Fun Facts About the Name Jeff
- More than 120 thousand babies named Jeff: U.S. records list 120,510 babies given the name Jeff from 1880 through 2025. Even 263 girls received the name Jeff - about 1 girl for every 457 boys.
What Does the Name Jeff Mean?
Jeff is a short form of Jeffrey (also spelled Geoffrey), a name of Germanic origin that entered English through Old French. The Germanic name is reconstructed from two elements: *gautaz, meaning "Geat" (a member of a North Germanic people), and *frithuz, meaning "peace." Read literally, it means "peace of the Geats." The first element is not fully certain: some scholars connect it instead with a Germanic word for a region or district (related to gau), and popular tradition later reinterpreted it as "God," which produced the customary gloss "God's peace." Jeff has no separate etymology of its own; it inherits the meaning of the longer name it shortens.
Jeff Name History & Origins
The fuller name reached English through the Norman French Geoffroi, which came from the medieval Latin Gaufridus, also recorded as Galfridus. Norman settlers brought it to England after the Conquest of 1066, and it became common among the nobility. Geoffrey of Monmouth, writing in the 12th century, is among its best-known medieval bearers, and Geoffrey Chaucer followed in the 14th century.
One-syllable pet forms were typical of Middle English, and Jeff emerged as a familiar short form of Geoffrey and of its later spelling Jeffrey. For a long time it served mainly as a nickname rather than a formal given name. In the 20th century, particularly in the United States, Jeff came to be used as a name in its own right. It also appears as a short form of Jefferson, a surname-derived name.
How Popular is the Name Jeff?
Jeff recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1961. Jeff entered the top 100 U.S. boy names in 1957.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | #12,592 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #10,038 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #9,802 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #10,921 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #11,174 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #8,886 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #9,870 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #9,291 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #8,781 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #8,831 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #5,564 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1969 | #3,517 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1968 | #3,682 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1967 | #3,252 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1966 | #4,056 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1965 | #3,318 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1964 | #3,586 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1963 | #3,699 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1962 | #3,086 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1961 | #4,110 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #2,769 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1959 | #5,254 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #3,154 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1957 | #5,107 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #6,344 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1955 | #6,228 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1935 | #4,519 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #5,184 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1925 | #5,360 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,342 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2024 | #2,920 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 2023 | #3,371 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2022 | #2,805 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 2021 | #2,422 | 56 | 0.0032% |
| 2020 | #2,815 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 2019 | #2,504 | 53 | 0.0030% |
| 2018 | #2,109 | 67 | 0.0037% |
| 2017 | #2,255 | 59 | 0.0032% |
| 2016 | #2,291 | 58 | 0.0031% |
| 2015 | #2,004 | 72 | 0.0038% |
| 2014 | #1,582 | 100 | 0.0052% |
