Jeffrey
Jeffrey was the 552nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 544 babies. Its best year was 1966, when it ranked 9th; the most babies were born in 1962 (33,537). Over the last ten years it has moved down 262 places. More babies were named Jeffrey in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Germanic, French
Say it JEF-ree /ˈdʒɛfri/
- Rank in 2025
- #552 boys, down 166 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 544boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196233,537 babies
- Total since 1880
- 983,099babies recorded
What does the name Jeffrey mean?
Jeffrey is the usual US spelling of Geoffrey, as Wiktionary notes. DMNES explains that several different Germanic names fell together as Old French Geoffroi: the first part may be the tribal name Gaut, walh, "foreigner", or gaisa, "spear", and the second is fridu, "peace". DMNES adds that it is often confused with Godfrey, "God's peace". It was very popular in the US in the mid-20th century.
fridu (Old High German, “peace”)Gaut / walh / gaisa (Germanic, “Geat / foreigner / spear (alternatives)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. DMNES lists several possible first elements.
Other explanations you may read: means 'God's peace' (that is Godfrey).
Related names: Geoffrey, Jeff, Godfrey.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean peace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jeffrey', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Geoffrey', DMNES, Durham University
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Jeffrey', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Nicknames for Jeffrey
The usual nicknames for Jeffrey are Jeff. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Jeffrey in the last five years, 7 were named Jeff, against 5 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff · also for Jefferson, Jeffery, Geoffrey | Traditional | #3,342 | 215 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Jeffreys go by each one.
Jeffrey popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 3,498 since 1941.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #552 | 544 |
| 2020 | #386 | 794 |
| 2010 | #221 | 1,625 |
| 2000 | #104 | 3,563 |
| 1990 | #43 | 10,980 |
| 1980 | #27 | 16,379 |
| 1970 | #11 | 30,139 |
| 1960 | #14 | 28,841 |
| 1950 | #43 | 7,644 |
| 1940 | #183 | 799 |
| 1930 | #1,225 | 34 |
| 1920 | #1,666 | 22 |
| 1910 | #1,370 | 7 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Jeffrey, counting every spelling?
Jeffrey is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #537 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #552 for Jeffrey on its own. Together these spellings went to 565 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey | 544 | #552 | 3,162 |
| Jeffry | 15 | #5,980 | 87 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Jeffrey?
544 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jeffrey (0.15 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jeffrey born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 15 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jeffrey.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jeffrey?
About 809,300 people born in the US named Jeffrey are alive today, with a median age of 56; half are between 44 and 64. That makes Jeffrey a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Jeffrey by state
How common Jeffrey was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maryland (1.9×), South Carolina (1.8×), New Jersey (1.7×), Kentucky (1.7×), Alabama (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Oklahoma, Nebraska, Oregon.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jeffrey: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jeffrey, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jeffrey · Sibling names for Jeffrey
Questions about the name Jeffrey
What does Jeffrey mean?
The origin of Jeffrey is uncertain: DMNES lists several possible first elements.
How popular is the name Jeffrey?
Jeffrey was the 552nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 544 babies. Its best year was 1966, when it ranked 9th; the most babies were born in 1962 (33,537). Over the last ten years it has moved down 262 places. More babies were named Jeffrey in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Jeffrey a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jeffrey in the US.
Where is Jeffrey most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jeffrey was most common in Rhode Island (0.92 per 1,000 boys), followed by Delaware and Maryland.