Find out how popular the last name Jefferds is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Jefferds.

Jefferds, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Jefferds surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jefferds in America

Jefferds is the 95115th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jefferds surname appeared 192 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Jefferds.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jefferds to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Jefferds

The surname JEFFERDS originated in England, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a variant of the more common surname Jeffreys, which itself derived from the personal name Geoffrey, an Old French form of the Germanic name Godofrid, meaning "peace" and "rule."

The earliest known record of the JEFFERDS name dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk, an ancient census document. This suggests that the name may have originated in the county of Norfolk or its surrounding areas. Over time, the spelling evolved from variations like Jeffredes, Jeffreides, and Jeffreyds before settling on the modern form of JEFFERDS.

In the 14th century, the name JEFFERDS appeared in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, indicating its spread to different regions of England. This record mentions one John Jeffreyds, a landowner from the village of Ripley, who was taxed for his property holdings.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the JEFFERDS family flourished across various counties in England. Notable bearers of the name include William JEFFERDS, a merchant from Bristol who was involved in the transatlantic trade with the American colonies in the late 1600s. Another prominent figure was Thomas JEFFERDS, a scholar and theologian born in 1615 in Oxfordshire, who authored several works on Christian theology and philosophy.

The 18th century saw the JEFFERDS name spread to other parts of the British Isles. One significant individual was James JEFFERDS, a Scottish naval captain born in 1742 who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He participated in several notable battles, including the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781.

As the British Empire expanded, the JEFFERDS name also found its way to various colonies and territories. In the 19th century, John JEFFERDS, born in 1803 in Gloucestershire, England, emigrated to South Africa and became a successful farmer and landowner in the Cape Colony. His descendants continued to carry the JEFFERDS name in that region.

Throughout its history, the JEFFERDS surname has been associated with various occupations and social classes, from merchants and scholars to farmers and military personnel. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark across several centuries and remains part of the rich tapestry of English surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jefferds

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Jefferds.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Jefferds was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Jefferds has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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