Geoffrey (name)

Geoffrey is an English and French masculine given name. It is generally considered the Anglo-Norman form of the Germanic compound 'god' and 'peace'. It is a derivative of Dutch Godfried, German Gottfried and Old English Gotfrith and Godfrith.

Alexander MacBain considered it as being found in the Gaelic and Welsh forms; potentially before or contemporary to the Anglo-Saxon, with the examples of Goraidh, Middle Gaelic Gofraig (1467 MS.), Godfrey (do.), Irish Gofraidh (F.M.), Middle Irish Gothfrith, Gofraig (Tigernach, 989), Early Irish Gothfraid (Lib. Lein.), E. Welsh Gothrit (Ann. Camb.). Macbain suggested these Celtic forms of the name were closer related to the Anglo-Saxon Godefrid than the Norse Goðröðr, Gudrød or Góröðr; however he does not elaborate further on the origin or relation.

The form as 'Geoffrey' was probably introduced to Norman England.

It was also Anglicised as ''Jeffrey'' later after the name became more popular after the likes of President Jefferson. Popularity of the name declined after the medieval period, but it was revived in modern England and the British Empire at large. Modern hypocorisms include ''Geoff'' or ''Jeff''.

''Jeffrey'' and its variants are found as surnames, usually ending in -s (e.g. ''Jefferies'', ''Jaffrays''); The surname Jefferson is also a patronymic version of the given name.

Etymology

The Old French form of the name was ''Geoffrei'' ( ʒɔfrej, which developed into West Middle French ''Geoffrey'' and East Middle French ''Geoffroy''.

Latinised forms include ''Jotfredus'', ''Jozsfredus'', ''Josfredus'' (10th century) and ''Jof edus'', ''Jofridus'', ''Jaufredus'', ''Geffredus'' (11th century).

The original spelling with ''Jo-'' was modified in ''Geo-''. The graphic ''e'' after ''G'' is used in French to avoid the pronunciation o but �ɔinstead. The spelling ''Geo-'' is probably due to the influence of the first name '' Georges'', derived from Old French ''Jorre'', ''Joire''.

The Old Frankish name ''Godefrid'' itself is from the Germanic elements ''god-'' and '' frid-''. The Middle Latin form is ''Godefridus'' (whence also ''Godfrey''). The second element is widely used in Germanic names, and has a meaning of "peace, protection". The first element ''god-'' is conflated from two, or possibly three, distinct roots, ie ''got'' and possibly '' *gaut'', in origin a tribal name (Geats, Goths) or a theonym (a byname of Wotan).

Albert Dauzat (1951, rev. ed. 1980) followed by others, argued that the Middle French name ''Geoffrey'' in fact retains a distinction between two Germanic names which became conflated in the Middle Ages. According to this argument, ''Godfrey'' continues ''*goda-friþu-'', while ''Geoffroy'' continues ''*gaut-friþu-''. If a strictly phonetic development is assumed, ''Geoffrey'' cannot be derived from ''Godfrid'', as ''*go-'' would result in Old French ''go-'' ( ɔ and not ''geo-'' (''jo-'', ʒɔ, ie ''goda-fridu'' would yield ''Godefroy'' odfrwabut not ''Geoffroy''.
On the other hand, ''*gau-'' awwould regularly result in ''jo-'' (''geo-'' ʒɔ,for example, Late Latin ''*gauta'' gave Old French ''jöe'' and Modern French ''joue'' "cheek", and Latin ''gaudia'' gave French ''joie'' "joy". . In the history of the French language, there is a regular palatalisation of > ʒ> � before � but not before where was maintained. i.e ''*gaut-fridu-'' would regularly result in ''Geoffroy'' ʒɔf:rwa

Alternative suggestions which would derive the first element from Germanic ''gisal-'' 'hostage', or '' w(e)alah'' 'Gallo-Roman; stranger' are also rejected by Dauzat as phonetically impossible: ''gi'' would have resulted in Old French ʒi(Modern French �i, as in ''Gisalbert'' > ''Gilbert'' (ie ''*Gisalfrid'' > ''*Giffrey''), and ''*w(e)alh-'' would have resulted in ''*gaul-'' ol(ie ''*Wealhfrid'' > ''*Gaulfrey'', ''*Gauffrey'').

