NameCensus.

UK surname

Jeffreys

A patronymic surname meaning "son of Jeffrey," derived from the Germanic given name meaning "district" and "peace."

In the 1881 census there were 1,778 people recorded with the Jeffreys surname, ranking it #2,437 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,010, ranked #3,204, down from #2,437 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Powys, Swansea and Gwynedd.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jeffreys is 2,264 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.0%.

1881 census count

1,778

Ranked #2,437

Modern count

2,010

2016, ranked #3,204

Peak year

1911

2,264 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jeffreys had 1,778 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,437 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,010 in 2016, ranked #3,204.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,264 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Jeffreys surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jeffreys surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jeffreys 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 1,042 #2,692
1861 historical 928 #2,994
1881 historical 1,778 #2,437
1891 historical 1,756 #2,598
1901 historical 2,042 #2,623
1911 historical 2,264 #2,233
1997 modern 2,044 #3,006
1998 modern 2,069 #3,077
1999 modern 2,103 #3,058
2000 modern 2,086 #3,064
2001 modern 2,020 #3,090
2002 modern 2,055 #3,106
2003 modern 2,009 #3,104
2004 modern 2,013 #3,099
2005 modern 1,985 #3,110
2006 modern 2,015 #3,073
2007 modern 2,040 #3,068
2008 modern 2,033 #3,101
2009 modern 2,091 #3,096
2010 modern 2,141 #3,089
2011 modern 2,062 #3,157
2012 modern 2,002 #3,195
2013 modern 2,048 #3,182
2014 modern 2,051 #3,198
2015 modern 2,021 #3,210
2016 modern 2,010 #3,204

Geography

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Where Jeffreys' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, St Marylebone and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Powys, Swansea and Gwynedd. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Powys 021 Powys
2 Swansea 018 Swansea
3 Swansea 007 Swansea
4 Swansea 020 Swansea
5 Gwynedd 003 Gwynedd

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jeffreys

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jeffreys

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Jeffreys, 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 Jeffreys surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Jeffreys 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Jeffreys is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jeffreys is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jeffreys falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Jeffreys 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 Jeffreys, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Jeffreys

The surname Jeffreys originates from England, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period. The name is derived from the given name Jeffrey, which is an anglicized version of the Old French name Geoffroi, itself derived from the Germanic name Godafrid, meaning "peace of God."

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Jeffreys can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, there is a reference to a man named Geffrey de la Hethe. This suggests that the surname was initially used as a descriptive name, indicating a person's place of origin or residence.

The Jeffreys surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest and most prominent figures bearing this name was Sir George Jeffreys (1645-1689), an English judge infamous for his brutality during the Bloody Assizes. He gained notoriety for his harsh sentences against those involved in the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685.

Another notable bearer of the Jeffreys surname was John Jeffreys (1609-1677), a Welsh-born judge and politician who served as Chief Justice of the Carmarthen Circuit in Wales. He was also a member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War.

In the realm of literature, the surname Jeffreys is associated with Richard Jefferies (1848-1887), a renowned English nature writer and novelist. His works, such as "Bevis: The Story of a Boy" and "The Story of My Heart," celebrated the beauty of the English countryside and explored themes of naturalism and spirituality.

During the 18th century, George Jeffreys (1678-1755), an English writer and scholar, gained recognition for his contributions to literary criticism and his work as a translator of classical texts. He is particularly known for his editions of the works of Edmund Spenser and William Shakespeare.