| 2013 | #1,818 | 79 | 0.0042% |
| 2012 | #1,871 | 78 | 0.0041% |
| 2011 | #1,671 | 90 | 0.0047% |
| 2010 | #1,458 | 113 | 0.0059% |
| 2009 | #1,350 | 128 | 0.0065% |
| 2008 | #1,230 | 142 | 0.0070% |
| 2007 | #1,122 | 161 | 0.0078% |
| 2006 | #1,191 | 141 | 0.0069% |
| 2005 | #1,219 | 130 | 0.0065% |
| 2004 | #1,011 | 163 | 0.0082% |
| 2003 | #1,014 | 156 | 0.0079% |
| 2002 | #974 | 162 | 0.0083% |
| 2001 | #913 | 171 | 0.0088% |
| 2000 | #931 | 164 | 0.0084% |
| 1999 | #906 | 165 | 0.0086% |
| 1998 | #1,009 | 135 | 0.0071% |
| 1997 | #976 | 134 | 0.0071% |
| 1996 | #880 | 156 | 0.0082% |
| 1995 | #880 | 154 | 0.0081% |
| 1994 | #719 | 213 | 0.0110% |
| 1993 | #715 | 209 | 0.0107% |
| 1992 | #695 | 221 | 0.0111% |
| 1991 | #643 | 254 | 0.0126% |
| 1990 | #643 | 249 | 0.0121% |
| 1989 | #581 | 283 | 0.0141% |
| 1988 | #512 | 323 | 0.0169% |
| 1987 | #514 | 306 | 0.0164% |
| 1986 | #466 | 346 | 0.0188% |
| 1985 | #441 | 373 | 0.0202% |
| 1984 | #440 | 365 | 0.0202% |
| 1983 | #413 | 390 | 0.0218% |
| 1982 | #396 | 424 | 0.0234% |
| 1981 | #388 | 434 | 0.0242% |
| 1980 | #339 | 542 | 0.0304% |
| 1979 | #331 | 551 | 0.0320% |
| 1978 | #294 | 640 | 0.0390% |
| 1977 | #277 | 701 | 0.0427% |
| 1976 | #262 | 745 | 0.0475% |
| 1975 | #234 | 883 | 0.0565% |
| 1974 | #217 | 975 | 0.0620% |
| 1973 | #192 | 1,182 | 0.0758% |
| 1972 | #167 | 1,540 | 0.0950% |
| 1971 | #140 | 2,155 | 0.1219% |
| 1970 | #116 | 2,881 | 0.1550% |
| 1969 | #106 | 2,973 | 0.1662% |
| 1968 | #90 | 3,279 | 0.1887% |
| 1967 | #88 | 3,592 | 0.2060% |
| 1966 | #72 | 4,387 | 0.2460% |
| 1965 | #62 | 5,409 | 0.2908% |
| 1964 | #52 | 6,932 | 0.3479% |
| 1963 | #48 | 8,108 | 0.3992% |
| 1962 | #44 | 9,424 | 0.4555% |
| 1961 | #49 | 9,462 | 0.4455% |
| 1960 | #49 | 8,511 | 0.3992% |
| 1959 | #52 | 7,730 | 0.3621% |
| 1958 | #68 | 5,810 | 0.2738% |
| 1957 | #96 | 4,092 | 0.1897% |
| 1956 | #145 | 2,219 | 0.1049% |
| 1955 | #182 | 1,482 | 0.0719% |
| 1954 | #221 | 976 | 0.0479% |
| 1953 | #231 | 847 | 0.0429% |
| 1952 | #268 | 659 | 0.0339% |
| 1951 | #286 | 567 | 0.0301% |
| 1950 | #291 | 539 | 0.0301% |
| 1949 | #245 | 696 | 0.0392% |
| 1948 | #212 | 888 | 0.0506% |
| 1947 | #199 | 1,007 | 0.0550% |
| 1946 | #219 | 766 | 0.0472% |
| 1945 | #249 | 538 | 0.0400% |
| 1944 | #273 | 470 | 0.0345% |
| 1943 | #280 | 480 | 0.0336% |
| 1942 | #294 | 424 | 0.0307% |
| 1941 | #302 | 361 | 0.0294% |
| 1940 | #340 | 279 | 0.0241% |
| 1939 | #448 | 164 | 0.0148% |
| 1938 | #416 | 187 | 0.0169% |
| 1937 | #454 | 153 | 0.0143% |
| 1936 | #501 | 128 | 0.0123% |
| 1935 | #484 | 137 | 0.0132% |
| 1934 | #531 | 122 | 0.0118% |
| 1933 | #468 | 143 | 0.0144% |
| 1932 | #453 | 157 | 0.0150% |
| 1931 | #456 | 154 | 0.0148% |
| 1930 | #444 | 177 | 0.0161% |
| 1929 | #451 | 174 | 0.0162% |
| 1928 | #453 | 177 | 0.0160% |
| 1927 | #441 | 192 | 0.0170% |
| 1926 | #478 | 159 | 0.0143% |
| 1925 | #438 | 189 | 0.0169% |
| 1924 | #448 | 186 | 0.0164% |
| 1923 | #419 | 207 | 0.0189% |
| 1922 | #417 | 206 | 0.0189% |
| 1921 | #481 | 164 | 0.0149% |
| 1920 | #410 | 207 | 0.0194% |
| 1919 | #434 | 184 | 0.0188% |
| 1918 | #415 | 198 | 0.0195% |
| 1917 | #422 | 180 | 0.0194% |
| 1916 | #407 | 186 | 0.0209% |
| 1915 | #398 | 183 | 0.0216% |
| 1914 | #369 | 165 | 0.0252% |
| 1913 | #345 | 143 | 0.0279% |
| 1912 | #322 | 134 | 0.0312% |
| 1911 | #309 | 76 | 0.0336% |
| 1910 | #267 | 83 | 0.0427% |
| 1909 | #271 | 68 | 0.0415% |
| 1908 | #262 | 65 | 0.0421% |
| 1907 | #243 | 73 | 0.0497% |
| 1906 | #259 | 59 | 0.0443% |
| 1905 | #248 | 62 | 0.0469% |
| 1904 | #219 | 71 | 0.0554% |
| 1903 | #273 | 46 | 0.0386% |
| 1902 | #276 | 47 | 0.0383% |
| 1901 | #258 | 45 | 0.0423% |
| 1900 | #246 | 69 | 0.0459% |
| 1899 | #242 | 48 | 0.0452% |
| 1898 | #228 | 60 | 0.0489% |
| 1897 | #218 | 59 | 0.0523% |
| 1896 | #231 | 62 | 0.0519% |
| 1895 | #215 | 65 | 0.0554% |
| 1894 | #210 | 64 | 0.0553% |
| 1893 | #167 | 87 | 0.0775% |
| 1892 | #222 | 62 | 0.0508% |
| 1891 | #167 | 77 | 0.0761% |
| 1890 | #177 | 77 | 0.0694% |
| 1889 | #189 | 70 | 0.0633% |
| 1888 | #162 | 93 | 0.0770% |
| 1887 | #180 | 70 | 0.0690% |
| 1886 | #210 | 63 | 0.0569% |
| 1885 | #200 | 63 | 0.0584% |
| 1884 | #185 | 74 | 0.0647% |
| 1883 | #243 | 44 | 0.0421% |
| 1882 | #166 | 81 | 0.0712% |
| 1881 | #190 | 61 | 0.0606% |
| 1880 | #188 | 66 | 0.0597% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
