boys' name ★ peaked 2009

Jefferson

Meaning Jefferson or Jéferson is a given name Gender Boy Rank 2025 #831 Trend → Stable

Jefferson or Jéferson is a given name.

Rank 2025
#831
among boys · ↓121 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
298
named Jefferson · -21% vs 2024
How common
1 in 5,732
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2009
444 babies
All-time total
24,440
#751 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Jefferson popularity over time

24,440 babies have been named Jefferson 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
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1891Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 355 36 – #255
1890s 291 29 -18% #253
1900s 244 24 -16% #354
1910s 1,039 104 +326% #421
1920s 1,429 143 +38% #462
1930s 908 91 -36% #539
1940s 1,142 114 +26% #556
1950s 1,738 174 +52% #514
1960s 2,017 202 +16% #493
1970s 2,165 217 +7% #463
1980s 1,638 164 -24% #632
1990s 2,359 236 +44% #628
2000s 3,268 327 +39% #589
2010s 3,789 379 +16% #609
2020s (to 2025) 2,058 343 -9% #706

Where Jefferson 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 297 0.17 outside top 500
2027 297 0.17 outside top 500
2028 296 0.17 outside top 500
2029 295 0.17 outside top 500
2030 295 0.17 outside top 500

Where Jefferson is most popular

Boys named Jefferson per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.197 per 1,000. Strongest in Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Jefferson born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Maryland 102 0.855 +334%
Virginia 86 0.453 +130%
New Jersey 80 0.397 +102%
District of Columbia 5 0.339 +72%
Georgia 83 0.328 +66%
Massachusetts 43 0.313 +59%
Florida 145 0.306 +55%
Tennessee 52 0.288 +46%
North Carolina 68 0.266 +35%
New York 103 0.238 +21%
Indiana 38 0.237 +20%
Texas 204 0.232 +18%
Alabama 25 0.229 +16%
Arkansas 12 0.190 ≈ national
California 170 0.186 -6%
Kentucky 17 0.169 -14%
Minnesota 20 0.163 -17%
South Carolina 16 0.155 -21%
Pennsylvania 40 0.151 -24%
Ohio 36 0.136 -31%
Wisconsin 14 0.118 -40%
Nebraska 5 0.115 -42%
Washington 18 0.110 -44%
Colorado 13 0.101 -49%
Connecticut 6 0.089 -55%
Oklahoma 6 0.068 -66%
Illinois 16 0.063 -68%
Louisiana 6 0.059 -70%
Utah 5 0.052 -73%
Arizona 5 0.031 -84%
Michigan 5 0.024 -88%
Alaska – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Maine – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Jefferson

Jefferson is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #831 in 2025 with 298 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 24,440 American babies have been named Jefferson. Its peak came in 2009, when 444 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

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 Jefferson stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Jefferson?

The median living Jefferson is about 26 years old; half are between 12 and 52. An estimated 19 thousand people named Jefferson are alive in the United States today.

median 26 020406080100

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

Jefferson year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 298 #831
2024 375 #710
2023 339 #762
2022 332 #761
2021 357 #724
2020 357 #706
2019 326 #740
2018 364 #681
2017 353 #698
2016 432 #620
2015 378 #672
2014 439 #609
2013 414 #610
2012 394 #617
2011 326 #703
2010 363 #662
2009 444 #589
2008 419 #600
2007 417 #602
2006 359 #646
2005 348 #630
2004 310 #660
2003 249 #731
2002 254 #706
2001 225 #763
2000 243 #717
1995 242 #682
1990 207 #707
1985 170 #682
1980 176 #657
1975 177 #614
1970 276 #488
1965 171 #585
1960 173 #597
1955 196 #522
1950 147 #559
1945 105 #595
1940 102 #586
1935 101 #578
1930 100 #617
1925 143 #510
1920 154 #488
1915 150 #447
1910 25 #575
1905 22 #486
1900 24 #475
1895 28 #351
1890 39 #275
1885 38 #269
1880 43 #255

Famous people named Jefferson

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

  1. 1 Jefferson Davis Jefferson Davis President of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865 1808–1889 · 19th century
  2. 2 Jefferson Jefferson Brazilian footballer b. 1983 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Jefferson Pérez Jefferson Pérez Ecuadorian race walker (born 1974) Contemporary
  4. 4 Jefferson Baiano Brazilian footballer b. 1995 · Contemporary
  5. 5 Jefferson Nascimento Brazilian footballer b. 1988 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Jefferson Brazilian footballer b. 1988 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Jefferson Vieira da Cruz Brazilian footballer b. 1981 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Jefferson Fredo Rodrigues Brazilian footballer b. 1978 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Jefferson?

The median living Jefferson is about 26 years old. Half of all living Jeffersons are between 12 and 52 years old.

How many people named Jefferson are alive today?

An estimated 19 thousand people named Jefferson are alive in the United States, based on 24,440 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Jefferson mean?

Jefferson or Jéferson is a given name.

How popular is the name Jefferson in 2025?

Jefferson ranked #831 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 298 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Jefferson?

24,440 babies have been named Jefferson in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Jefferson most popular?

Jefferson peaked in 2009, when 444 newborns received the name.

Is Jefferson a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Jefferson rising or falling?

Jefferson has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Jefferson become more popular?

Jefferson looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 295 boys named Jefferson in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Jefferson?

Well-known people named Jefferson include Jefferson Davis (politician), Jefferson (soccer player), Jefferson Pérez (athlete).

Names like Jefferson

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

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