Jeffries is an English patronymic surname derived from the given name Jeffrey, meaning "son of Jeffrey." The name Jeffrey itself is a medieval variant of Geoffrey, which was introduced to England by the Normans. Geoffrey ultimately comes from a Norman French form of a Frankish name, with the second element from Old German *fridu "peace." The first element is uncertain, possibly from *gautaz "Geat" (a North Germanic tribe), gawi "territory," or walah "foreigner." It is also possible that two or more names merged into a single form, and later Geoffrey was further confused with the distinct name Godfrey.Notable BearersNumerous individuals have borne the surname Jeffries across various fields. Notables include Edward Jeffries (1900–1950), who served as Mayor of Detroit from 1940 to 1948. In the arts, American actress and singer Fran Jeffries (1937–2016) gained fame for her roles in films and television. The surname is also found in sports, such as English former footballer Derek Jeffries (born 1951) and Australian rugby league footballer Ben Jeffries (born 1980). Historically, Clarence Smith Jeffries (1894–1917) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross for his bravery during World War I.Meaning: Son of JeffreyOrigin: English patronymic surnameType: Occupational/byname surnameUsage Regions: Primarily English-speaking countries, especially the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and Canada