NameCensus.

UK surname

Jeffs

A surname derived from the given name Jeffrey, a Germanic name meaning "peace" or "pledge of peace".

In the 1881 census there were 2,347 people recorded with the Jeffs surname, ranking it #1,892 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,742, ranked #2,449, down from #1,892 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kislingbury, London parishes and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Northamptonshire, East Northamptonshire and Birmingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Jeffs is 3,121 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16.8%.

1881 census count

2,347

Ranked #1,892

Modern count

2,742

2016, ranked #2,449

Peak year

1911

3,121 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Jeffs had 2,347 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,892 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,742 in 2016, ranked #2,449.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,121 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Jeffs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Jeffs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Jeffs 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 1,383 #2,069
1861 historical 1,494 #1,894
1881 historical 2,347 #1,892
1891 historical 2,378 #1,977
1901 historical 2,736 #2,030
1911 historical 3,121 #1,671
1997 modern 2,850 #2,269
1998 modern 3,014 #2,239
1999 modern 3,017 #2,255
2000 modern 2,973 #2,263
2001 modern 2,909 #2,266
2002 modern 2,973 #2,261
2003 modern 2,899 #2,268
2004 modern 2,894 #2,274
2005 modern 2,819 #2,307
2006 modern 2,808 #2,317
2007 modern 2,819 #2,323
2008 modern 2,820 #2,338
2009 modern 2,840 #2,381
2010 modern 2,909 #2,376
2011 modern 2,816 #2,412
2012 modern 2,707 #2,452
2013 modern 2,768 #2,448
2014 modern 2,774 #2,460
2015 modern 2,752 #2,453
2016 modern 2,742 #2,449

Geography

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Where Jeffs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kislingbury, London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Northamptonshire, East Northamptonshire, Birmingham and Cheshire West and Chester. 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 Kislingbury Northamptonshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Northamptonshire 001 South Northamptonshire
2 East Northamptonshire 003 East Northamptonshire
3 Birmingham 029 Birmingham
4 South Northamptonshire 006 South Northamptonshire
5 Cheshire West and Chester 045 Cheshire West and Chester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Jeffs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Jeffs

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Jeffs is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Jeffs 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

Jeffs falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Jeffs

The surname Jeffs is of English origin, derived from the given name Jeffrey, which comes from an old Germanic name Gaufrid or Gaufrey. This name is a compound of the elements "gau" (territory or district) and "frid" (peace), meaning "peaceful territory" or "district of peace".

The name Jeffrey was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 by Norman-French settlers who had adopted the name. The earliest recorded spelling of the name Jeffs dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where a Richard Jeffes is mentioned in 1273.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several individuals listed with the name Jeffrey or variations like Geffrei and Gefrei, but no specific mention of the surname Jeffs.

The Jeffs surname is found in various parts of England, particularly in Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. Some early bearers of the name include John Jeffs, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Wiltshire in 1332, and William Jeffs, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327.

One notable historical figure with the surname Jeffs was Sir George Jeffreys (1645-1689), an English judge who became notorious as the "Hanging Judge" for his brutal treatment of the rebels after the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685. Another was William Jeffs (1837-1908), an English architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Other individuals with the surname Jeffs include:

1. Samuel Jeffs (1858-1935), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. 2. Alfred Jeffs (1819-1900), a British architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in London and the surrounding counties. 3. John Jeffs (1701-1789), an English mathematician and astronomer who published several works on navigation and astronomy. 4. Mary Jeffs (1706-1768), an English artist known for her portraits and miniature paintings. 5. Thomas Jeffs (1826-1901), a British architect and surveyor who worked on several ecclesiastical and public buildings in the Midlands region of England.

The surname Jeffs has a rich history rooted in the English countryside, with its origins dating back to the time of the Norman Conquest. While not as widespread as some other English surnames, it has been borne by notable figures in various fields throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Jeffs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Jeffs 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. Warwickshire leads with 372 Jeffs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.45x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 372 6.45x
Northamptonshire 321 14.92x
Middlesex 273 1.19x
Cheshire 181 3.58x
Buckinghamshire 137 9.91x
Surrey 100 0.90x
Leicestershire 90 3.55x
Hertfordshire 89 5.64x
Worcestershire 85 2.85x
Bedfordshire 80 6.75x
Gloucestershire 74 1.65x
Staffordshire 71 0.92x
Lancashire 70 0.26x
Huntingdonshire 61 13.43x
Lincolnshire 50 1.37x
Yorkshire 41 0.18x
Shropshire 31 1.57x
Oxfordshire 28 1.98x
Nottinghamshire 25 0.81x
Rutland 18 10.72x
Essex 14 0.31x
Kent 14 0.18x
Monmouthshire 14 0.85x
Cambridgeshire 11 0.76x
Derbyshire 11 0.31x
Glamorgan 11 0.28x
Pembrokeshire 11 1.51x
Sussex 10 0.26x
Kirkcudbrightshire 8 2.42x
Durham 7 0.10x
Berkshire 5 0.29x
Hampshire 5 0.11x
Suffolk 5 0.18x
Denbighshire 4 0.46x
Westmorland 4 0.80x
Lanarkshire 3 0.04x
Somerset 3 0.08x
Flintshire 2 0.33x
Channel Islands 1 0.15x
Herefordshire 1 0.11x
Midlothian 1 0.03x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.19x
Royal Navy 1 0.37x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 50 Jeffs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.15x.

