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Name Lineage

    The surname Jeff

    A surname, carried by 988 people in the United States.

    Pronounced /d͡ʒɛf/ 1 syllable Soundex J100 Also a first name

    Jeff: #25,115 of 162,253 surnames in the 2010 US Census #1Smith#160,975Doriott#10Martinez#100Jimenez#1,000Archer#10,001Dubon Jeff #25,115, 988 people Jeff: #25,115 of 162,253 surnames in the 2010 US Census #1Smith#100Jimenez Jeff #25,115, 988 people
    Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Jeff is more common than 84.5% of them.

    Origin

    From Jeffrey, a variant of Geoffrey, from Middle English Geffrey, from an Old French aristocratic name, Geoffroi [dʒɔfreʲ] (> West Middle French Geoffrey, East Middle French Geoffroy), itself from Proto-French forms (latinized in -us) Jotfredus, Jozsfredus, Josfredus (10th century) and Jof[f]redus, Jofridus, Jaufredus, Geffredus (11th century), and ultimately of Proto-Germanic origin. The second element is *friþuz (“peace, sanctuary”). The first element may be *gautaz (“a Geat, a Goth”) [making the Proto-Germanic term *Gautafriþu], as opposed to *gōdaz (“good”) or *gudą (“god”) in Godfrey; this would also make it related to Jocelyn. The name was introduced to England by the Normans in the 11th century.

    Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    How common it is

    2010 US Census

    There were 988 people named Jeff in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 312,495 Americans. That is down 0.7% since 2000, when the Census counted 995.

    #25,115
    rank among US surnames
    988
    people in 2010
    0.3
    per 100,000 Americans
    -0.7%
    change since 2000 (was #23,739)

    Who is named Jeff

    Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

    44% of people named Jeff identified as white (not Hispanic), 34% as Black (not Hispanic) and 12% as American Indian and Alaska Native.

    • White (not Hispanic) 44%
    • Black (not Hispanic) 34%
    • American Indian and Alaska Native 12%
    • Hispanic or Latino (any race) 8.2%
    • Two or more races 1.4%
    • Asian and Pacific Islander 0.6%

    Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

    Questions

    Where does the surname Jeff come from?
    From Jeffrey, a variant of Geoffrey, from Middle English Geffrey, from an Old French aristocratic name, Geoffroi [dʒɔfreʲ] (> West Middle French Geoffrey, East Middle French Geoffroy), itself from Proto-French forms (latinized in -us) Jotfredus, Jozsfredus, Josfredus (10th century) and…
    How common is the surname Jeff?
    988 people in the United States had the surname Jeff in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 312,495 Americans. It ranked 25,115th of 162,253 surnames.
    What ethnicity is the surname Jeff?
    In the 2010 Census, 44% of people named Jeff identified as white (not Hispanic), and 34% as Black (not Hispanic).
    How do you pronounce Jeff?
    Jeff is /d͡ʒɛf/, one syllable.
    Is the surname Jeff getting more or less common?
    Less common. 995 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 988 in 2010, down 0.7%.
    Is Jeff also a first name?
    Yes. Jeff is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.