Jeff
Pronounced JH EH1 F (ARPABET)
- 1 syllable
- Peaked 1961
- 145 years in use
- 1 spelling
How popular is Jeff?
Jeff is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 122,024 children — the 272nd most common boys' name on record.
It is falling away, down 54% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1961, when 9,521 children were given it.
Geoff is counted with it here, since the two are pronounced identically.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to Jeff and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Geoff
Nicknames
Jeff is itself a short form of Jeffrey.
Characteristics
- 1 syllable
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- JH EH1 F
- Stress pattern:
- 1
- Syllables:
- 1
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like Jeff
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for Jeff
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name Jeff?
- Jeff ranks 272nd among boys' names in US records, with 122,024 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 538.
- Is Jeff a unisex name?
- No. Jeff is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
- When was Jeff most popular?
- 1961, when 9,521 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- How else is Jeff spelled?
- Geoff. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.