Meaning:
Its source is Godfrey, an English name meaning "Peaceful god."
Nicknames: Geoff, Jeff, Jeffy and Jepp
Non-English Forms: Geoffroi
Popularity:
The name Geoffrey ranked 710th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 368th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
Though this name has fluctuated in use, it has been quietly present throughout the last century.
Narrative:
Godfrey may not be the only source for this name, which could represent the convergence of a number of ancient name forms.
Among possible alternate sources are the Old German Waldfried (''governor'') and other Germanic names containing the elements gawia (''territory''), walah (''foreigner'') and gisil (''promise'').