Geoffery first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Geoffery has been for the last 40 years (from 1974 to 2013) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Geoffery

A masculine name of French origin meaning "territory ruler."

Popularity of Geoffery by gender

Based on the last 40 years of data, Geoffery is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2013, there were 5 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Geoffery.

Year Male Count Female Count
2013 5 0
2011 5 0
2010 5 0
2009 6 0
2007 13 0
2005 8 0
2004 10 0
2003 11 0
2002 8 0
2001 17 0
2000 13 0
1999 17 0
1998 21 0
1997 24 0
1996 20 0
1995 33 0
1994 31 0
1993 26 0
1992 33 0
1991 36 0
1990 59 0
1989 45 0
1988 54 0
1987 58 0
1986 33 0
1985 46 0
1984 23 0
1983 29 0
1982 46 0
1981 35 0
1980 28 0
1979 33 0
1978 33 0
1977 44 0
1976 33 0
1975 32 0
1974 32 0

The history of the first name Geoffery

The name Geoffery is derived from the Old English name Gaufrid, which itself originated from the Germanic root "gau" meaning "territory" or "district". This Old English name Gaufrid evolved into the Norman French variant "Geoffroi" and eventually became the English name Geoffrey.

The earliest recorded uses of the name Geoffrey can be traced back to the 11th century in England, shortly after the Norman conquest. One of the first known individuals with this name was Geoffrey of Monmouth, a cleric and writer who lived in the 12th century and is best known for his work Historia Regum Britanniae, which promoted the legendary tales of King Arthur.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Geoffrey remained popular among the English nobility. One notable figure was Geoffrey Chaucer, the celebrated English poet and author of The Canterbury Tales, who lived from around 1343 to 1400. Another prominent individual was Geoffrey of Anjou, Count of Anjou, who lived from 1113 to 1151 and was the father of King Henry II of England.

In the 16th century, the spelling variation "Jeffery" emerged, and over time, other spellings such as "Geoffery" became more common. During this period, Sir Geoffrey Fenton, an English writer and statesman who lived from 1539 to 1608, made significant contributions to the literature and politics of his time.

Moving to the 17th century, Sir Geoffrey Palmer, an English lawyer and politician who lived from 1598 to 1670, played a crucial role in the English Civil War and served as Attorney General under Oliver Cromwell. Another noteworthy figure was Geoffrey Keating, an Irish priest and historian who lived from 1569 to 1644 and wrote the influential work Foras Feasa ar Éirinn (The History of Ireland).

In more recent times, the name Geoffrey has continued to be used, though less frequently. One prominent individual was Geoffrey Boycott, the former English cricketer who was born in 1940 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his era.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Geoffery was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Geoffery, please contact us.

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"Geoffery first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on September 16, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/geoffery-meaning-and-history/.

"Geoffery first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/geoffery-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 16 September, 2024

Geoffery first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/geoffery-meaning-and-history/.

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