Last name: JEFFERSON

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All you have to know about the last name JEFFERSON

Last name frequency

JEFFERSON : This last name is indexed 115,535 times on Geneanet!

Origin of last name

JEFFERSON : 1: English (northern): patronymic from the Middle English personal name Geffrey or Jeffray (see Jeffrey) + -son. In the late medieval period Geffreyson was increasingly pronounced Jeffrason with shortening of the diphthong to a simple vowel which was later commonly altered to Gefferson and Jefferson with metathesis of -r- and this shortened vowel. In North America this surname became especially common among African Americans (see 2 below).2: African American: from the personal name Jefferson (or Thomas Jefferson) adopted in honor of Thomas Jefferson the 3rd president of the US; or adoption of the surname in 1 above in most cases probably for the same reason.

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