Jeff is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Jeff means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Jeff across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Jeff has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Jeff is a boy name of Germanic origin meaning “peace, of uncertain first element”. a short form of Jeffrey or Geoffrey.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 120,502 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 144 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 74 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 132 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Jeff per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1961 (9,474/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2010 (17/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1997 (12/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1990 (12/yr).
Jeff has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1961, when it ranked #96 nationally (given to 9,474 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1960s.
Jeffie · Geoff · Jef · Jeffey · Geff · Jeffy · Geof
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