Boys' name · since 1885
Jeffrey
979,601 babies named Jeffrey in U.S. Social Security records since 1885, with the highest year being 1962. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #30 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #552 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 979,601
- born since 1885
- 1960s
- peak decade
Yes -- Jeffrey is the #552 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 979,601 recorded since 1885.
Social Security Administration records show Jeffrey recorded 979,601 times among boys since 1885, holding rank #552 nationally today, ahead of 96% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1885 to 2025.
- #30 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #552 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 979,601 born since 1885
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Jeffrey ranks #30 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #552 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 979,601 born since 1885, peaking in the 1960s.
- #30 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #552 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 979,601
- born since 1885
- 1960s
- peak decade
Jeffrey's 979,601 recorded births place it above 99.93% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Jeffrey compares
979,601 Top 1% higher than 99% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Jeffrey's all-time total is 2,655x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jeffrey | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 979,601 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 33,537 | 34 | 22,252 |
Jeffrey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Jeffrey splits its recorded history at 1967: 55% of all births land in the more recent half, 45% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1885 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1962 peak of 33,537 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Jeffrey popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–2025
- Peak year (1962)
- 33,537
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Jeffrey popularity over time - girls
3,498 total births recorded since 1941 (Jeffrey as girls' name)
Jeffrey by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (302,029 births, 31% of the file).
1960s was Jeffrey's strongest decade.
302,029 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Jeffrey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1910s 147
1910s
147 births
- 1920s 263
1920s
263 births
- 1930s 903
1930s
903 births
- 1940s 34,340
1940s
34,340 births
- 1950s
1950s
184,668 births
- 1960s
1960s
302,029 births
- 1970s
1970s
202,850 births
- 1980s
1980s
144,789 births
- 1990s 66,987
1990s
66,987 births
- 2000s 25,918
2000s
25,918 births
- 2010s 12,746
2010s
12,746 births
- 2020s 3,956
2020s
3,956 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 302,029 births (31% of all-time use).
How Jeffrey compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Jeffrey's total volume
Jeffrey by state
Where Jeffrey concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 90,539 | 9.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 83,985 | 8.6% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 67,354 | 6.9% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 66,929 | 6.8% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 55,844 | 5.7% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 50,928 | 5.2% |
| #7 | Texas | | 35,969 | 3.7% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 33,022 | 3.4% |
90,539 of 979,601 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Jeffrey appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jeffrey? ▼
Where does Jeffrey sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Jeffrey most popular? ▼
Where is Jeffrey most popular? ▼
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What to do with Jeffrey's data
- Jeffrey's decade-level peak was the 1960s (302,029 total births); usage has since declined to 3,956 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Jeffreys (90,539 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Jeffrey
Nearby Names Like Jeffrey
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jeffrey
Compare Jeffrey side by side: Jeffrey vs Jeffery Jeffrey vs Jeff Jeffrey vs Jefferson
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jeffrey
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Jeffrey: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1962)
Similar record span (~140 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1885–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Jeffrey draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.