The Jeffery surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,766 people carried this name — #3,638 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 30,200 people counted. That is up 8% from 9,048 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Jeffery surname

A surname originating as a patronymic.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Jeffery» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Geoffrey’.

An early record he cites: Rogerus Jeffray, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Jeffery, Jefferay, Jefferey, Jefferis, Jefferiss, Jefferys, Jeffrey, Jeffreys, Jeffries, Jeffrie and Jeffry.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 428 · public domain.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 25 people named Jeffery.

Most of them — 18 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 4 départements, most often Calvados.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 18
Calvados 2
Pas-de-Calais 2
French Guiana 2
Somme 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

21 people named Jeffery is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 21

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Jeffery was found among the farmers of 6 counties.

It was most frequent in Dorset: 26 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 385. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Dorset 26
Cornwall 20
Wiltshire 18
Devon 15
Somerset 15
Derbyshire 9

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

96 families named Jeffery, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 523 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Jeffery, Gaffery, Geffereys, Gefries, Geofroy, Jaffray, Jaffrey, Jafreys, Jeferes, Jeferis, Jefferies, Jefferis, Jefferys, Jeffiries, Jeffres, Jeffress, Jeffrey, Jeffreys, Jeffries, Jeffris, Jeffry, Jeffrys, Jefres, Jefreys, Jefries. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 19
Maryland 18
Virginia 13
North Carolina 12
Massachusetts 10
Connecticut 8
South Carolina 6
Maine 4
New York 4
New Hampshire 1
Rhode Island 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 247 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Jeffery in American newspapers,
1871–1910.

Newspaper page from Dodgeville Chronicle carrying the name Jeffery
Dodgeville Chronicle 1871-02-24
Newspaper page from Iowa Voter carrying the name Jeffery
Iowa Voter 1871-01-19
Newspaper page from The Telegraph-courier carrying the name Jeffery
The Telegraph-courier 1910-04-07

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,846 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Jeffery in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

34,989 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Jeffery. The most, 7,285, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 15,682
Victoria 6,404
South Australia 6,119
Western Australia 2,936
Queensland 2,613
Tasmania 750
ACT (Canberra) 286
Northern Territory 102

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Jeffery.

Who carried it

People named Jeffery,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Jeffery d. 1611 · politician
  • Edward Jeffery d. 1837 · bookseller
  • Edward Jeffery d. 1837 · bookseller
  • Bartholomew Jeffery d. 1842
  • Sarah Jeffery d. 1793
  • Thomas Jeffery 1698–1729 · Christian minister

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Jeffery,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States834 records

834 records of the Jeffery name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 258
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 174
  • Other U.S. records 402
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Clarence E. Jeffery

    Born 1924 in Connecticut. Enlisted 1943 at Hartford; driver from Fairfield County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Maplewood Cemetery, Mount Upton, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James W. Jeffery

    Born 1906 in New York. Enlisted 1942 at New York City; janitor from Queens County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1970, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary Jeffery

    Arrived at New York in 1867 aboard the Chicago from Liverpool, aged 37; matron. From England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 834 records for Jeffery in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,058 records

1,058 records of the Jeffery name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 403
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 304
  • Other Australian records 351
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Catherine Jeffery

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the St Vincent, sailing from London in 1849. Native of Derbyshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1851.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Maurice Throckmorton Jeffery

    Died 1922 in New¿norfolk, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1922.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Walter Jeffery

    Arrived in Victoria in 1886 aboard the Austral, aged 3; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,058 records for Jeffery in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada390 records

390 records of the Jeffery name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 279
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 35
  • Other Canadian records 76
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Chas Jeffery

    Came to Ontario in 1872 aboard the Nestorian, landing at Quebec, bound for Paris, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lucille Jeffery

    Buried in 1993 at Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 77.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Edith Margaret Jeffery

    Died 1930 in Middleton, Annapolis, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 390 records for Jeffery in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom45 records

45 records of the Jeffery name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 31
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 11
  • Welsh wills index cards 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ann Jeffery

    Buried in 1834 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 74.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Mary Jeffery

    Will proved in 1933; of Swansea.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. Jeffery

    Hertfordshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 45 records for Jeffery in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand29 records

29 records of the Jeffery name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 24
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Isla Jean Florence Jeffery

    Died 1945, aged 33; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Florence Jeffery

    Died 1969; buried at Rangiora Lawn Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Benjamin Jeffery

    Died 1940, aged 77; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 29 records for Jeffery in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France5 records

5 records of the Jeffery name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Maude Albertine Jeffery

    Born 1924 in Albert (Somme); died 2001 in Coulommiers (Seine-et-Marne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Clare Beatrice Jeffery

    Born 1941 in the United Kingdom; died 1990 in Guérande (Loire-Atlantique).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Gladys Victoria Jeffery

    Born 1927 in Étaples (Pas-de-Calais); died 2001 in Roubaix (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Jeffery in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Norway3 records

3 records of the Jeffery name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Clarice Maud Jeffery

    Census of 1910: Garvergaten, Fredrikshald; born 1904 in England.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record James R. Jeffery

    Census of 1910: Garvergaten, Fredrikshald; born 1872 in England.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Jeffery in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Jeffery.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Jeffery is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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