Jeferson
Of English origin, meaning "son of Jeffrey" or "son of Geoffrey".
Name Census estimates that about 409 living Americans carry the first name Jeferson. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jeferson today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jeferson births was 2008 (41 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jeferson. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
409
~ 1 in 838,030 Americans
Peak year
2008
41 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,524
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Jeferson: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jeferson from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 184 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Jeferson remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jeferson by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jeferson during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jefersons live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Virginia, New York, Maryland recorded the most babies named Jeferson, while New Jersey, California, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jeferson
The name Jeferson has its origins in the English language, derived from the given name Jefferson, which itself is a surname that has been used as a given name. The surname Jefferson is believed to have originated from an Old French place name, likely a habitational name referring to someone who lived near a particular town.
The earliest recorded use of the name Jefferson dates back to the late 16th century in England. It is possible that the name may have been influenced by the Latin word "ius" meaning law or right, and "ferre" meaning to bear or carry, suggesting a connection to someone involved in legal matters or the administration of justice.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Jeferson is Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third President of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. His influence and legacy have likely contributed to the popularity of the name in the United States and its spelling variations.
Another prominent individual with the name Jeferson was Jeferson Davis (1808-1889), the President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Despite his controversial role, his name has been recorded in history books and has likely influenced the spelling variation "Jeferson."
In literature, the name Jeferson appears in the works of American author Mark Twain, who featured a character named Jeferson Brick in his novel "The Gilded Age" published in 1873.
Other notable individuals with the name Jeferson include Jeferson Pruitt (1902-1977), an American Baptist minister and civil rights activist, and Jeferson Backer (born 1968), a Brazilian former professional footballer.
While the name Jeferson is not as common as its original spelling, Jefferson, it has been adopted and used throughout history, particularly in certain cultural and linguistic contexts. Its unique spelling variation contributes to its distinctiveness while still maintaining a connection to its English language origins.
People
Jeferson + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jeferson as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jeferson: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jeferson?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 409 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jeferson going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 838,030 US residents.
Is Jeferson a common name?
We classify Jeferson as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 413 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jeferson most popular?
The single biggest year for Jeferson was 2008, when 41 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jeferson is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jeferson a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jeferson in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.