Geoffrey

Where Geoffrey comes from

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 -us) Jotfredus, Jozsfredus, Josfredus (10th century) and Jof[f]redus, Jofridus, Jaufredus, Geffredus (11th century), and ultimately of Proto-Germanic origin. The second element is *friþuz (“peace, sanctuary”). The first element may be *gautaz (“a Geat, a Goth”) [making the Proto-Germanic term *Gautafriþu, as opposed to *gōdaz (“good”) or *gudą (“god”) in Godfrey; this would also make it related to Jocelyn]. The name was introduced to England by the Normans in the 11th century. Partially displaced Old English Ceolfriþ.
— Wiktionary's entry for Geoffrey
  • Germanic
  • 2 syllables
  • Vowel-ended
Along the way
  1. 1343
    Geoffrey Chaucer born
    14th century English poet and author
  2. 1895
    First appearance
    #1,079 among boys, 5 babies — the first year at least five got the name.
  3. 1951
    Geoffrey Rush born
    Australian actor
  4. 1975
    Peak, #167
    1,395 babies named Geoffrey — more than any year before or since.
  5. 1993
    The fade
    The first year with half the peak's births — down to #351.
In the dictionary
  • A male given name from the Germanic languages, popular in the U.K. in the 20th century.
Namesakes
  • Geoffrey Chaucer · 14th century English poet and author, 1343–1400
  • Geoffrey Rush · Australian actor, born 1951
  • Geoffrey Hinton · British-Canadian computer scientist and psychologist, born 1947
  • Geoffrey of Monmouth · Historian and Bishop of St Asaph, Wales, 1100–1150
  • Geoffrey Wilkinson · British Nobel laureate in Chemistry, 1921–1996

Sources: the origin note and dictionary entry are quoted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); the namesakes come from Wikidata (CC0); the milestones are worked out from the SSA record.