NameCensus.

UK surname

Jeffries

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Jeffrey, meaning "peaceful pledge" or "divine peace."

In the 1881 census there were 3,749 people recorded with the Jeffries surname, ranking it #1,220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,869, ranked #1,388, down from #1,220 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Bedwelty and St Giles Camberwell. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torfaen, Hartlepool and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jeffries is 5,262 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.9%.

1881 census count

3,749

Ranked #1,220

Modern count

4,869

2016, ranked #1,388

Peak year

1999

5,262 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jeffries had 3,749 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,220 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,869 in 2016, ranked #1,388.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,759 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Jeffries surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jeffries surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jeffries 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 1,956 #1,481
1861 historical 1,985 #1,466
1881 historical 3,749 #1,220
1891 historical 3,832 #1,252
1901 historical 4,404 #1,290
1911 historical 4,759 #1,089
1997 modern 5,048 #1,297
1998 modern 5,250 #1,295
1999 modern 5,262 #1,299
2000 modern 5,228 #1,302
2001 modern 5,093 #1,305
2002 modern 5,165 #1,310
2003 modern 4,957 #1,331
2004 modern 4,870 #1,355
2005 modern 4,747 #1,373
2006 modern 4,790 #1,367
2007 modern 4,825 #1,368
2008 modern 4,853 #1,368
2009 modern 4,941 #1,376
2010 modern 5,054 #1,378
2011 modern 5,010 #1,368
2012 modern 4,941 #1,358
2013 modern 5,011 #1,363
2014 modern 4,992 #1,374
2015 modern 4,936 #1,379
2016 modern 4,869 #1,388

Geography

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Where Jeffries' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Bedwelty, St Giles Camberwell and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torfaen, Hartlepool and County Durham. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Bedwelty Monmouthshire
4 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torfaen 010 Torfaen
2 Hartlepool 010 Hartlepool
3 County Durham 018 County Durham
4 Torfaen 004 Torfaen
5 Hartlepool 011 Hartlepool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jeffries

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jeffries

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

Jeffries is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Jeffries 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 Jeffries 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 Jeffries, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Jeffries

The surname Jeffries is of English origin, derived from the given name Jeffrey, which is an Old French version of the Germanic name Godefrid, meaning "peace" and "ruler." The name first appeared in the late 11th century after the Norman Conquest of England.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Geffrei" and "Geffrey." During the Middle Ages, the name was also spelled as "Jeffray," "Jefferay," and "Jeffreys."

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Jeffries (c. 1305-1376), a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire and Chief Forester of the Peak District in the 14th century. Another was George Jeffreys (1645-1689), an English judge who became notorious as the "Hanging Judge" for his brutal treatment of participants in the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685.

In the 18th century, Benjamin Jeffries (1704-1775) was a prominent English clockmaker and inventor, known for his pioneering work in developing the cylinder escapement for clocks. Meanwhile, John Jeffries (1744-1819) was an American physician and scientist, best known for accompanying Jean-Pierre Blanchard on the first successful balloon flight across the English Channel in 1785.

