning & origin
What it means
One German interpretation is “a man of peace.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is German.
How it developed
In English use, Jeffrey is used as a spelling variant of Geoffrey.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1885. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Jeffrey through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 983,099
- 979,601 boys · 3,498 girls
- Most popular year
- 1962
- 33,615 babies
- 2025
- 544
- #552 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −36%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 544 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 552 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 35.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 33,537 in 1962. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (47). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 735,428 as a first name in 2020; 10,103 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.
Jeffrey’s family of names
Jeffrey has a short form in Jeff. In English usage, Jeffrey shares a linguistic root with the Icelandic form Guðfríður. In English usage, Jeffrey has a related form in Jeffery.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Jeffrey has relatives in 9 languages. Lines run from its German roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 29
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Jefferyvariant · English
- Jeffdiminutive · English
- Geoffreyvariant · English, German
- Jeffryvariant · English
- Jefryvariant · English
- Jeoffreyvariant · English
- Jeffrievariant · English
- Jeffereyvariant · English
Show 21 moreShow fewer
- Geffreyvariant · Middle English, English
- Joffreyvariant
- Joffrevariant
- Jeffyvariant
- Jeffriesvariant
- Jeffreevariant · English
- Jeferyvariant · English
- Geoffdiminutive · English
- Jefrivariant · English
- Geofreyvariant · English
- Geoffryvariant · English
- Jeffrreylikely variant
- Jeffreyelikely variant
- Jefffreylikely variant
- Jepoydiminutive · Tagalog
- Jephreyvariant · English
- Jeofferyvariant · English
- Jeffcoatpet form · English
- Jeoffroivariant
- Jefferiesvariant · English
- Geofryvariant · English
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 20
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Jeffrey
- Jeff BezosAmerican business magnate (born 1964)
- Jeff BridgesAmerican actorborn 1949
- Jeff GoldblumAmerican actor and musicianborn 1952
- J. J. AbramsAmerican filmmaker (born 1966)
- Jeffrey SachsAmerican economist (born 1954)
- Jeffrey C. HallAmerican geneticist and chronobiologistborn 1945
- Jeff BuckleyAmerican musician (1966–1997)
- Jeff HardyAmerican professional wrestlerborn 1977
- Jeffrey Dean MorganAmerican actorborn 1966
Characters named Jeffrey: Jeffrey King (the recently relaunched soap opera, turned web series One Life to Live.), Jeffrey Sinclair (Babylon 5), Jeffrey Spender (fictional character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Jeffrey, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Rodney
“from the famous one's island” · “from the island's clearing”
>99% boys
Randall
“the wolf shield”
>99% boys
Johne
Johne is a surname from German.
93% boys · 7% girls
Karl
“a free man”
>99% boys
Guy
“a warrior; from the wood” · “a lively man”
>99% boys
Roger
“fame-spear”
>99% boys
Kurt
“a brave counselor”
>99% boys
Gerard
“one who is mighty with a spear”
>99% boys