Surname Jeferson - Meaning and Origin

Jeferson: What does the surname Jeferson mean?

The last name Jeferson is of French origin and is derived from the Old French word 'Geoffroy', which means 'God's peace'. This is likely because Geoffrey was a very common name throughout France during the Middle Ages, and eventually came to be used as a surname.

In some instances, the spelling of Jeferson may also have been influenced by the Spanish version of Geoffrey, 'Joffre'.

The surname Jeferson is still relatively common in France, particularly in the Eastern and Central parts of the country. It may also be found in some other parts of the world such as Spain, Italy, and America, where it is believed to have been taken by French Huguenot immigrants.

The Jeferson family name can be traced back to the 12th century. Today, there are many notable members of the Jeferson family, including Thomas Jefferson, the founding father of the United States, and Alexander Jeferson, a physics professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

In summary, the last name Jeferson is of French origin and is derived from the Old French word 'Geoffroy', which means 'God's peace'. It is still relatively common in the Eastern and Central parts of France, and can also be found in some other parts of the world such as Spain, Italy, and America. The Jeferson family name can be traced back to the 12th century and is linked to notable members of the Jeferson family such as Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Jeferson.

Jeferson: Where does the name Jeferson come from?

The last name Jefferson is most common in the United States today. According to the 2020 US census, it was the 47th most common surname in the country.

This surname is especially prevalent in the southern states. It was the third most popular last name in states such as South Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, and Virginia. Its presence extends even to the northern U.S., where, for instance, it is the 46th most common surname in New York.

Looking further afield, the Jefferson name is less common but still recognizable in some other countries. It is found in the Philippines, where it peaked in the years before 2000 and is now declining slowly, and in Colombia, where its birth rate is slightly higher and consistent. Interestingly, the start of the 1990s saw a strong growth in the number of Jeffersons being born in Peru.

The name is strongly associated with the legacy of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. This is likely to have helped it to spread to other Anglo-American countries, which share a similar language and cultural influence.

Variations of the surname Jeferson

The surname Jefferson is derived from a medieval English given name, Geoffrey, which is of Old French and Germanic origin. Variants of this surname include Jeffers, Jeffersson, Jephson, Jepson, Jefferies and Jeffreys. From these variants, there can be additional alternate spellings of the same origin, such as Jeffers, Jefferss, Jeffersons, Jephssons and Jepssons.

In some ancestral lineages, the original spelling of the name may have been changed due to language or cultural influences or to the unexpected introduction of a letter. Thus, some other alternate spellings of Jefferson include Jeffersoun, Jeffersounn, Jeffersoune, Jepherson, Jepherson, Jefferieson, Jefferison, Jeffreyston and Jeffryson.

In some cases, the Jefferson surname may have been adopted as a patronym, along with other surnames including Jeffrey, Geffrey and Geofry. Patronymic surnames are those derived from a name or title given to one's father. In this situation, the surnames Jeffree, Jeffreys, Jeffries, Jeffreyss, Jeffis and Jeffers may have been anglicized as the Jefferson surname.

There are a few other possible surnames of the same origin as Jefferson, such as Jeffarf, Jeffart, Jeffarts, Jefferies, Jefferrey, Jefferys, Jefferues, Jeffereys, Jefferonds and Jefferees. Additional variations of spelling may include Jeffireye, Jeffriey, Jeffreyson, Jeffirsyon and Jeffirisoun.

Ultimately, no matter the spelling, the Jefferson surname is one of many branches that have been inspired by the medieval given name Geoffrey.

Famous people with the name Jeferson

• Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), 3rd President of the United States and primary author of the Declaration of Independence
• Sally Hemings (1773/1776–1835), enslaved African-American and a half-sister of Jefferson's wife
• Martha Jefferson (1772–1836), Daughter of Thomas Jefferson
• Randall Jefferson (born 1788), Thomas Jefferson's nephew
• Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. (1792–1867), son-in-law of Thomas Jefferson and Governor of Virginia
• Sarah Randolph (1790–1875), her brother-in-law's daughter, the daughter of Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. and his wife Martha Jefferson Randolph
• Ellen Wayles Randolph (1796–1876), daughter of Thomas Jefferson and Martha Jefferson Randolph
• Virginia Jefferson (1801–1882), daughter of Thomas Jefferson and Martha Jefferson Randolph
• James Madison Randolph (1806–1834), eldest son of Thomas Mann Randolph and Martha Jefferson Randolph
• Thomas Jefferson Randolph (1792–1875), oldest son of Thomas Mann Randolph and Martha Jefferson Randolph
• William Jefferson Jones (1806–1864), son of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson
• Eston Jefferson (1808–1856), Jeffersons' son
• Cornelius Jefferson (1849–1932), great-grandson of Thomas Jefferson
• Madison Hemings (1835–1905), Jefferson's son
• John Wayles Jefferson (1837–1892), son of Thomas Jefferson
• Robert Jefferson (1837–1924), son of Sally Hemings
• Beverly Hemings (1798-1859), son of Sally Hemings
• Harriet Madison Hemings (1811–1871), daughter of Sally Hemings
• Barbara Hughes (1809–1847), daughter of Sally Hemings
• Thomas Jefferson Sanford (1819–1904), son-in-law of Thomas Jefferson

Other surnames

Jefers