Jefferson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Jefferson surname is a patronymic name that comes from the personal names Geoffrey and Godfrey. These names appear in Old English as Geffrey and in Old French as Jefroi or Jeufroi. The surname Jefferson makes use of the patronymic suffix -son, which had superseded all other such suffixes in popularity by the 14th century, and was most common in the north of Britain. This suffix was sometimes abbreviated to -s.

Early Origins of the Jefferson family

The surname Jefferson was first found in Staffordshire where Robert Geffreysone was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1344. In Yorkshire, we found Alice Geffrason there in 1488 and John Jeffrason was listed as a Freeman of York in 1528. [1]

Early History of the Jefferson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jefferson research.

Jefferson Spelling Variations

Welsh surnames are relatively few in number, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. There are many factors that explain the preponderance of Welsh variants, but the earliest is found during the Middle Ages when Welsh surnames came into use. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, which often resulted in a single person’s name being inconsistently recorded over his lifetime. The transliteration of Welshnames into English also accounts for many of the spelling variations: the unique Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh had many sounds the English language was incapable of accurately reproducing. It was also common for members of a same surname to change their names slightly, in order to signify a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations. For all of these reasons, the many spelling variations of particular Welsh names are very important. The surname Jefferson has occasionally been spelled Jeffers, Jefferson, Jeffson, Jephson and others.

Jefferson Ranking

In the United States, the name Jefferson is the 460^th most popular surname with an estimated 62,175 people with that name. [2]

 Migration of the Jefferson family to Ireland

Some of the Jefferson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.

 Jefferson migration to the United States +

The Welsh migration to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries contributed greatly to its rapid development. These migrants were in search of land, work, and freedom. Those Welsh families that survived the long ocean journey were critical to the development of new industries and factories, and to the quick settlement of land. They also added to an ever-growing rich cultural heritage. A search of the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Jefferson: 

Jefferson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

• John Jefferson, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship “Bona Nova” [3]
• James Jefferson, who landed in Virginia in 1638 [3]
• Robert Jefferson, who landed in Virginia in 1639 [3]
• Alice Jefferson, who arrived in Virginia in 1648 [3]
• Mary Jefferson, who arrived in Virginia in 1653 [3]

Jefferson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

• Edward Jefferson, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 [3]
• Weldon Jefferson, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 [3]
• Frances Jefferson, who landed in Virginia in 1711 [3]

Jefferson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

• Thomas Jefferson, who landed in New York in 1836 [3]
• T H Jefferson, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 [3]
• William Jefferson, who landed in Mississippi in 1853 [3]

 Jefferson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were: 

Jefferson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

• Robert Jefferson, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1774
• Robert Jefferson, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1774

 Jefferson migration to Australia+

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: 

Jefferson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

• Mr. Charles Jefferson, English convict who was convicted in West Riding, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the “Egyptian” on 5th April 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen’s Land) [4]
• Francis Jefferson, aged 42, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship “Prince Regent” [5]
• Francis Jefferson, aged 42, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship “Prince Regent” in 1851 [5]
• Anne Jefferson, aged 25, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship “Prince Regent” in 1851 [5]
• Thomas Jefferson, aged 13, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship “Prince Regent” in 1851 [5]

 Jefferson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: 

Jefferson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

• Benj Jefferson, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Lady Nugent
• Benjamin Jefferson, aged 45, a farm labourer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship “Lady Nugent” in 1841
• Sarah Jefferson, aged 37, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship “Lady Nugent” in 1841
• Mr. Benjamin Jefferson, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship “Lady Nugent” arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 17th March 1841 [6]
• James Jefferson, aged 23, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship “Seringapatam” in 1856

Contemporary Notables of the name Jefferson (post 1700) +

• Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), American politician, U.S. Minister to France, 1785-89; U.S. Secretary of State, 1790-93; Vice President of the United States, 1797-1801; President of the United States, 1801-09 [7]
• Alexander Jefferson (1921-2022), American Air Force officer, one of the Tuskegee Airmen, the 332nd Fighter Group, also known for his personal memoir Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman and POW
• George Leo “Jeff” Jefferson (1922-1985), American Negro league baseball pitcher who played from 1942 and 1950, Negro League World Series Champion (1945)
• Willie “Bill” Jefferson (1904-1976), American Negro league baseball pitcher who played from 1937 and 1948, Negro League World Series Champion (1945)
• Margo Lillian Jefferson (b. 1947), American theater critic at The New York Times awarded the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism
• Doris Jefferson, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1980 [7]
• Donald C. Jefferson, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1952 [7]
• Charles Jefferson, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1996, 2008 [7]
• Betty L. Jefferson, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1996 [7]
• Bennie Jefferson, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 2000 [7]

The Jefferson Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: A cruce salus
Motto Translation: Salvation from the cross.