Meaning & Origin
A diminutive of the male given names Jeffrey, Jeffery, Jefferey, Jeffry, or Jefferson.
Jeff is a boy's and girl's baby name of Germanic origin, a short form of Jeffrey or Jefferson, from the Old German Gottfried — combining gott ('God') and frid ('peace'), meaning 'God's peace.' Jeff became a common standalone name in mid-20th-century America.
Jeff had its U.S. peak in the 1960s–70s, ranking as high as #10 in 1966. It's the quintessential Boomer name — capable, unpretentious, the guy who coaches the Little League team. Jeff Bridges, Jeff Goldblum, and Jeff Bezos represent its remarkable range.