Jefferson is a name of American origin, derived from the English surname "Fairfax". The name means "son of Geoffrey", with Geoffrey being an old Germanic name that means "peace". Jefferson is also associated with Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, who was born with the name and played a significant role in shaping American history. Despite its historical ties to America, Jefferson has been used as a given name around the world, with notable individuals bearing this name coming from various countries such as Canada, Australia, and Brazil.
The name Jefferson experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over time. Between 1880 and 1933, the number of annual births was relatively low and steady, ranging from 17 to 119 births per year. However, beginning in 1934, there was a notable increase in popularity, with annual birth numbers exceeding 100 each year until 2023, except for a few years like 1965 (171) and 1983 (139). The name reached its peak popularity between 1947 and 1973, with the highest number of births occurring in 1973 (285), after which it gradually decreased but remained consistently higher than the earlier period. In total, from 1880 to 2023, there were 23,763 Jefferson births recorded.