NameCensus.

UK surname

Jeff

A diminutive form of the given name Jeffrey, meaning "God's peace".

In the 1881 census there were 335 people recorded with the Jeff surname, ranking it #9,016 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 692, ranked #7,773, up from #9,016 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Craven, Huntingdonshire and Richmondshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jeff is 692 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 106.6%.

1881 census count

335

Ranked #9,016

Modern count

692

2016, ranked #7,773

Peak year

2016

692 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jeff had 335 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,016 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 692 in 2016, ranked #7,773.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 475 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Jeff surname distribution map

The map shows where the Jeff surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Jeff surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jeff over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 218 #9,754
1861 historical 231 #10,572
1881 historical 335 #9,016
1891 historical 475 #7,734
1901 historical 370 #10,017
1911 historical 456 #8,409
1997 modern 464 #9,831
1998 modern 496 #9,658
1999 modern 484 #9,917
2000 modern 482 #9,901
2001 modern 457 #10,113
2002 modern 452 #10,408
2003 modern 442 #10,434
2004 modern 436 #10,581
2005 modern 424 #10,691
2006 modern 434 #10,543
2007 modern 426 #10,809
2008 modern 441 #10,600
2009 modern 463 #10,428
2010 modern 489 #10,228
2011 modern 507 #9,854
2012 modern 521 #9,589
2013 modern 541 #9,459
2014 modern 593 #8,884
2015 modern 627 #8,428
2016 modern 692 #7,773

Geography

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Where Jeffs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hull Holy Trinity, London parishes, Lambeth, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Craven, Huntingdonshire, Richmondshire, Hillingdon and West Dorset. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Craven 008 Craven
2 Huntingdonshire 020 Huntingdonshire
3 Richmondshire 004 Richmondshire
4 Hillingdon 020 Hillingdon
5 West Dorset 009 West Dorset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jeff

These lists show first names that appear often with the Jeff surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jeff

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jeff, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Jeff surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Jeff household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Jeff is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jeff is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jeff falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jeff is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Jeff, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Jeff

The surname JEFF has its origins in England, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French personal name "Geoffroy," which itself originated from the Germanic name "Gelffrid" or "Gelfrid." This name is composed of the elements "gel" (meaning "pledge" or "hostage") and "frid" (meaning "peace").

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname JEFF appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a John Geffrey residing in Oxfordshire. The surname was also found in other medieval records such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Thomas Geffrey is mentioned.

The JEFF surname has strong ties to place names in England, particularly in the counties of Worcestershire and Warwickshire. For instance, the village of Jeffries Bank in Worcestershire is thought to have been named after an early bearer of the JEFF surname.

In the late 16th century, the JEFF surname appeared in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, where a marriage between Thomas Jeff and Anne Hunte was recorded in 1592. Another notable early bearer of the JEFF surname was William Jeff, born in Warwickshire in 1637, who later migrated to Virginia in the American colonies.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname JEFF. One such person was Sir Geoffrey de Jeffrey (1309-1378), a prominent English knight and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. Another was Sir John Jeffreys (1617-1720), an English judge and Chief Justice of the King's Bench under King James II.

In the realm of literature, the English poet and dramatist Samuel Jeffery (1618-1654) is remembered for his works such as "The Renegado, or The Gentleman of Venice" and "The Bastard." Meanwhile, in the field of science, the British botanist and horticulturist John Jeffreys (1699-1766) made significant contributions to the study of plants.

It is worth noting that the surname JEFF has also been spelled in various ways throughout history, including Jeffery, Jeffries, and Jefferies. These variations reflect the evolution of the surname over time and across different regions of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jeff families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jeff surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 76 Jeffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.38x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 76 2.38x
Surrey 42 2.67x
Staffordshire 34 3.12x
Middlesex 32 0.99x
Worcestershire 31 7.35x
Warwickshire 29 3.56x
Durham 28 2.92x
Hampshire 16 2.42x
Lancashire 12 0.31x
Lanarkshire 7 0.67x
Bedfordshire 6 3.59x
Kent 4 0.36x
Devon 3 0.45x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.98x
Somerset 2 0.38x
Cheshire 1 0.14x
Essex 1 0.16x
Flintshire 1 1.15x
Gloucestershire 1 0.16x
Hertfordshire 1 0.45x
Leicestershire 1 0.28x
Shropshire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bermondsey in Surrey leads with 14 Jeffs recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.57x.

Place Total Index
Bermondsey 14 14.57x
Lambeth 13 4.62x
Edgbaston 12 47.52x
Birmingham 11 4.05x
Christchurch 11 76.66x
St Luke London 10 19.31x
Tenbury 10 432.90x
Armley 9 63.78x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 9 30.19x
Coundon 9 231.36x
Kirby Fleetham 9 1451.61x
East Murton 8 444.44x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 6.92x
Warndon 8 4705.88x
Wolverhampton 8 9.55x
Govan 7 2.71x
Limehouse London 7 19.75x
Norton 7 198.30x
Aston 6 2.68x
Batley 6 19.73x
Ripon 6 80.86x
Rowley Regis 6 19.76x
Stotfold 6 187.50x
Bushbury 5 255.10x
Morley 5 30.07x
Battersea 4 3.37x
Camberwell 4 1.94x
Croydon 4 4.58x
Handsworth 4 14.89x
Pannal 4 130.29x
Plumstead 4 10.89x
St Marylebone London 4 2.32x
Worcester St Martin 4 70.30x
Acklam With Barthorpe 3 937.50x
Basingstoke 3 39.42x
Bishop Auckland 3 23.27x
Brightside Bierlow 3 4.78x
Fulham London 3 6.41x
Middlesbrough 3 7.20x
Mile End Old Town London 3 4.37x
Moss 3 967.74x
Pendlebury 3 37.08x
Plymouth Charles The 3 10.13x
Wortley In Bramley 3 11.84x
Aldershot 2 9.02x
Bedminster 2 4.10x
Blackburn 2 1.96x
Claines 2 17.29x
Dudley 2 3.90x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 3.07x
Hackney London 2 1.10x
Mexborough 2 31.50x
Oldbury 2 9.64x
Reddish 2 37.88x
Walsall Foreign 2 3.55x
Whistones 2 65.57x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 1 26.18x
Barking 1 5.36x
Birkdale 1 10.32x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.21x
Bold 1 105.26x
Claughton With Grange 1 30.77x
Clifford Cum Boston 1 34.72x
Clifton Cum Norwood 1 270.27x
Gate Fulford 1 13.39x
Halifax 1 2.13x
Haverah Park 1 1428.57x
Hertford St John 1 30.12x
Liverpool 1 0.43x
March 1 14.60x
Masham 1 84.75x
Northop 1 32.57x
Norton By Kempsey 1 108.70x
Shadwell London 1 11.06x
Towthorpe In Driffield 1 1250.00x
Urmston 1 40.16x
Wandsworth 1 3.22x
Wem 1 24.10x
Weybridge 1 29.59x
Wotton St Mary 1 30.49x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Jeff surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 25
Sarah 20
Elizabeth 16
Jane 10
Ann 8
Annie 8
Eliza 7
Margaret 7
Ellen 5
Hannah 5
Alice 4
Harriet 4
Florence 3
Minnie 3
Amelia 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Dorothy 2
Emily 2
Isabel 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Maria 2
Rachel 2
Rebecca 2
Bridget 1
Clarinda 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elina 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Evelyn 1
Hariett 1
Ida 1
Infant 1
Isabella 1
Jemmima 1
Kizzie 1
Lizzie 1
Louise 1
Mabel 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
May 1
Mina 1
Naiomi 1
Pamila 1
Priscilla 1
Violet 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Jeff surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 24
George 17
John 15
Henry 13
Thomas 12
James 9
Richard 5
Arthur 4
Charles 4
Robert 4
Alfred 3
Walter 3
Benjamin 2
Edward 2
Frederick 2
Joseph 2
Albert 1
Amos 1
Andrie 1
Anthony 1
Edwin 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Hugh 1
Jas. 1
Job 1
Matthew 1
Richd. 1
Robt. 1
Rowland 1
Sam 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Jeff surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jeff surname in 1881?

In 1881, 335 people were recorded with the Jeff surname. That placed it at #9,016 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jeff surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 692 in 2016. That gives Jeff a modern rank of #7,773.

What does the Jeff surname mean?

A diminutive form of the given name Jeffrey, meaning "God's peace".

What does the Jeff map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Jeff bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.