Show ContentsJeffords History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Jeffords

What does the name Jeffords mean?

Jeffords is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Jeffords family lived in Staffordshire with now extinct branches in Devon, Southampton and Buckinghamshire. 1 Some references claim that the surname was a nickname for a chubby cheeked or round faced person having derived from the Old French word "giffard," a pejorative form of "giffel," meaning "jaw." This is not the case.

"The old historical Giffards of Normandy and England descended from the De Bollebecs, who were connected by marriage with Richard I, Duke of Normandy. Walter, son of de Bollebec, though surnamed 'Gifford,' or 'the Liberal,' seems to have been conservative in the acquisition and retention of lands; for he got not only the fair domain of Longueville, from Richard II of Normandy, but also the Earldom of Buckinghamshire." 2

"Three brothers of the name Giffard, Walter, Berenger, and Osberne entered in Domesday Book as holding English baronies from the time of the Conquest. Walter, the eldest, received as many as 107 manors in different counties, had his largest domain in Buckinghamshire, and was Earl of that county; Berenger held the barony of Fonthill, called from him Fonthill-Giffard, in Wiltshire; and Osberne that of Brimsfield in Gloucestershire." 3

"When William of Normandy desired to invade England, many of his nobles held cautiously back from proffering aid, being wearied and impoverished by the continued struggles in which the Duke had been engaged since his father's death. But a few staunch adherents, amongst the foremost of whom were Walter de Gyffarde, Count of Longueville, and Osborne, his brother, the sons of Osborne de Bolebec, coming nobly forward with offers of men, ships, &c., the laggards were thereby warmed to the undertaking, and the expedition was carried out." 4

Early Origins of the Jeffords family

The surname Jeffords was first found in Devon, Southampton, Buckinghamshire and Staffordshire. As mentioned above, the surviving Staffordshire branch has remained there since the reign of Henry II when Peter Gifford became Lord of the Manor of Chillington. 1

Chillington Hall is a Georgian country house near Brewood in Staffordshire. The current estate is the third manor on the site - the first stone castle was built by the family in the 12th century and part of the current cellar contains some of the original foundation. Another branch of the family was found at Great Blakenham in Suffolk.

"Walter Gifford, Earl of Buckingham, appropriated the manor, in the time of William II., to the monks of Bec in Normandy, who established a cell here." 5

Little is known of Walter Gifford other than he was Vice-Chancellor and Chancellor of the University of Oxford in 1311. Bletchley in Buckinghamshire was another family seat.

"Walter Gifford, Earl of Buckingham, possessed by grant from William Rufus the whole landed property of this parish, which was inherited by Richard de Clare, Earl of Hertford, who had married his granddaughter, Roesia." 5

Godfrey Giffard (1235?-1302), was Chancellor of England and Bishop of Worcester, the son of Hugh Giffard of Boyton in Wiltshire, a royal justice. He was born about 1235 (Calendarium Genealogicum, p. 281). He was the younger brother of Walter Giffard. When his brother was Bishop of Bath and Wells, he became Canon of Wells. 6

John Giffard Lord Gifford of Bromsfield (1232-1299), was a "soldier and Baron in the reigns of Henry III and Edward I, descended from Osbern Giffard, a Norman noble, who under William I acquired various estates, of which Bromsfield (now Brimpsfield) in Gloucestershire and Sherrington in Wiltshire were the chief. From Osbern was descended Richard, one of the justices appointed at Northampton in 1176, whose grandson, Elias, was one of the barons who fought against King John." 6

Early History of the Jeffords family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jeffords research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1200, 1279, 1396, 1444, 1496, 1536, 1548, 1554, 1557, 1560, 1590, 1600, 1613, 1629, 1642, 1687, 1703, 1734, 1776 and 1826 are included under the topic Early Jeffords History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jeffords Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Jeffords family name include Gifford, Giffard, Geffard, Gyfford, Gifferd, Geffard, Gifferd, Gyffard, Gyfferd, Gyford, Giford, Givard, Givord, Giverd and many more.

Early Notables of the Jeffords family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Alexander Gifford; George Gifford (by 1496-1557) an English politician, Member of Parliament for Buckingham in 1536 and Buckinghamshire in April 1554; George Gifford (died 1613), English politician, Member of Parliament for Morpeth and Cricklade; Gabriel Gifford (1554-1629), Catholic Archbishop of Reims; Gilbert Gifford (1560-1590), English double agent who...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jeffords Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jeffords Ranking

In the United States, the name Jeffords is the 10,212nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Jeffords family to Ireland

Some of the Jeffords family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Jeffords migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Jeffords family to immigrate North America:

Jeffords Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mary Jeffords, aged 18, who landed in America from Manchester, England, in 1908
  • Benjamin Jeffords, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States, in 1920
  • G. A. Jeffords, aged 23, who landed in America, in 1922
  • George A. Jeffords, aged 26, who settled in America, in 1924

Contemporary Notables of the name Jeffords (post 1700) +

  • Harrison H. Jeffords (1834-1863), American Union Army colonel of the 4th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War; during the Battle of Gettysburg, he gave his life while protecting the United States flag
  • Thomas Jonathan "Tom" Jeffords (1832-1914), American Army scout, Indian agent, and later a stagecoach driver in the Arizona Territory
  • James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords (1934-2014), American former Senator from Vermont from 1989 to 2007
  • Elza Jeffords (1826-1885), American lawyer elected as a Republican to the Forty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1883-March 3, 1885)
  • Tracy L. Jeffords, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for West Virginia, 1904 8
  • James Merrill Jeffords (b. 1934), American politician, Representative from Vermont at-large, 1975-89; U.S. Senator from Vermont, 1989- 8
  • Harry R. Jeffords, American politician, U.S. Attorney for Arizona, 1889-91 8
  • Elza Jeffords (1826-1885), American Republican politician, State Court Judge in Mississippi, 1868; U.S. Representative from Mississippi 3rd District, 1883-85 8


The Jeffords Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Malo mori quam foedari
Motto Translation: I would rather die than be disgraced.


  1. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
  4. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  7. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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