Jefferson

English

"son of Jeffrey"

Jefferson Origin and Meaning

The name Jefferson is a boy's name of English origin meaning "son of Jeffrey".

The name of the third U.S. President sounds, like Harrison and Jackson, more modern and stylish now than its root name. Used as a first name long before our surname-crazed era, Jefferson was most famously used as a first name by the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, which may justifiably make you not want to use it. Jefferson is the middle name of another Prez, William Clinton.

Fictional Jeffersons include Jefferson Bricks in Dickens's Martin Chuzzlewit and Jefferson Almond in Henry James' Washington Square, the title character in the Frank Capra classic film "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," plus others--for better and for worse-- in "Married With Children," "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "Kit Kittridge: An American Girl."

Admittedly, nickname Jeff does sound a bit dated.

Jefferson Popularity

• 759 US 2022
• 1938 Nameberry 2020
• 592 Future 2028