Jeff first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Jeff has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Jeff

A masculine name of English or Germanic origin meaning "peaceful traveler".

Popularity of Jeff by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Jeff is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Jeff being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 34 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Jeff.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 34 0
2022 45 0
2021 56 0
2020 43 0
2019 53 0
2018 67 0
2017 59 0
2016 58 0
2015 72 0
2014 100 0
2013 79 0
2012 78 0
2011 90 0
2010 113 0
2009 128 0
2008 142 0
2007 161 0
2006 141 0
2005 130 0
2004 162 0
2003 156 0
2002 162 0
2001 171 0
2000 164 0
1999 165 0
1998 135 0
1997 134 0
1996 156 0
1995 154 0
1994 213 0
1993 209 0
1992 221 0
1991 254 0
1990 249 0
1989 283 0
1988 323 5
1987 305 0
1986 346 6
1985 373 6
1984 366 0
1983 390 5
1982 424 5
1981 434 0
1980 542 0
1979 551 0
1978 641 0
1977 702 6
1976 746 5
1975 883 0
1974 975 5

The history of the first name Jeff

The name Jeff is a shortened form of the English name Jeffrey, which derives from the medieval German name Gottfried. Gottfried is a compound name formed from the words "gott" meaning "god" and "frid" meaning "peace." The name can be translated to mean "God's peace" or "the peace of God."

Gottfried was a popular name among the Franks during the Middle Ages, and it was introduced to Britain by the Normans after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The spelling variants included Geffraye, Gefferay, and Gefrai.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jeffrey appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of a great survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Geffrei."

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Jeff or Jeffrey. One of the earliest was Geoffrey of Monmouth, a 12th-century British cleric and writer who is best known for his chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain).

Another notable figure was Geoffrey Chaucer, the 14th-century English poet and author of the Canterbury Tales, who was born around 1343. His son was also named Geoffrey.

In the 16th century, Sir Geoffrey Fenton was an English writer and statesman who served as the Principal Secretary of State in Ireland during the reign of Elizabeth I.

Geoffrey of Vendôme, born around 1065, was a French Benedictine monk and cardinal who played a significant role in the Investiture Controversy between the Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire.

One of the more famous historical figures with the name Jeff is Jefferson Davis, born in 1808, who served as the President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.

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 Jeff was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Jeff first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/jeff-meaning-and-history/.

"Jeff first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/jeff-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

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

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