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Jeff

Quick answerThe name 'Jeff' is a diminutive of 'Jeffrey', which itself derives from the Old German name 'Godfrey', meaning "God's peace" (from *god* "god" and *frid* "peace").

English · Boy · 1 syllable

J
Top 5,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderBoy
US Rank#3,342
TrendStable
Peak year1961
Syllables1
OriginEnglish
LanguageEnglish
CultureEnglish
Letters4
Numerology9 Chaldean 22
Global rank#638

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Jeff

The name 'Jeff' is a diminutive of 'Jeffrey', which itself derives from the Old German name 'Godfrey', meaning "God's peace" (from *god* "god" and *frid* "peace").

Cross-referenced with Behind the Name. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

The name 'Jeff' is a diminutive of 'Jeffrey', which itself derives from the Old German name 'Godfrey', meaning "God's peace" (from *god* "god" and *frid* "peace"). It is primarily used in English-speaking cultures, particularly in the United States and United Kingdom, with no specific religious affiliation, though it gained popularity in the 20th century.

Jeff currently ranks #3,342 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 1961.

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Phonetic match, not just spelling
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"Jakub means "supplanter" or "one who follows" and derives from the Hebrew name Yaakov (יעקב), related to the root word…"

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"Josefa is the feminine form of Joseph, derived from the Hebrew name Yosef (יוֹסֵף), meaning "God will increase" or "God…"

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Jakob
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"Jakob means "supplanter" or "one who follows" and derives from the Hebrew name Yaakov (יעקב), likely from the root meaning…"

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"Jacob derives from the Hebrew name Yaakov (יעקב), meaning "supplanter" or "he who supplaces," from the root meaning to seize…"

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"The name Joseph derives from the Hebrew name Yosef (יוֹסֵף), meaning "God will increase" or "God adds," combining the elements…"

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Josef
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"Josef means "God will increase" or "God adds," derived from the Hebrew name Yosef (יוֹסֵף), combining the elements "Yo" (God)…"

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Jeppe
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"Jeppe is a Scandinavian diminutive form of Jepsen or Jeppe, ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Joseph through the Greek…"

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Job
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"The name Job derives from the Hebrew name Iyov (אִיּוֹב), meaning "the persecuted one" or "one who weeps," from a…"

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Joep
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"Joep is a Dutch diminutive of Jozef (Joseph), derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning "God will increase" or "God…"

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"Josepha is the feminine form of Joseph, derived from the Hebrew name Yosef (יוֹסֵף), meaning "God will increase" or "Jehovah…"

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"Jozef means "God will increase" and derives from the Hebrew name Yosef (יוֹסֵף), composed of the elements "Yo" (God) and…"

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