Jeffery is a masculine name of English origin, derived from the French name Geoffrey, which in turn comes from the Germanic name Geoffroy. The name Geoffroy is composed of two elements: "geof" meaning "peace," and "ric" meaning "power." Therefore, Jeffery signifies "peace and power."
The name Jeffrey first became popular in England during the Middle Ages. It was often associated with nobility due to its use by several members of the French royal family and English aristocracy. Over time, however, it has become more widespread and is now considered a common name in many English-speaking countries.
Historically, there have been several notable figures named Jeffery or Jeffrey throughout history. One such example is Sir Jeffrey Amherst, a British Army officer who served during the French and Indian War. Another famous Jeffery was Jeffery Dahmer, an American serial killer whose crimes gained notoriety in the late 20th century.
Despite its historical associations with both nobility and infamy, the name Jeffery remains largely independent of such connotations today. It is simply a masculine given name that has been popular for centuries and continues to be used by families around the world.
Based on the statistics provided for the name Jeffrey in the United States from 1894 to 2023, we can observe several trends over time.
From 1894 to 1935, the number of births with the name Jeffrey was relatively low and fluctuating, ranging from 5 to 34 births per year. However, starting in 1936, there was a significant increase in the popularity of the name Jeffrey. In that year alone, there were 40 births, marking the beginning of a consistent rise in its usage.
The peak of popularity for the name Jeffrey occurred between 1952 and 1957, during which time it reached its highest point with over 7,500 births per year. In fact, from 1950 to 1963, the name Jeffrey consistently ranked among the top 10 most popular names for boys each year.
However, after 1963, there was a steady decline in the usage of the name Jeffrey. By 1972, the number of births with this name had decreased to around 5,000 per year, and it continued to drop throughout the remainder of the century.
In recent decades, the popularity of the name Jeffrey has continued to decrease. From 2000 onwards, there were fewer than 1,000 births with this name each year. In fact, in 2023, only 153 babies were named Jeffrey at birth.
Overall, while the name Jeffrey was popular during the mid-20th century, it has since fallen out of favor and is now used relatively rarely in the United States. Despite this decline in popularity, it remains a classic name with a long history of usage.