Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name 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.

All About the Baby Name – Jeffery

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME JEFFERY

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME JEFFERY

The spelling of Jeffery first appeared in America in 1939. This was about five years after Jeffrey arrived to the charts and started to show some promising usage. Both names have done quite well, particularly between the 1950s and 80s, although Jeffrey has always been the more preferred spelling. We agree that Jeffery is a totally legitimate spelling, but by the looks of it we can’t help wanting to pronounce the name “JEF-a-ree” which makes it feel more random and awkward compared to Jeffrey. If you are a true traditionalist, we say buck the trend and go with Geoffrey. It’s got a classic English erudite style all its own. Watch out for Jefferson, though, because for surname-loving parents out there, he may just surpass Jeffery one day soon. Since the turn of the 21st century, the spelling of Jeffery has shown a substantial loss of interest. It’s declined to levels of low moderation at this point and doesn’t appear to be a particular favorite. People naturally want to spell this name Jeffrey, so children named Jeffery are likely to encounter some spelling confusion along the way.

Quick Facts

ON JEFFERY

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

American

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

629

PRONUNCIATION:

JEF-a-ree

SIMPLE MEANING:

God's peace

Characteristics

OF JEFFERY

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Jeffery

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME JEFFERY

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Jeffery

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME JEFFERY

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Jeffery


Popular Songs

ON JEFFERY

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Jeffery


Famous People

NAMED JEFFERY

Jeffery Demps (track and field athlete)
Jeffery Taylor (basketball player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED JEFFERY

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Jeffery

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME JEFFERY

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Jeffery