NameCensus.

UK surname

Jefferson

Derived from a place name meaning "son of Jeffrey" or "settlement of Jeffrey's family" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 3,243 people recorded with the Jefferson surname, ranking it #1,391 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,509, ranked #1,504, down from #1,391 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Hull Holy Trinity and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, County Durham and Ryedale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jefferson is 4,509 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.0%.

1881 census count

3,243

Ranked #1,391

Modern count

4,509

2016, ranked #1,504

Peak year

2016

4,509 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jefferson had 3,243 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,391 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,509 in 2016, ranked #1,504.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,211 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Jefferson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jefferson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jefferson 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 2,308 #1,284
1861 historical 2,342 #1,255
1881 historical 3,243 #1,391
1891 historical 3,519 #1,354
1901 historical 3,932 #1,435
1911 historical 4,211 #1,237
1997 modern 4,172 #1,550
1998 modern 4,279 #1,569
1999 modern 4,332 #1,562
2000 modern 4,283 #1,567
2001 modern 4,190 #1,565
2002 modern 4,259 #1,572
2003 modern 4,155 #1,580
2004 modern 4,141 #1,588
2005 modern 4,084 #1,592
2006 modern 4,147 #1,575
2007 modern 4,147 #1,589
2008 modern 4,182 #1,589
2009 modern 4,327 #1,572
2010 modern 4,477 #1,556
2011 modern 4,381 #1,564
2012 modern 4,355 #1,547
2013 modern 4,455 #1,537
2014 modern 4,493 #1,536
2015 modern 4,478 #1,525
2016 modern 4,509 #1,504

Geography

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Where Jeffersons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Hull Holy Trinity, Gateshead, St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, County Durham, Ryedale and Scarborough. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Gateshead Durham
4 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
2 County Durham 008 County Durham
3 Ryedale 008 Ryedale
4 Allerdale 003 Allerdale
5 Scarborough 002 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jefferson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jefferson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jefferson, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Jefferson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Jefferson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Jefferson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jefferson is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jefferson falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jefferson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Jefferson

The surname Jefferson originates from England and dates back to the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "Ġeoffrey" and "tun," meaning "Geoffrey's town" or "Geoffrey's settlement." The name Geoffrey itself comes from the Old German name Godafrid or Godefroi, which means "peace of God."

The earliest known record of the surname Jefferson appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is written as "Geffries tun." This entry refers to a settlement in Warwickshire owned by a man named Geoffrey or Jeffry. Over time, the name evolved to various spellings, including Jeffreyson, Jeffresson, and eventually Jefferson.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jefferson is found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a John Jefrayson. In the 15th century, the surname appears in various forms in records from counties like Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire.

The surname Jefferson is also associated with several place names in England, such as Jeffreston in Gloucestershire and Jefferson in Oxfordshire. These place names likely derive from the same Old English roots as the surname itself.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Jefferson include:

1. Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third President of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. 2. Joseph Jefferson (1829-1905), an American actor and playwright known for his portrayal of Rip Van Winkle. 3. Blind Lemon Jefferson (1893-1929), an American blues singer and songwriter from Texas. 4. Richard Jefferson (born 1980), an American former professional basketball player who played in the NBA. 5. Gideon Jefferson (1763-1826), an American Revolutionary War veteran and early settler of Louisiana.

The surname Jefferson has a rich history spanning centuries and continues to be a prominent name in various fields, from politics and literature to sports and entertainment.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jefferson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jefferson 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 1,259 Jeffersons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.00x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,259 4.00x
Durham 558 5.91x
Cumberland 347 12.70x
Lancashire 248 0.66x
Northumberland 192 4.07x
Middlesex 186 0.59x
Cambridgeshire 61 3.03x
Surrey 61 0.39x
Warwickshire 42 0.52x
Staffordshire 32 0.30x
Cheshire 29 0.41x
Essex 22 0.35x
Kent 18 0.17x
Derbyshire 17 0.34x
Nottinghamshire 17 0.40x
Sussex 17 0.32x
Buckinghamshire 13 0.68x
Gloucestershire 13 0.21x
Leicestershire 13 0.37x
Hampshire 11 0.17x
Lanarkshire 9 0.09x
Angus 8 0.27x
Cornwall 8 0.22x
Isle of Man 7 1.19x
Stirlingshire 7 0.60x
Bedfordshire 6 0.37x
Devon 6 0.09x
Hertfordshire 5 0.23x
Northamptonshire 5 0.17x
Lincolnshire 4 0.08x
Norfolk 4 0.08x
Renfrewshire 4 0.16x
Somerset 3 0.06x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.07x
Berkshire 2 0.08x
Dorset 2 0.10x
Flintshire 2 0.23x
Glamorgan 2 0.04x
Oxfordshire 2 0.10x
Royal Navy 2 0.53x
Shropshire 2 0.07x
Channel Islands 1 0.11x
Midlothian 1 0.02x
Suffolk 1 0.03x
Wiltshire 1 0.04x
Worcestershire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sculcoates in Yorkshire leads with 67 Jeffersons recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.44x.