List of people called Geoffrey

In television and film

* Geoff Dolan, New Zealand actor, singer and corporate entertainer
* Geoff Edwards, American actor and game-show host
* Geoff Eigenmann, Filipino actor, host and model
* Geoff Harvey, Australian musician and television personality
* Geoffrey Hayes, English television presenter and actor
* Geoffrey Holder, Trinidadian-American actor
* Geoffrey Lewis, American actor
* Geoff Morrell, Australian actor
* Geoff Murphy, New Zealand film director, writer and assistant director
* Geoffrey Palmer, English actor
* Geoffrey Perkins, British radio and television producer
* Geoff Peterson, robotic sidekick on ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''
* Geoffrey Rush, Australian actor
* Geoff Thompson, British writer, film director and self-defence expert
* Geoffrey Wright, Australian film director

In sports

* Geoff Abrams, American tennis player
* Geoffrey Edward Beck (1918–2019), English cricketer and minister
* Geoff Bent, one of the eight Manchester United players that lost their lives in the Munich air disaster
* Geoff Blum, infielder in Major League Baseball
* Geoff Bodine, NASCAR driver
* Geoff Boss, ChampCar and IMSA driver
* Geoffrey Boycott, former England cricketer
* Geoff Capes, former British shot put champion and two-time World's Strongest Man winner
* Geoffrey Cheah, Hong Kong competitive swimmer
* Geoff Collins, Head Football (American) Coach at Georgia Tech
* Geoffrey Gray (born 1997), American-Israeli professional basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Geoff Grover, Australian Rules Footballer with St Kilda and Port Melbourne
* Geoff Horsfield, English football player
* Geoff Howarth, New Zealand cricketer
* Geoff Hudson, English footballer
* Geoff Hunt, Australian squash player, ranked the World No.1 squash player from 1975 to 1980
* Geoff Hurst, the only footballer to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final
* Geoff Jenkins, outfielder in Major League Baseball
* Geoff Ogilvy, Australian golfer, winner of the 2006 US Open
* Geoff Roes, ultra-runner, Western States 100 Endurance Run record holder
* Geoff Rowley, professional skateboarder
* Geoff Sanderson, forward in the National Hockey League
* Geoff Schwartz, American NFL football player (Carolina Panthers)
* Geoff Toovey, Rugby League Coach for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

In literature

* Geoffrey Chaucer, English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat, and diplomat
* Geoffrey Household (1900–1988), British writer
* Geoff Johns, American writer of comic books
* Geoffrey Moorhouse (1931–2009), British writer

In music

* Geoff Barrow, producer/instrumentalist for the band, Portishead
* Geoffrey Arnold Beck, is an English rock guitarist who played with The Yardbirds
* Geoff Berner, Canadian singer-songwriter on the accordion
* Geoffrey Burgon, English composer
* Geoff Castellucci, bass vocalist for the Orlando, Florida-based a cappella group, VoicePlay
* Geoff Downes, keyboard player known for his work with The Buggles, Yes and Asia
* Geoff Emerick, recording studio audio engineer, who is best known for his work with the Beatles
* Geoffrey Gordon, American composer
* Geoff Nicholls, former keyboard player for Black Sabbath
* Geoff Richardson, multi-instrumentalist for Caravan
* Geoff Rickly, lead singer and lyricist of the Post-Hardcore band Thursday
* Geoff Stone, percussionist for Drastic Fall
* Geoff Tate, American rock singer, former member of the band Queensryche
* Geoff Wigington, guitarist for pop punk band Waterparks

In politics

* Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, British Conservative Party politician
* Geoffrey Cox, British Conservative politician
* Geoffrey Dickens, British Conservative politician
* Geoffrey Howe, British Conservative politician and former Deputy Prime Minister

In history

* Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany, son of King Henry II of England and brother of King Richard and King John
* Geoffrey (archbishop of York), illegitimate son of King Henry II of England, Bishop of Lincoln and Archbishop of York
* Geoffrey (Dean of Lincoln), 12th-century English Roman Catholic priest
* Geoffrey of Monmouth, Welsh cleric and chronicler
* Geoffrey Norman Blainey, