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

Jeffs, 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 Jeffs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jeffs in America

Jeffs is the 17323rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jeffs surname appeared 1,632 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 Jeffs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jeffs 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 Jeffs

The surname Jeffs is of English origin, derived from the given name Jeffrey, which comes from an old Germanic name Gaufrid or Gaufrey. This name is a compound of the elements "gau" (territory or district) and "frid" (peace), meaning "peaceful territory" or "district of peace".

The name Jeffrey was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 by Norman-French settlers who had adopted the name. The earliest recorded spelling of the name Jeffs dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where a Richard Jeffes is mentioned in 1273.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several individuals listed with the name Jeffrey or variations like Geffrei and Gefrei, but no specific mention of the surname Jeffs.

The Jeffs surname is found in various parts of England, particularly in Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. Some early bearers of the name include John Jeffs, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire in 1332, and William Jeffs, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327.

One notable historical figure with the surname Jeffs was Sir George Jeffreys (1645-1689), an English judge who became notorious as the "Hanging Judge" for his brutal treatment of the rebels after the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685. Another was William Jeffs (1837-1908), an English architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Other individuals with the surname Jeffs include:

1. Samuel Jeffs (1858-1935), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.
2. Alfred Jeffs (1819-1900), a British architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in London and the surrounding counties.
3. John Jeffs (1701-1789), an English mathematician and astronomer who published several works on navigation and astronomy.
4. Mary Jeffs (1706-1768), an English artist known for her portraits and miniature paintings.
5. Thomas Jeffs (1826-1901), a British architect and surveyor who worked on several ecclesiastical and public buildings in the Midlands region of England.

The surname Jeffs has a rich history rooted in the English countryside, with its origins dating back to the time of the Norman Conquest. While not as widespread as some other English surnames, it has been borne by notable figures in various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jeffs

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

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

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

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