Place Total Index
Sculcoates 67 13.44x
Bishopwearmouth 66 8.14x
Holy Trinity 59 7.80x
Gateshead 55 7.78x
Leeds 47 2.65x
Newbiggin In Morpeth 45 298.01x
Lambeth 44 1.59x
Scarborough 44 15.40x
Middlesbrough 42 10.26x
Hinderwell 38 141.58x
Warrington 37 8.29x
Whitby 34 32.08x
Manningham 33 8.52x
Birmingham 29 1.09x
Downham 29 135.77x
Westoe 29 5.42x
York St Mary 26 19.96x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 25 6.11x
St Cuthbert W O 25 18.77x
Haswell 23 33.99x
Lamesley 23 45.27x
Cullercoates 22 148.25x
Heworth 22 11.83x
Ruswarp 21 60.03x
Islington London 20 0.65x
Stockton On Tees 20 4.40x
Caldewgate 19 12.69x
Kensington London 19 1.08x
Shildon 19 25.05x
Bedlington 18 11.42x
Haxby 18 296.05x
Ormesby 18 21.30x
Sunderland 18 10.80x
Washington 18 45.48x
Westward 18 157.76x
Crosscanonby 17 18.82x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 17 19.40x
Waverton 17 325.67x
Aspatria 16 60.93x
Great Driffield 16 24.79x
Hackney London 16 0.90x
Hunslet 16 3.26x
Low Holme 16 103.83x
Stranton 16 5.03x
Thirsk 16 44.10x
Nafferton 15 111.94x
Worksop 15 11.83x
Linthorpe 14 7.46x
Littleport 14 36.46x
Richmond 14 28.50x
Thwing 14 292.89x
Bradford Girlington 13 92.46x
Bromley London 13 1.86x
Finchley 13 10.69x
High Low Bishopside 13 46.61x
Tudhoe 13 15.74x
Tweedmouth 13 22.09x
Brandon Byshottles 12 10.15x
Dalston Buckabank 12 216.61x
Eskdaleside 12 77.62x
Guisbrough 12 17.46x
Hudswell 12 606.06x
Witton Le Wear 12 44.81x
Alnmouth 11 189.33x
Blackburn 11 1.10x
Bowling 11 3.53x
Burton Upon Trent 11 4.39x
Darlington 11 3.02x
Holbeck 11 5.28x
Kirkdale 11 1.74x
Lower Booths 11 16.30x
St Pancras London 11 0.43x
Wigton 11 26.86x
Winlaton 11 12.15x
Workington 11 7.03x
Forcett With Carkin 10 162.87x
Langrigg Mealrigg 10 332.23x
Monkwearmouth Shore 10 5.43x
Paddington London 10 0.86x
Wigginton 10 228.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 250
Elizabeth 134
Sarah 117
Jane 108
Ann 71
Margaret 69
Annie 60
Hannah 57
Alice 41
Isabella 39
Eliza 35
Martha 33
Ellen 32
Emily 24
Emma 23
Charlotte 21
Ada 20
Frances 19
Louisa 17
Edith 14
Maria 14
Florence 13
Kate 13
Dorothy 12
Julia 12
Eleanor 11
Fanny 11
Harriet 11
Catherine 10
Anne 9
Susannah 9
Clara 8
Barbara 7
Elizth. 7
Esther 7
Matilda 7
Rebecca 7
Lucy 6
Margret 6
Rose 6
Susan 6
Amelia 5
Caroline 5
Eliz. 5
Grace 5
Lydia 5
Ruth 5
Selina 5
Helen 4
Rhoda 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 252
William 231
Thomas 153
Robert 102
George 101
Joseph 99
James 71
Henry 48
Charles 30
Alfred 23
Arthur 20
Edward 20
Frederick 17
Richard 17
Francis 14
Herbert 14
Frank 13
Albert 11
Harry 11
Samuel 10
Tom 10
Christopher 9
Geo. 9
Wm. 9
Matthew 8
Walter 8
Peter 7
Isaac 6
Jno. 6
Stephen 6
Benjamin 5
Daniel 5
Fred 5
Robt. 5
Thos. 5
Hunter 4
Israel 4
Lancelot 4
Mathew 4
Philip 4
Ralph 4
Willm. 4
David 3
Ernest 3
Fredk. 3
Leonard 3
Mark 3
Phillip 3
Robinson 3
Wilson 3

FAQ

Jefferson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jefferson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,243 people were recorded with the Jefferson surname. That placed it at #1,391 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jefferson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,509 in 2016. That gives Jefferson a modern rank of #1,504.

What does the Jefferson surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "son of Jeffrey" or "settlement of Jeffrey's family" in Old English.

What does the Jefferson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Jefferson 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.