BabyNameScore

Jefferson

American English /ˈdʒɛf.ər.sən/; British English /ˈdʒɛf.ə.sən/ · 1 syllable

Jefferson feels distinctive without creating everyday friction in daily use.

91/100

Strong Practical Fit

Balanced across pronunciation, everyday use, lifetime fit and international use.

Name Profile

  1. Pronunciation & Spelling

    Effortless

    A documented English pronunciation is on file: American English /ˈdʒɛf.ər.sən/; British English /ˈdʒɛf.ə.sən/.

    90/100

  2. Everyday Use

    Low risk

    95/100

  3. Growing Up

    Strong lifetime fit

    Works comfortably across child and adult settings.

    82/100

  4. International Use

    Broad international fit

    Works cleanly across the assessed languages and writing systems.

    85/100

ORIGIN & HISTORY

About the name

"Son of Jeffrey" — an English patronymic surname used as a given name; Jeffrey itself traces to Germanic elements roughly meaning "district" + "peace." As a patronymic surname turned given name, Jefferson's meaning is inherited two steps removed from its ultimate Germanic root, and the sources checked do not document any independent given-name-specific meaning beyond the honorific association with Thomas Jefferson.

  1. Geoffrey / Jeffrey (English), from Medieval Latin Gaufridus, from Old High German gewi ("district") + fridu ("peace"). As a given name, Jefferson is usually bestowed in honor of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), third President of the United States and principal author of the Declaration of Independence.
POPULARITY

Jefferson over time

United States
#831RANK

Rank #831 gives national context, not a classroom forecast.

Uncommon in current U.S. usage. Ranked #831 in the U.S., 2025.

SourceU.S. Social Security Administration · 2025 release

Pronunciation & Forms

SAY IT

American English /ˈdʒɛf.ər.sən/; British English /ˈdʒɛf.ə.sən/

OTHER-LANGUAGE FORMS
  • JéfersonBrazilian Portuguese

Cultural Footprint

Jefferson is used as a given name in English and, distinctly, in Brazilian Portuguese (where the phonetic spelling "Jéferson" also occurs); in English-language use it is usually given in honor of US President Thomas Jefferson rather than as a direct patronymic statement.

TRACEABLE ORIGIN
  1. Thomas Jeffersonthird President of the United States

Names around it

Jeffrey
EDITORIAL SYNTHESIS

The Decision

Jefferson is spelled without unusual letter patterns, and it holds up in everyday use. Surname-dependent compatibility remains unassessed until a surname is added.

STRENGTH

A documented English pronunciation is on file. Uses standard characters that systems widely handle cleanly.

BEST FIT

Everyday Use is the strongest-scoring part of this name — no obvious nickname traps, rhymes, or initial issues detected.

FULL-NAME CHECK

See how it works with a surname.

Jefferson