# Jefferson (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/jefferson/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

An English surname originating as a patronymic; (US politics) used specifically of Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), the third president of the United States, principal author of the US Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential founders of the United States.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 55,179 |
| US rank (2010) | 615 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 5,595 people |
| Change since 2000 | +7.4% (51,361 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛfɚsən/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Jeffrey + -son. The placenames in the United States are named for Thomas Jefferson.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Jefferson in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 17% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 74% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.5% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.9% |
| Two or more races | 3.5% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Jefferson in the United States and Brazil.

## People named Jefferson

- Richard Jefferson, American basketball player (born 1980)
- Blind Lemon Jefferson, American blues singer and guitarist (1893–1929)
- Al Jefferson, American basketball player (born 1985)
- Herbert Jefferson Jr., American actor (born 1946)
- Marshall Jefferson, American DJ and record producer
- Justin Jefferson, American football player (born 1999)
- Roberto Jefferson, Brazilian politician (born 1953)
- Joseph Jefferson, American actor and painter (1829–1905)
- Cory Jefferson, American basketball player (born 1990)
- George Jefferson, American pole vaulter (1910–1996)
- Eddie Jefferson, American singer
- Thomas Jefferson, American athlete

and 10 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Jeffries, Jeffers, Jefferies, Jeffreys, Jefferis.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.