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At a Glance: Name: Jefferson – Meaning: son of Jeffrey – Origin: English (patronymic surname) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: JEF-ur-sun
Jefferson is an English patronymic surname that simply means 'son of Jeffrey' — no more, no less. You may run across claims that it means 'son of Jeffrey, peaceful traveler' or 'peaceful pledge,' but neither is an attested meaning of Jeffrey, so that's really a guess piled on top of another guess. Pronounced JEF-ur-sun, it carries a classic, timeless-yet-bold feel.
Meaning & Origin of Jefferson
Meaning: Son of jeffrey.
Origin: English (patronymic surname).
A common claim: Often glossed as 'son of Jeffrey, peaceful traveler' or 'peaceful pledge,' layering Jeffrey's disputed meaning onto the surname. Actually: 'Peaceful traveler' isn't an attested meaning of Jeffrey/Geoffrey at all, and 'peaceful pledge' is only one contested guess at Jeffrey's disputed root; Jefferson itself is simply 'son of Jeffrey.'
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Jefferson
Phonetic: JEF-ur-sun IPA: /ˈdʒɛfərsən/
Popularity of Jefferson
Jefferson hit its peak popularity in 1891 at #253, when only 40 baby boys were given the name; by 2024 it had slipped to #711, yet 374 boys received it that year — more than nine times as many as at its historical peak.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Jefferson Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Jefferson, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Jefferson mean?
Son of jeffrey. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Jefferson)
How do you pronounce Jefferson?
Jefferson is pronounced JEF-ur-sun (IPA: /ˈdʒɛfərsən/).
Is Jefferson a popular name right now?
Jefferson peaked at #253 in 1891 and is ranked #711 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
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