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From www.HouseOfNames.com Archives copyright © 2000 - 2009

Origin Displayed: Welsh

Where did the Welsh Jefferies family come from? What is the Welsh coat of arms/family crest? When did the Jefferies family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the history of the family name?

The Jefferies surname is a patronymic name that comes from the personal names Geoffrey and Godfrey. These names appear in Old English as Geffrey and in Old French as Jefroi or Jeufroi. The surname Jefferies makes use of the patronymic suffix -son, which had superseded all other such suffixes in popularity by the 14th century, and was most common in the north of Britain. This suffix was sometimes abbreviated to -s.

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. At this time, there were no uniform spelling rules and because the general population was illiterate, they could not specify a particular rendition of their names. Therefore, scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person's name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welsh names into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Jefferies has occasionally been spelled Jeffreys, Jeffereys, Jefferies, Jeffers, Jefferis, Jefferyes, Jefferys, Jeffries, Jeffry, Jeffs, Jefries and many more.

First found in Herefordshire, where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

The Welsh migration to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries contributed greatly to its rapid development. These migrants were in search of land, work, and freedom. Those Welsh families that survived the long ocean journey were critical to the development of new industries and factories, and to the quick settlement of land. They also added to an ever-growing rich cultural heritage. A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Jefferies: Mary Jeffs who settled in Virginia in 1726; Goodwife Jeffreys settled in Virginia in 1624 with her husband; Andrew Jefferies settled in Virginia in 1634.

For more information on the last name Jefferies, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.

Some noteworthy people of the name Jefferies
  • Matt Jefferies (1921-2003), American artist, set designer and writer
  • Gregg Jefferies (b. 1967), American baseball infielder
  • Chris Jefferies (b. 1980), American basketball player
  • Mark Jefferies (d. 1826), Australian outlaw & prisoner
  • Richard Jefferies (1848-1887), British writer
  • Jim Jefferies (b. 1950), British football manager
  • Alan Jefferies (b. 1957), Australian writer


Tell Me More About Family Crests


Family Crests: the Heraldic Artist


We have researched the Jefferies family crest in the most recognized sources. Before an artist or craftsman can render a family crest, it must exist. In other words the crest must have been designed and recorded by the heralds from time immemorial.

Heraldic designs matriculated by the lay-artist in many cases becomes uninspired, meretricious and even ugly...

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Family Crests: Timeline


Many of the symbols adopted into armory have been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians, but heraldry itself did not begin until the 11th century. In continental Europe, the most ancient recorded family crest was discovered upon the monumental effigy of a Count of Wasserburg in the church of St. Emeran, at Ratisobon, Germany...

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Family Crests: Elements


In the Jefferies coat of arms as in all coat of arms the crest is only one element of the full armorial achievement. Again the Family Crest is just part of the story of Coats of Arms or Heraldry. Heraldry is defined as the hereditary art or science of blazoning, the description is appropriate technical terms of Coats-of-Arms and other heraldic and armorial insignia, and is of very ancient origin...

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Family Crests and Genealogy: how they relate


We encourage you to study the Jefferies genealogy to find out if you descend from someone who bore a particular family crest. Anyone making a study of heraldry usually becomes interested in Genealogy or seeking legal claim to a particular family crest. No families, not even the royal houses, can make sound claim to the right to bear arms unless a proven connection is established through attested Genealogical records...

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Jefferies Family Crest Products


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Family Crest for the name Jefferies.
Family Tree proudly displaying the Jefferies family crest.
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Surname Histories for the name Jefferies.
Symbolism proudly displaying the Jefferies family crest.
Travel Mugs featuring the family crest for the surname Jefferies.
Popular Products
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The Jefferies Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Jefferies Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

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