History of your Surname
Get access to Jeffrey family records.Start a free trial

Jeffrey Family History

Jeffrey Name Meaning

English and Scottish: from the common Middle English and Older Scots personal name Geffrey a borrowing of Old French Geuffrei Jeufrei Jefrei Gosfrei Jofrei. The principal source of the Old French forms was probably ancient Germanic Gautfrid from an ethnic name + frithu ‘peace’. It was commonly Latinized in early documents as Gaufridus or Galfridus but also as Goisfridus or Gosfridus. Anglo-Norman French Jofreith Jofrei lies behind the English surnames Joffrey and Joffray which are recorded in the late nineteenth century but may now be extinct.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Godfrey, Jerry, Jeff, Winfrey, Steffey, Jeffres, Jeffreys, Riffey

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Jeffrey family from?

You can see how Jeffrey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Jeffrey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Jeffrey families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 401 Jeffrey families living in Ontario. This was about 53% of all the recorded Jeffrey's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Jeffrey families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Jeffrey surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Jeffrey ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Jeffrey. 41% of Jeffrey men worked as a Farmer and 15% of Jeffrey women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Jeffrey were Clerk and Saleslady. .

View Census Data for Jeffrey | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    41%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Laborer
    5%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    15%
  • Teacher
    13%
  • Income
    11%
  • Saleslady
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Jeffrey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 158,000 census records available for the last name Jeffrey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Jeffrey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Jeffrey

Passenger Lists

There are 22,000 immigration records available for the last name Jeffrey. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Jeffrey immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 16,000 military records available for the last name Jeffrey. For the veterans among your Jeffrey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Jeffrey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Jeffrey family history

Discover More

What is the average Jeffrey lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Jeffrey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1989. The average life expectancy for Jeffrey in 1942 was 71, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Jeffrey

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Jeffrey family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Jeffrey last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial