2000
#6,306
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,973
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.84
Rare Last name
Jefferies
Derived from the given name Jeffrey, which means "district of peace" or "pledge of peace" in Old German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,743 Americans carry the last name Jefferies. That puts it at #6,513 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,682 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jefferies surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Jefferies with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.7K
1 in 59,682
Census rank
#6,513
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,008 bearers of the surname Jefferies in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6513th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jefferies, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.0%. The next largest groups are Black (43.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jefferies
The surname Jefferies originated in England during the medieval period. It is a patronymic surname, derived from the personal name Jeffrey, which is itself an English form of the ancient Germanic name Godfroi or Godefrid, meaning "peace of God." The earliest recorded spelling of the name was Geffrey, found in the Domesday Book of 1086.
In the 12th century, the surname began to appear in various forms, including Jeffray, Jeffries, and Jeffereys. These early spellings were influenced by regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time. The variant Jefferies emerged in the 14th century, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Jefferies was John Jefferies, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1243. Another early bearer of the name was William Jefferies, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Jefferies became more widespread and was found in many parts of England. Notable individuals from this period include Sir John Jefferies (1555-1615), a distinguished lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer under King James I.
In the 18th century, the name Jefferies was associated with several prominent figures, including George Jefferies (1678-1755), a scholar and ecclesiastical writer, and George Jeffreys (1648-1689), the notorious Lord Chancellor of England during the reign of King James II, known for his brutal suppression of the Monmouth Rebellion.
Other notable bearers of the Jefferies surname include John Jefferies (1701-1795), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War, and Richard Jefferies (1848-1887), a renowned English writer and naturalist, best known for his works celebrating the English countryside.
The surname Jefferies has also been found in various place names throughout England, such as Jefferies Bank in Somerset and Jefferies Farm in Gloucestershire, further reinforcing its deep roots in the country's historical landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jefferies
Among Census respondents with the surname Jefferies, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.0%. The next largest groups are Black (43.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Jefferies bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Jefferies surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.0% · 2,402
- Black or African American43.2% · 2,163
- Two or more races4.1% · 203
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 179
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jefferies
Jefferies appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,809
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,953
-20 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 503 places
2020
#6,513
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,008
+55 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Up 296 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,306 | 4,973 | 1.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,809 | 4,953 | 1.68 | -20 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 503 places |
| 2020 | #6,513 | 5,008 | 1.68 | +55 bearers (+1.1%) | Up 296 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Jefferies surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,809 | #6,513 | 4.3% |
| Count | 4,953 | 5,008 | 1.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.68 | 1.68 | -0.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jefferies bearers went from 4,953 to 5,008 (+1.1% change). The surname moved up 296 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,809 to #6,513.
FAQ
Jefferies surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jefferies?
Name Census estimates that about 5,743 living Americans carry the surname Jefferies. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,682 residents.
How common is Jefferies?
Jefferies ranks #6,513 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,008 people with the surname Jefferies. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,743), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Jefferies.
Has Jefferies become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jefferies went from 4,953 recorded bearers to 5,008. That is an increase of 55 (+1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,809 to #6,513.
What does the Census say about the background of Jefferies?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jefferies, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.0%. The next largest groups are Black (43.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jefferies in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.0% (2,402 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jefferies appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.0%), Black (43.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Jefferies (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Jefferies mean?
Derived from the given name Jeffrey, which means "district of peace" or "pledge of peace" in Old German. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Jefferies (1.68 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Jefferies?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Jefferies is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.