2000
#1,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,895
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.26
Uncommon Last name
Jeffers
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Jeffrey, meaning "peace" or "divine peace."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,963 Americans carry the last name Jeffers. That puts it at #2,129 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,075 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jeffers 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 Jeffers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,075
Census rank
#2,129
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,537 bearers of the surname Jeffers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2129th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeffers, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jeffers
The surname Jeffers is of English origin, stemming from the medieval French personal name "Geoffroi," derived from the Germanic elements "ge" (district) and "frid" (peace), meaning "peace district." It is believed to have been introduced to England during the Norman Conquest of 1066.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Jeffers date back to the 13th century, with references found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it was spelled as "Geffreys." Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Jeffreys, Jeffries, and eventually, Jeffers.
One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the name was Sir John Jeffreys (c. 1290-1355), a prominent English judge and Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Edward III. His family held lands in Swell, Gloucestershire, and the nearby village of Jeffreys Green was named after them.
Another historically significant figure was George Jeffreys (1645-1689), better known as the "Hanging Judge" for his brutal treatment of defendants during the Bloody Assizes following the Monmouth Rebellion against James II. His ruthless verdicts earned him infamy and contributed to the overthrow of James II in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
In the literary realm, John Jeffers (1887-1962), an American poet and playwright born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, gained renown for his works such as "Roan Stallion," "Tamar and Other Poems," and "The Double Axe." His poetry often explored themes of the natural world and the human condition.
The name Jeffers can also be found in historical records from other parts of England, including the parish registers of Reculver, Kent, where the surname appears as early as the 16th century. In Devonshire, the Jeffers family held lands in the parish of Holsworthy, with records dating back to the 17th century.
Another notable figure was Sir Robert Jeffery (1625-1688), an English politician and member of parliament for Beeralston, Devonshire, during the reign of Charles II. He was knighted in 1675 and served as the High Sheriff of Devonshire in 1683.
While the surname Jeffers has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by migrants and descendants of English settlers. Today, the name can be found in various countries, with each branch having its own unique history and connections to the original English lineage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jeffers
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeffers, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Jeffers 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 Jeffers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.0% · 12,395
- Black or African American15.6% · 2,582
- Two or more races4.5% · 738
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 570
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 127
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 125
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jeffers
Jeffers 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
#2,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,455
+560 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 5.92
Rank movement Down 119 places
2020
#2,129
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,537
-918 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 5.53
Rank movement Down 56 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,954 | 16,895 | 6.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,073 | 17,455 | 5.92 | +560 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 119 places |
| 2020 | #2,129 | 16,537 | 5.53 | -918 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 56 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 Jeffers 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 | #2,073 | #2,129 | -2.7% |
| Count | 17,455 | 16,537 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 5.92 | 5.53 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jeffers bearers went from 17,455 to 16,537 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 56 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,073 to #2,129.
FAQ
Jeffers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jeffers?
Name Census estimates that about 18,963 living Americans carry the surname Jeffers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,075 residents.
How common is Jeffers?
Jeffers ranks #2,129 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,537 people with the surname Jeffers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,963), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Jeffers.
Has Jeffers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jeffers went from 17,455 recorded bearers to 16,537. That is a decrease of 918 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,073 to #2,129.
What does the Census say about the background of Jeffers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jeffers, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Jeffers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.0% (12,395 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jeffers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.0%), Black (15.6%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Jeffers (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 Jeffers mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Jeffrey, meaning "peace" or "divine peace." 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 Jeffers (5.53 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 have the last name Jeffers?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Jeffers at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.