Jeffery

Jeffery is a spelling variation of Jeffrey, which in turn is the modern respelling of Geoffrey, a male given name that dates back to the Middle Ages. Geoffrey is of Germanic (Frankish) origin but the name’s meaning is debated and uncertain. Most likely the name developed from Godfrey which also has Frankish and Germanic roots. The words “god/gōd” essentially means “God, good” and “fred/frid” means “peace”. Therefore, the full meaning of the name has to do with God’s peace or some divine (good) sense of peace. Geoffrey was brought to the British Isles by the Normans. Three important 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 author of “The Canterbury Tales”. The new spelling Jeffery developed phonetically in modern times (primarily in the United States), but os not as popular as the more common Jeffrey. The medieval spelling of Geoffrey has since gone by the wayside.