Total births
979,601
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.
- #521
- among boys today
- 979,601
- born since 1885
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Jeffrey is the #521 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 #521 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.
- #521 among boys today
- 979,601 born since 1885
- 1960s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Jeffrey is currently the #521 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 979,601 born since 1885, peaking in the 1960s.
- #521
- among boys today
- 979,601
- born since 1885
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Jeffrey vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#521
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Jeffrey was born in this single decade.
1962
Single peak year
33,537 babies were named Jeffrey in 1962 - its busiest year on record.
How Jeffrey compares
979,601 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 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 2,669x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jeffrey | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 979,601 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 33,537 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1962
Current rank
#521
Active since
1885
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
California share of Jeffrey's total US births 9.2%
Even split
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? ▼
Since 1885, Social Security records show 979,601 babies named Jeffrey. Today it holds rank #521 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1962, with 33,537 births.
When was Jeffrey most popular? ▼
Jeffrey was most popular in the 1960s decade with 302,029 total births. The single peak year was 1962.
Where is Jeffrey most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Jeffrey are California (90,539 births), New York (83,985 births), Ohio (67,354 births).
How long has the name Jeffrey been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Jeffrey since 1885 -- 141 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Jeffrey? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Jeffery, Jeff, Jefferson, Jeffry, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare 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
Jeffery Boy
#1295 230,549 births
Jeff Boy
#2915 120,239 births
Jefferson Boy
#710 24,440 births
Jeffry Boy
#6521 15,400 births
Jefferey Boy
3,973 births
Compare Jeffrey side by side: Jeffrey vs Jeffery Jeffrey vs Jeff Jeffrey vs Jefferson
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jeffrey
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Jeffrey: #521 Boys' Name - 979,601 Births, Peak 1962." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/jeffrey. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 June 2026.