| ![Show Contents]() Jeff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Jeff 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. Goisfridus, Gaufridus and Gosfridus are all listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 At this time people tended to only use a surname; forenames came years later. Galfridus was listed in Lincolnshire c. 1150 and Simon filius Gosfrei was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Norfolk in 1210. Walter Geffrei was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Norfolk in 1203 and Gefray was listed in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1243. 2 Geoffrey (d. 1093), was "Bishop of Coutances, [who] came of a noble Norman family settled at Montbrai, or, as pronounced in English, Mowbray, in the arrondissement of St. Lô; he was brother of Roger of Mowbray, and his sister Amicia married Roger of Albini. He was consecrated bishop of Coutances at Rouen on 10 April 1048, and is described as tall, handsome, and prudent." 3 Geoffrey of Gorham (d. 1146), was Abbot of St. Albans, and "was descended from ancestors of noble rank both in Normandy and in Maine, of which county he was a native. " 3 Geoffrey of Monmouth (1100?-1154), "otherwise Galfridus or Gaufridus Arturus, Galfridus Monemutensis, styled by Welsh writers Galffrai or Gruffyd ab Arthur, bishop of St. Asaph and chronicler, was either born or bred at Monmouth about the commencement of the twelfth century, and may have been at one time a monk of the Benedictine abbey there. He was the son of Arthur, who, according to Welsh authorities, was family priest of William, Earl of Gloucester, an apocryphal personage." 3 Early Origins of the Jeff familyThe surname Jeff was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where early forms of the name were found: Goisfridus, Gaufridus, Gosfridus. Later in Lincolnshire, Galfridus was found c. 1150. It wasn't until 1210, for the name to emerge with a forename: Simian filius Gosfrie in the Curia Regis Rolls for Norfolk. Agnes Geffreys was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1283 and a few years later, Robert Geoffray was listed in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1293. 2 Early History of the Jeff familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jeff research. Another 198 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1327, 1332, 1333, 1340, 1379, 1450, 1499, 1566, 1578, 1610, 1613, 1643, 1645, 1647, 1674, 1685, 1689, 1703, 1720, 1723, 1768, 1772, 1776, 1777 and 1779 are included under the topic Early Jeff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Jeff Spelling VariationsThe Welsh have an extremely large amount of spelling variations of their native surnames to their credit. It was up to the priest or the scribe taking the official records to determine how the spoken name was to be made literal. As time progressed, the old Brythonic names of Wales were recorded in English, which was especially problematic since the English language had extreme difficulty recording the highly inflected sounds of Cymraeg. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Jeff have included Jeffreys, Jeffereys, Jefferies, Jeffers, Jefferis, Jefferyes, Jefferys, Jeffries, Jeffry, Jeffs, Jefries and many more. Early Notables of the Jeff familyProminent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was - George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem (1645-1689), Welsh jurist & politician, known as "The Hanging Judge," Lord Chancellor of Britain
- George Jeffreys (ca.1610-1685), an English composer and organist to King Charles I at Oxford in 1643
 Migration of the Jeff family to Ireland
Some of the Jeff family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Jeff familyDuring the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Jeff: 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.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Jeff (post 1700) | + |
- Larry Jeff McMurtry (1936-2021), American Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award winning novelist, essayist, bookseller, and screenwriter, best known for Lonesome Dove which was adapted into a television miniseries that earned 18 Emmy Award nominations, recipient of the National Humanities Medal in 2014
- Jerry Jeff Walker (1942-2020), born Ronald Clyde Crosby, an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for his 1968 hit "Mr. Bojangles"
- Felton Jeff Capel III (b. 1975), American former college basketball player at Duke University, current assistant coach
- Jeffrey Jeff Ennis (b. 1952), British politician
- F. Jeff Tossey, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1924 4
- Jeff Edler (1976-2017), American politician, Member of the Iowa Senate (2017-)
- Jeff Kossack, American composer, known for Eddie Money: Fall in Love Again (1992)
- Jeff Hornbaker, American cinematographer, known for Water Man (2008), Next Wave (2001) and Come Hell or High Water (2011)
- Jeff Burr (1963-2023), American film director, writer, and producer known for his work in horror sequels, such as Stepfather II
- Jeff Hockett, American cinematographer, known for Abel Raises Cain (2005), Ace of Cakes (2006) and Vacation Creation (2016)
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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