Place Total Index
Aston 50 3.15x
Coventry St Michael 44 23.74x
Leicester St Margaret 43 6.95x
Kislingbury 40 735.29x
Birmingham 39 2.03x
Islington London 38 1.71x
Lambeth 32 1.60x
Wingrave 31 436.62x
Northampton St Giles 29 35.38x
Tichmarsh 27 372.93x
Hackney London 26 2.03x
Cheltenham 23 6.64x
Coventry Holy Trinity 23 13.35x
Feckenham 22 64.35x
Bierton With Broughton 21 330.19x
Leamington Priors 20 14.09x
Shoreditch London 20 2.02x
Sulgrave 20 557.10x
Warwick St Nicholas 20 47.27x
Watford 20 16.36x
Luton 19 9.27x
Wellingborough 18 16.64x
Kings Norton 17 6.35x
Kingsley 17 180.66x
St Pancras London 17 0.92x
Sutton Coldfield 17 28.03x
Clee With Weelsby 16 19.98x
St Albans 16 49.52x
Hillesden 15 867.05x
Newington 15 1.78x
Northampton All Sts 15 20.55x
Nottingham St Mary 15 1.88x
Willenhall 15 10.37x
Hampstead London 14 3.93x
Hemel Hempstead 14 19.71x
Paddington London 14 1.66x
Rugby 14 17.94x
St Marylebone London 14 1.15x
Wednesfield 14 12.32x
Huntingdon St Mary 13 114.44x
Isleworth 13 12.78x
Liscard 13 14.29x
Manchester 13 1.07x
Steppingley 13 530.61x
Abbotsley 12 332.41x
Blockley 12 71.05x
Clerkenwell London 12 2.22x
Grappenhall 12 194.49x
Great Grimsby 12 5.17x
Middleton Cheney 12 128.07x
Tysoe 12 153.65x
Hartwell 11 280.61x
Kensington London 11 0.86x
Kinlet 11 324.48x
Neithrop 11 23.17x
Oddington 11 279.90x
Ashton 10 328.95x
Caldecott 10 429.18x
Hemingford Grey 10 143.88x
Leicester St Mary 10 4.88x
Portskewett 10 260.42x
Quinton 10 1030.93x
St George Hanover Square 10 2.48x
Steynton 10 42.55x
Stoke Newington London 10 5.61x
Wootton 10 156.25x
Aylesbury 9 14.69x
Budbrooke 9 153.06x
Daventry 9 29.57x
Ellesborough 9 188.68x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 9 10.96x
Graffham 9 339.62x
Hapsford 9 1525.42x
Helsby 9 141.51x
Kidderminster Foreign 9 21.31x
Kingsthorpe 9 37.64x
Northampton Priory St 9 6.97x
Northampton St Sepulchre 9 8.22x
Sedgley 9 3.14x
Yardley 9 11.78x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 166
John 113
Thomas 110
George 77
James 75
Henry 53
Joseph 51
Alfred 43
Charles 35
Arthur 30
Frederick 29
Richard 27
Harry 24
Samuel 22
Edward 21
Ernest 19
Walter 16
Albert 15
Robert 15
Edwin 13
Frank 12
Benjamin 11
Herbert 11
Daniel 7
Francis 7
Thos. 6
Fred 5
Fredk. 5
Sidney 5
Jesse 4
Peter 4
Abraham 3
Christopher 3
Cresant 3
David 3
Earnest 3
Edmund 3
Horace 3
Job 3
Josiah 3
Lewis 3
Matthew 3
Wm. 3
Amos 2
Augustus 2
Fredrick 2
Leonard 2
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Percy 2

FAQ

Jeffs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Jeffs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,347 people were recorded with the Jeffs surname. That placed it at #1,892 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Jeffs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,742 in 2016. That gives Jeffs a modern rank of #2,449.

What does the Jeffs surname mean?

A surname derived from the given name Jeffrey, a Germanic name meaning "peace" or "pledge of peace".

What does the Jeffs map show?

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