Geoffrey

Geoffrey is the medieval spelling of Jeffrey; used primarily among the English and the French (the French pronounce it zhaw-FRAY). In fact, the name was first introduced to England by the Norman French after the Conquest of 1066 and it’s been in circulation ever since. The Old French Geuffroi was ultimately derived from an Ancient Germanic name Gautfridu, with the last element (fridu) meaning “peace.” The first component of the name is up for debate, but the most common explanations come from the Old High German “got” meaning “God” or “gawi” meaning “district, territory” or, finally, “walah” meaning “stranger.” So Geoffrey could either mean Divine Peace, Place of Peace or Stanger of Peace. The name is often associated with Godfrey – which does mean “God’s peace.” In Medieval England, the name Geoffrey was particularly popular among the nobility; it’s also a name with a fair amount of literary cachet.  Three very significant men held the name Geoffrey in English history. One, Geoffrey Plantagenet was a Frenchman and father to King Henry II, thus launching the royal house of Plantagenet which ruled England from the 12th to 15th centuries. The other, Geoffrey of Monmouth, was a Welshman and British historian also dating back to the 12th century. He is the one we can thank for preserving the tales of King Arthur’s Court and other stories from Celtic mythology. Lastly, Geoffrey Chaucer was a 14th century poet and notable author of The Canterbury Tales.  Geoffrey would eventually fall from usage in England after the Middle Ages, but it was revived again in the 20th century (mostly in the form of Jeffrey).