Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1961

Jeff

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,342 Trend ↓ Falling 29%

From Jeffrey, a variant of Geoffrey, from Middle English Geffrey, from an Old French aristocratic name, Geoffroi [dʒɔfreʲ] (> West Middle French Geoffrey, East Middle…

Rank 2025
#3,342
among boys · ↓411 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
35
named Jeff · -19% vs 2024
How common
1 in 48,802
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1961
9,474 babies
All-time total
120,502
#276 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Jeff popularity over time

120,502 babies have been named Jeff since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
1.252.53.75518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 685 685 69 – #162
1890s – 661 661 66 -4% #167
1900s – 605 605 61 -8% #219
1910s – 1,532 1,532 153 +153% #267
1920s 10 1,861 1,871 187 +22% #410
1930s 5 1,522 1,527 153 -18% #417
1940s – 5,909 5,909 591 +287% #199
1950s 39 24,920 24,959 2,496 +322% #52
1960s 147 62,072 62,219 6,222 +149% #44
1970s 35 12,249 12,284 1,228 -80% #116
1980s 27 3,787 3,814 381 -69% #339
1990s – 1,890 1,890 189 -50% #643
2000s – 1,518 1,518 152 -20% #913
2010s – 770 770 77 -49% #1,458
2020s (to 2025) – 258 258 43 -44% #2,423

Where Jeff is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 33 0.02 outside top 500
2027 31 0.02 outside top 500
2028 30 0.02 outside top 500
2029 29 0.02 outside top 500
2030 28 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Jeff

Jeff is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,342 in 2025 with 35 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 120,502 American babies have been named Jeff. Its peak came in 1961, when 9,474 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Jeff stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Jeff?

The median living Jeff is about 62 years old; half are between 57 and 65. An estimated 94 thousand people named Jeff are alive in the United States today.

median 62 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Jeff year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 35 #3,342
2024 – – 43 #2,931
2023 – – 35 #3,375
2022 – – 46 #2,810
2021 – – 56 #2,423
2020 – – 43 #2,816
2019 – – 53 #2,505
2018 – – 67 #2,109
2017 – – 59 #2,256
2016 – – 58 #2,291
2015 – – 72 #2,004
2014 – – 100 #1,582
2013 – – 80 #1,802
2012 – – 78 #1,872
2011 – – 90 #1,671
2010 – – 113 #1,458
2009 – – 128 #1,350
2008 – – 142 #1,230
2007 – – 161 #1,122
2006 – – 141 #1,191
2005 – – 130 #1,219
2004 – – 163 #1,011
2003 – – 156 #1,014
2002 – – 162 #974
2001 – – 171 #913
2000 – – 164 #931
1995 – – 154 #881
1990 – – 249 #643
1985 6 #9,802 373 #441
1980 – – 542 #339
1975 – – 882 #234
1970 9 #5,564 2,881 #116
1965 15 #3,318 5,406 #62
1960 20 #2,768 8,511 #49
1955 5 #6,228 1,482 #182
1950 – – 539 #291
1945 – – 538 #249
1940 – – 279 #340
1935 5 #4,519 137 #484
1930 – – 177 #444
1925 5 #5,360 189 #438
1920 – – 207 #410
1915 – – 183 #398
1910 – – 83 #267
1905 – – 62 #248
1900 – – 69 #246
1895 – – 65 #215
1890 – – 77 #177
1885 – – 63 #200
1880 – – 66 #188

Famous people named Jeff

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Jeff Bezos Jeff Bezos American businessman (born 1964) Contemporary
  2. 2 Jeff Goldblum Jeff Goldblum American actor and musician (born 1952) Contemporary
  3. 3 Jeff Buckley Jeff Buckley American musician (1966–1997) Contemporary
  4. 4 Jeff Bridges Jeff Bridges American actor (born 1949) Contemporary
  5. 5 Jeff Daniels Jeff Daniels American actor (born 1955) Contemporary
  6. 6 Jeff Beck Jeff Beck English guitarist (1944–2023) Contemporary
  7. 7 Jeff Hardy Jeff Hardy American professional wrestler (born 1977) Contemporary
  8. 8 Jeff Garlin Actor, United States b. 1962 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Jeff Conaway Jeff Conaway American actor (1950–2011) Contemporary
  10. 10 Jeff Porcaro Jeff Porcaro American drummer (1954–1992) Contemporary
  11. 11 Jeff Dunham Jeff Dunham American ventriloquist and comedian (born 1962) Contemporary
  12. 12 Jeff Healey Jeff Healey Canadian singer, guitarist and songwriter (1966–2008) Contemporary
  13. 13 Jeff Perry Actor b. 1955 · Contemporary
  14. 14 Jeff Jarrett Jeff Jarrett American professional wrestler and promoter (born 1967) Contemporary
  15. 15 Jeff Sessions Jeff Sessions American politician and attorney (born 1946) Contemporary
  16. 16 Jeff Fahey Jeff Fahey American actor (born 1952) Contemporary
  17. 17 Jeff Bennett Jeff Bennett American voice actor (born 1962) Contemporary
  18. 18 Jeff Koons Jeff Koons American sculptor and painter (born 1955) Contemporary
  19. 19 Jeff Chandler Jeff Chandler American actor (1918–1961) Contemporary
  20. 20 Jeff Hornacek Jeff Hornacek American basketball player and coach (born 1963) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Jeff, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Jeff?

The median living Jeff is about 62 years old. Half of all living Jeffs are between 57 and 65 years old.

How many people named Jeff are alive today?

An estimated 94 thousand people named Jeff are alive in the United States, based on 120,502 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Jeff mean?

From Jeffrey, a variant of Geoffrey, from Middle English Geffrey, from an Old French aristocratic name, Geoffroi [dʒɔfreʲ] (> West Middle French Geoffrey, East Middle French Geoffroy), itself from Proto-French forms (latinized in…

How popular is the name Jeff in 2025?

Jeff ranked #3,342 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 35 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Jeff?

120,502 babies have been named Jeff in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Jeff most popular?

Jeff peaked in 1961, when 9,474 newborns received the name.

Is Jeff a boy or girl name?

Jeff is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Jeff rising or falling?

Jeff is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Jeff become more popular?

Jeff is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 28 boys named Jeff in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Jeff?

Well-known people named Jeff include Jeff Bezos (businessperson), Jeff Goldblum (actor), Jeff Buckley (musician).

Names like Jeff

Names that sound and feel close to Jeff: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Jeff with similar names → More names starting with J →