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

Jeffreys, 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 Jeffreys surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jeffreys in America

Jeffreys is the 9788th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jeffreys surname appeared 3,308 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Jeffreys.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jeffreys 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 Jeffreys

The surname Jeffreys originates from England, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period. The name is derived from the given name Jeffrey, which is an anglicized version of the Old French name Geoffroi, itself derived from the Germanic name Godafrid, meaning "peace of God."

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Jeffreys can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, there is a reference to a man named Geffrey de la Hethe. This suggests that the surname was initially used as a descriptive name, indicating a person's place of origin or residence.

The Jeffreys surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest and most prominent figures bearing this name was Sir George Jeffreys (1645-1689), an English judge infamous for his brutality during the Bloody Assizes. He gained notoriety for his harsh sentences against those involved in the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685.

Another notable bearer of the Jeffreys surname was John Jeffreys (1609-1677), a Welsh-born judge and politician who served as Chief Justice of the Carmarthen Circuit in Wales. He was also a member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War.

In the realm of literature, the surname Jeffreys is associated with Richard Jefferies (1848-1887), a renowned English nature writer and novelist. His works, such as "Bevis: The Story of a Boy" and "The Story of My Heart," celebrated the beauty of the English countryside and explored themes of naturalism and spirituality.

During the 18th century, George Jeffreys (1678-1755), an English writer and scholar, gained recognition for his contributions to literary criticism and his work as a translator of classical texts. He is particularly known for his editions of the works of Edmund Spenser and William Shakespeare.

Another notable figure with the Jeffreys surname is John Jeffreys (1744-1819), a British Naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He rose to the rank of Vice Admiral and played a significant role in several naval engagements.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jeffreys

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

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

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

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