Another notable figure with the Jeffreys surname is John Jeffreys (1744-1819), a British Naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He rose to the rank of Vice Admiral and played a significant role in several naval engagements.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jeffreys families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jeffreys 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. Middlesex leads with 325 Jeffreys' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.87x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 325 1.87x
Glamorgan 218 7.20x
Lancashire 135 0.65x
Surrey 129 1.52x
Kent 89 1.50x
Brecknockshire 73 21.00x
Yorkshire 64 0.37x
Essex 62 1.81x
Shropshire 62 4.13x
Monmouthshire 58 4.62x
Hampshire 50 1.40x
Carmarthenshire 47 6.42x
Cheshire 37 0.96x
Denbighshire 36 5.48x
Somerset 30 1.07x
Staffordshire 29 0.49x
Durham 28 0.54x
Montgomeryshire 22 5.52x
Wiltshire 21 1.37x
Berkshire 19 1.46x
Herefordshire 19 2.67x
Northumberland 19 0.73x
Lincolnshire 17 0.61x
Derbyshire 14 0.51x
Gloucestershire 14 0.41x
Oxfordshire 14 1.30x
Cardiganshire 13 3.07x
Suffolk 13 0.61x
Devon 12 0.33x
Warwickshire 12 0.27x
Flintshire 10 2.14x
Lanarkshire 10 0.18x
Caernarfonshire 9 1.28x
Fife 9 0.87x
Hertfordshire 9 0.75x
Bedfordshire 7 0.78x
Midlothian 6 0.26x
Sussex 6 0.20x
Pembrokeshire 5 0.91x
Anglesey 4 1.30x
Channel Islands 3 0.58x
Norfolk 3 0.11x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.13x
Royal Navy 3 1.45x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.18x
Cornwall 2 0.10x
Dorset 2 0.18x
Leicestershire 2 0.10x
Renfrewshire 2 0.15x
Westmorland 2 0.52x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.06x
Wigtownshire 1 0.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 56 Jeffreys' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.32x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 56 3.32x
Lower Ystradgynlais 32 149.25x
Liverpool 30 2.39x
Camberwell 29 2.61x
Bethnal Green London 27 3.58x
Ystradyfodwg 27 10.17x
Battersea 26 4.06x
Greenwich 24 8.67x
Mile End Old Town London 24 6.49x
Aberdare 22 10.59x
West Ham 22 2.90x
Swansea Town 21 8.46x
Maidstone 20 11.32x
Swansea Higher 20 63.45x
Paddington London 18 2.82x
Barnes 17 47.46x
Clerkenwell London 17 4.14x
Carmarthen St Peter 16 25.55x
Dukinfield 16 9.02x
Bromley London 15 3.92x
Llanrhidian Lower 15 531.91x
Raglan 15 348.84x
St Marylebone London 15 1.62x
Everton 14 2.13x
Hackney London 14 1.44x
St Pancras London 14 1.00x
Leeds 13 1.34x
Neath Upper 13 164.35x
Ealing 12 7.72x
Kensington London 12 1.24x
Upper Ystradgynlais 12 418.12x
Briton Ferry 11 30.46x
Litherland 11 25.50x
Llangynwyd Higher 11 75.65x
Portsea 11 1.58x
Stoke Upon Trent 11 1.77x
Walthamstow 11 8.91x
Wootton 11 500.00x
Devynnock 10 120.48x
Ensham 10 179.86x
Llansilin 10 91.49x
Spitalfields London 10 7.65x
Stranton 10 5.74x
Toxteth Park 10 1.43x
Brading 9 19.01x
Brymbo 9 39.35x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 2.75x
Edmonton 9 6.43x
Kingston On Thames 9 4.42x
Lancaster 9 7.33x
Llandilo Talybont 9 56.64x
Llanwonno 9 8.28x
Lyncombe Widcombe 9 12.29x
Newport 9 15.01x
Richmond 9 7.58x
Snodland 9 53.51x
St Luke London 9 3.23x
Stanton Upon Hine Heath 9 227.27x
Basingstoke 8 19.52x
Bishopwearmouth 8 1.80x
Bodfari 8 297.40x
Cannock 8 7.81x
Ellesmere 8 31.03x
Holme Lacy 8 423.28x
Horsley 8 52.98x
Kirkcaldy 8 15.67x
Landford 8 512.82x
Llywel 8 106.52x
Michaelstone Super Avon 8 24.41x
Newby Wiske 8 620.16x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 2.29x
Bedwellty 7 3.16x
Chesterfield 7 6.86x
Croydon 7 1.49x
Llangadock 7 34.65x
Shrewsbury St Chad 7 13.28x
Teddington London 7 17.77x
Tregare 7 416.67x
Wem 7 31.33x
Wootton Bassett 7 52.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 119
Elizabeth 86
Jane 47
Sarah 41
Ellen 32
Emily 31
Ann 30
Annie 29
Margaret 28
Alice 26
Eliza 25
Harriet 21
Anne 19
Emma 18
Ada 16
Catherine 14
Charlotte 14
Fanny 14
Florence 13
Louisa 12
Maria 12
Clara 9
Martha 9
Hannah 8
Edith 7
Caroline 6
Julia 6
Kate 6
Susan 6
Agnes 5
Amy 5
Frances 5
Gertrude 5
Isabella 5
Lucy 5
Laura 4
Louise 4
Minnie 4
Ruth 4
Anna 3
Ethel 3
Henrietta 3
Jessie 3
Lydia 3
Margret 3
Maud 3
Rebecca 3
Rosa 3
Rose 3
Susanah 3

Top male names

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

FAQ

Jeffreys surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jeffreys surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,778 people were recorded with the Jeffreys surname. That placed it at #2,437 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jeffreys surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,010 in 2016. That gives Jeffreys a modern rank of #3,204.

What does the Jeffreys surname mean?

A patronymic surname meaning "son of Jeffrey," derived from the Germanic given name meaning "district" and "peace."

What does the Jeffreys map show?

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