boy's name
Geoffrey
JEF-ree
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 8
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 85,132
Northern Ireland
#293
1997 births
Geoffrey means peace, and only half of it is settled — the second element is agreed, while the first is disputed between three unrelated Germanic words, so the name is half-translatable. We record 83,717 lifetime births for it, strongest in England and Wales.
- Geoffrey is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in 1975, when 1,395 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 106,952 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1895.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Geoffrey over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1890s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 5 |
| 1900s | 18 |
| 1910s | 138 |
| 1920s | 200 |
| 1930s | 432 |
| 1940s | 3,714 |
| 1950s | 6,899 |
| 1960s | 8,778 |
| 1970s | 12,223 |
| 1980s | 12,797 |
| 1990s | 6,176 |
| 2000s | 1,995 |
| 2010s | 901 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 258 |
What Geoffrey means
Geoffrey means peace, with a disputed first element. Territory, a traveler and a pledge are all proposed for it, and the sources do not agree between them.
Where Geoffrey comes from
Geoffrey is a Norman name whose second element is frid, peace, and whose first is genuinely open — gawia, territory, gawi, a traveler, and gisil, a pledge, are all proposed, and the name may represent more than one Germanic original that fell together. Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain gave Europe King Arthur, Lear and Cymbeline, and is largely invention presented as history. Chaucer's first name is the same.
Geoffrey in use
Geoffrey peaked in France in 1990, when 2,260 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in four of the seven markets we track — 2,522nd in England and Wales on 9 births, 3611th in the United States on 35 and 5634th in France — across 85,132 lifetime births. A Norman name peaking in France in 1990 rather than in England is not the shape its history suggests.
How popular is Geoffrey?
In 2025, Geoffrey was given to 31 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Geoffrey is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Geoffrey
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Geoffrey also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Geoffrey over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Geoffrey
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Geoffrey in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Geoffrey
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Geoffrey — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Geoffrey
What does the name Geoffrey mean?
Peace — though the first element of the compound is disputed between three unrelated words.
Is it Geoffrey or Jeffrey?
The same name. Geoffrey is the older English spelling and Jeffrey the more American.
Who was Geoffrey of Monmouth?
The writer whose history gave Europe King Arthur, Lear and Cymbeline — largely invention presented as fact.
Is Godfrey the same name?
No — Godfrey is God-peace, a separate compound sharing only the second element.
How popular is the name Geoffrey?
In 2025, Geoffrey was given to 31 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Geoffrey a girl's or a boy's name?
Geoffrey is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Geoffrey?
Geoffrey has 2 syllables.
When was Geoffrey most popular?
Geoffrey peaked in 1975, when 1,395 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Geoffrey?
Geoffrey is usually shortened to Geoff.
Is Geoffrey a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Geoffrey currently ranks #2,199 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.