JEFFERIES
Origins
The surname Jefferies is of English and Germanic origin. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Geoffrey, which itself stems from the Old Germanic name Godfrey meaning “God's peace”. The suffix -s indicates “son of”, thereby rendering the meaning as “son of Geoffrey”. Introduction to England came with the Norman Conquest of 1066, originally appearing in records as Jeufroi and later developing into variations such as Jeffrey, Jeffery, and Geffrays.
Historical Recordings
Early documentary evidence of the name can be found in the Curia Regis rolls of Norfolk in 1203, where a Walter Geffrei is recorded during the reign of King John. Subsequent entries include an Agnes Geffrays of Suffolk in 1283, a Hugo Jafres of Staffordshire in 1327, and a Symon Geffris of Worcestershire in 1340. By the sixteenth century, a Philip Jeffereyes is noted in Worcester (1566), and a christening record in St. Dunstan's, Stepney, documents a Richard Jefferies in 1640.
Spelling Variations
Over the centuries the surname has appeared in numerous forms, reflecting regional dialects, varying levels of literacy, and clerical transcription practices. Common variants include Jeffereys, Jefries, Jefferis, Jeffries, Jeffers, Jeffreys, Jeffryes, Jeffrey, Jefferey, Jeffereys, Jefries, Jephries, and Jeffereys. Despite orthographic differences, all variants share the same etymological foundation.
Geographical Distribution
In England the surname is recorded with particular density in counties such as Cheshire, Essex and Herefordshire. Throughout the British Empire, bearers of the name migrated to Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and later emigrated to North America, Australia and New Zealand during periods of colonisation. In contemporary times the name remains common in England and is widely dispersed across English‑speaking countries, with significant populations observed in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Meaning and Significance
By linking back to the Old Germanic Godafrid (god-peace), Gaufrid (territory and peace) and Galfirdus (song peace), the surname carries connotations of divine tranquillity and harmonious pledge. As a lineage indicator, it signifies descent from an ancestor named Geoffrey or Jeffrey, thereby affirming a personal heritage steeped in medieval linguistic tradition.
Typical given names associated with the Jefferies surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Barbara
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jean
- Karen
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
- Zoe
Similar and related surnames
- Geoffrey
- Geoffroy
- Geffers
- Jepson
- Jeff
- Jefferis
- Jeffery
- Jeffrey
- Jeffreys
- Jeffrie
- Jeffries
- Jeffry
- Jeffryes
- Jeffs
- Jefferson
- Geffreys
- Jeffereis
- Jefferie
- Geffery
- Jaferi
- Jafferi
- Jafferies
- Jaffers
- Jaffery
- Jaffries
- Jeferey
- Jeferies
- Jefery
- Jeffares
- Jeffaries
- Jeffary
- Jeffears
- Jeffer
- Jefferes
- Jefferey
- Jeffereys
- Jefferiess
- Jefferiss
- Jefferries
- Jefferry
- Jeffers
- Jefferyes
- Jefferys
- Jeffiers
- Jeffires
- Jeffiries
- Jeffiry
- Jeffory
- Jeffrees
- Jeffreies
- Jeffris
- Jeffrys
- Jefries
- Jevers
- Geffries
- Jaffari
- Jaffer
- Jaffray
- Jaffrey
- Jaffreys
- Jeevers
- Jefferds
- Jeffords
- Jeffree
- Jeffreyes
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Jefferies in...
Braille
⠚⠑⠋⠋⠑⠗⠊⠑⠎
Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 7,343 people named Jefferies in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,270th most common surname in Britain. Around 113 in a million people in Britain are named Jefferies.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Jefferies
- Richard Jefferies - Writer (1848 to 1887)
- David Jefferies - Motorcycle racer (1972 to 2003)
- Jim Jefferies - Scottish football player and manager
- L. Stanton Jefferies - Musician, conductor and broadcaster (1896 to 1961)
- Rob Jefferies - Racing cyclist (1968 to 2011)
- Daniel Jefferies - Football player
- Darren Jefferies - Football player
- Richard Jefferies - Canoeist
- Axcil Jefferies - Racecar driver
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.