The name Jeffries is also associated with several place names, such as Jeffries Bank in Warwickshire, which dates back to the 13th century, and Jeffries Green in Buckinghamshire, mentioned in records from the 16th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Jeffries include the American actress Zelda Jeffries (1914-2001), known for her roles in films like "Mildred Pierce" and "The Killers," and the British artist Denzil Jeffries (1924-2010), who was renowned for his landscape paintings.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jeffries families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jeffries 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 621 Jeffries' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.69x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 621 1.69x
Gloucestershire 287 3.99x
Surrey 238 1.33x
Staffordshire 222 1.79x
Warwickshire 220 2.38x
Lancashire 218 0.50x
Kent 180 1.44x
Monmouthshire 155 5.85x
Berkshire 135 4.91x
Wiltshire 128 3.95x
Yorkshire 120 0.33x
Norfolk 115 2.04x
Suffolk 110 2.46x
Essex 107 1.48x
Nottinghamshire 79 1.60x
Somerset 78 1.32x
Hampshire 71 0.94x
Derbyshire 63 1.10x
Worcestershire 60 1.25x
Sussex 53 0.86x
Bedfordshire 50 2.63x
Glamorgan 50 0.78x
Oxfordshire 49 2.16x
Shropshire 43 1.36x
Lincolnshire 42 0.72x
Cheshire 33 0.41x
Durham 33 0.30x
Hertfordshire 30 1.19x
Devon 25 0.33x
Buckinghamshire 19 0.86x
Dorset 13 0.54x
Flintshire 13 1.32x
Denbighshire 12 0.87x
Lanarkshire 12 0.10x
Cumberland 11 0.35x
Herefordshire 10 0.67x
Huntingdonshire 8 1.10x
Channel Islands 7 0.64x
Midlothian 7 0.14x
Leicestershire 6 0.15x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.22x
Cornwall 3 0.07x
Northumberland 3 0.06x
Royal Navy 3 0.69x
Brecknockshire 2 0.27x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.17x
Radnorshire 2 0.68x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.03x
Merionethshire 1 0.15x
Northamptonshire 1 0.03x
Roxburghshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 112 Jeffries' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.64x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 112 3.64x
Trevethin 71 28.37x
Shoreditch London 67 4.22x
Aston 60 2.36x
Islington London 59 1.66x
West Ham 57 3.57x
Camberwell 52 2.22x
Chelsea London 52 4.71x
Walsall Foreign 45 7.04x
Kensington London 39 1.91x
Deptford St Paul 37 3.84x
Hackney London 37 1.80x
Bristol St George 36 10.83x
Bitton 31 49.54x
Mangotsfield 30 41.86x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 28 4.14x
Clewer 28 24.84x
Bethnal Green London 27 1.70x
Clerkenwell London 26 3.00x
Mile End Old Town London 25 3.20x
Newington 24 1.77x
Salford 23 1.80x
Toxteth Park 23 1.56x
Lambeth 22 0.69x
Paddington London 22 1.63x
Derby St Werburgh 21 6.34x
Eye 21 72.79x
St Pancras London 21 0.71x
Highworth 20 48.25x
Sheffield 20 1.73x
St George Hanover Square 20 3.10x
Westbury On Severn East 20 12.30x
St Woollos 19 6.42x
Wellington 19 23.75x
Erith 18 14.61x
Longcot 18 365.85x
Wellington 18 10.11x
Bow London 17 3.64x
Hulme 17 1.87x
Lowestoft 17 8.06x
Wolverhampton 17 1.79x
Kingston On Thames 16 3.73x
Manchester 16 0.82x
Mansfield 16 9.36x
Nottingham St Mary 16 1.25x
Swindon 16 6.36x
Sandy 15 44.82x
St Marylebone London 15 0.77x
Bermondsey 14 1.28x
Deptford St Nicholas 14 14.10x
Liverpool 14 0.53x
Prittlewell 14 13.96x
Rowley Regis 14 4.06x
Wandsworth 14 3.97x
Willesden 14 4.05x
Alfreton 13 7.46x
Ashbury 13 151.52x
Basford 13 5.71x
Bilston 13 5.42x
Bromley London 13 1.61x
Derby St Alkmund 13 7.56x
Long Compton 13 148.06x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 13 35.54x
Norwich St John Timberhill 13 85.75x
Reading St Giles 13 4.82x
Stranton 13 3.54x
Upper Machen 13 71.55x
Wroughton 13 46.30x
Beckenham 12 7.34x
Brighton 12 0.96x
Cannock 12 5.56x
Dawdon 12 8.95x
Roxton 12 173.66x
West Derby 12 0.94x
Woolwich 12 2.60x
Brightside Bierlow 11 1.54x
Newark Upon Trent 11 6.19x
Poplar London 11 1.59x
Sedgley 11 2.39x
St Clement Danes London 11 14.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 211
Elizabeth 143
Sarah 134
Emma 70
Eliza 69
Ann 63
Alice 62
Emily 59
Ellen 54
Jane 54
Annie 48
Louisa 42
Hannah 41
Martha 40
Harriet 36
Caroline 29
Fanny 27
Ada 26
Charlotte 26
Florence 23
Margaret 23
Rose 23
Edith 22
Kate 22
Harriett 21
Maria 21
Clara 17
Matilda 17
Agnes 15
Anne 15
Susan 15
Catherine 13
Minnie 12
Amelia 11
Amy 11
Julia 11
Lydia 11
Selina 11
Sophia 11
Eleanor 10
Lucy 10
Esther 9
Frances 9
Henrietta 9
Ruth 9
Beatrice 8
Rosa 8
Gertrude 6
Jessie 6
Miriam 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 210
John 186
Thomas 115
George 109
Charles 100
Henry 100
James 92
Joseph 62
Edward 48
Robert 47
Albert 43
Alfred 39
Arthur 38
Samuel 34
Walter 34
Frederick 32
Frank 27
Harry 24
Richard 24
Herbert 20
Isaac 17
Benjamin 16
Edwin 13
David 12
Thos. 11
Fred 10
Sidney 9
Francis 8
Wm. 8
Chas. 7
Ernest 7
Fredrick 7
Anthony 6
Fredk. 6
Jno. 6
Moses 6
Alexander 5
Edgar 5
Abraham 4
Benj. 4
Edmund 4
Geo. 4
Job 4
Josiah 4
Leonard 4
Peter 4
Phillip 4
Willm. 4
Jeremiah 3
Patrick 3

FAQ

Jeffries surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jeffries surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,749 people were recorded with the Jeffries surname. That placed it at #1,220 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jeffries surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,869 in 2016. That gives Jeffries a modern rank of #1,388.

What does the Jeffries surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from the given name Jeffrey, meaning "peaceful pledge" or "divine peace."

What does the Jeffries map show?

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