Surname Gefroy - Meaning and Origin

Gefroy: What does the surname Gefroy mean?

The last name Gefroy is of French origin and is thought to be derived from a given name. The given name is believed to be a variation of the Old French name Geoffroy, which itself is derived from the Germanic name Gaufrid. The meaning of the name is thought to be a combination of the words "gauf," meaning “region” and "frid," which translates to “peace.”

Gefroy is believed to be primarily found in France, however, it can also be found in other countries where many French immigrants settled during the time of colonization, such as Canada, the United States, and parts of South America.

Gefroy is an example of a patronymic surname, which is a name created when a son or younger male descendant takes the father’s given name as his surname. It could indicate that the original bearer of the name was the grandson or other male descendant of a person with the given name Geoffroy.

Today, the Gefroy surname is associated with people of diverse backgrounds, ranging from French-Canadian to people of other French origins, as well as people of other European backgrounds. This surname can also be seen as Gefroi, Gefrroy, Gefroys, and Gefuri, all of which are derived from the original given name Geoffroy.

Gefroy: Where does the name Gefroy come from?

The surname Gefroy can be found to have originated in France, and is still most commonly seen in that country today. It has since spread to other parts of the world and can be found in many American states including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and California.

The last name Gefroy typically has French Acadian origins and can be traced back to the French noble family of Gefroy d’Estandon. This family has a long, significant history in France which dates back to at least the twelfth century.

The Gefroy family is relatively rare compared to other French surnames. Across France, there are fewer than 500 occurrences of the name, with the majority located in the Norman regions of Europe such as Normandy, Picardy, and Brittany. It is also seen in Lyon in the Rhone-Alpes region.

Outside of France, the name Gefroy can be found in isolated pockets around the world. This includes Argentina, Canada, Senegal, and parts of the United States. Therefore, the last name Gefroy is still widespread today, even if it is rare.

Variations of the surname Gefroy

The surname Gefroy has quite a number of variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The earliest recorded variant of the surname is recorded in 1046 as Goiffredus. It has then been known by other spellings such asGeoffredo, Gaiffredus,Goifrido, Gefroid, Goffredo and others. In England, it has a variety of spellings such as Jeffrey, Jefreys, Jeffers, Geevers and Jeffray.

In Scotland, the name may be found asJeffery,Jeffray,Jeffreys,Geffries,Jefferies, Jefferys,Jeffrees and Gepfries. In France, some of the variants or spellings that are associated to the Gefroy name include Gefroi, Gefroy, Giffroy, Gyffroy, Geoffroy and Gefrea. Other spellings that are related to the name Gefroy include Gofroi, Goffroy, Giphroy, Gofroy, Giffroi and others.

The surname Gefroy is derived from the Old French personal name Goifred, which is composed of the Germanic elements "gef”, meaning gift, and “fridu”, meaning peace. It appears to have originally been used as a form of endearment probably to someone considered to bring peace. This name also gave rise to the English surname Jefferies.

Throughout the centuries, variants of the Gefroy surname have come in and out of use and in some cases become extinct. Despite this, the surname Gefroy still remains firmly rooted in many countries.

Famous people with the name Gefroy

• Claude Gefroy, French Thoroughbred racehorse owner
• Eugène Gefroy, French politician
• Louis-Charles-Léon Gefroy, French diplomat
• Rémy Gefroy, French entomologist
• Ernest Gefroy, French military painter
• Louis Gefroy, French businessman
• Yves Gefroy, French water polo player
• Nathalie Gefroy, French photographer
• Amaury Gefroy, French footballer
• Pierre-Gaston Gefroy, French architect

Other surnames

Gefroi