Jeffries
Son of Geoffrey or variants meaning "traveler" and "peace".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Jeffries. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jeffries today is around 75 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jeffries births was 1952 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jeffries. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Jeffries is about 75 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Jeffries' were born before 1961.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jeffries. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1952
5 babies that year
Average age
75
years old
1953 SSA rank
#4,067
Tracked since 1952
Popularity
Jeffries: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jeffries 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 Jeffries during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jeffries
The given name Jeffries has its origins in the Middle English language, emerging in the 12th century as a variation of the name Geoffrey. Geoffrey itself is derived from the Old French "Geffrei" or "Geoffroi," which can be traced back to the Germanic name "Gaufrid" or "Gaufridus," composed of the elements "gau" (territory) and "frid" (peace).
Jeffries was initially a patronymic surname, indicating a familial relationship to someone named Geoffrey or Jeffry. Over time, it transitioned into being used as a given name in its own right. The name was particularly prevalent in England and parts of northern Europe during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jeffries can be found in the Domesday Book, a census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, where it appears as a surname. The name also appears in various historical records and chronicles from the 12th and 13th centuries, primarily in England and France.
Notably, Sir Jeffry Wyatville (1766-1840) was a renowned English architect and garden designer who worked on several significant projects, including the remodeling of Windsor Castle for King George IV. Another notable figure was Jeffries Leonard (c. 1617-1691), an English lawyer and politician who served as Lord Privy Seal under King Charles II.
In the realm of literature, Jeffries Browne (1676-1766) was an English poet and satirist known for his work "The Parnell Papers." Additionally, Jeffries Wyman (1814-1874) was an American naturalist and anatomist who made significant contributions to the study of comparative anatomy and paleontology.
Jeffries Wilkinson (1772-1849) was an English Quaker and abolitionist who actively campaigned against slavery and worked towards the abolition of the slave trade in the British colonies. He was also involved in founding several educational institutions, including the Ackworth School for Quaker children.
Overall, the name Jeffries has a rich history spanning several centuries and various fields, from architecture and literature to politics and social reform movements. While its popularity may have fluctuated over time, it remains a name with deep cultural and historical significance.
People
Jeffries + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jeffries 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
Jeffries: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jeffries?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jeffries 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Jeffries a common name?
We classify Jeffries as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jeffries most popular?
The single biggest year for Jeffries was 1952, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jeffries is about 75 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jeffries in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jeffries a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jeffries 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.
Is Jeffries still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jeffries in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jeffries can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Jeffries?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.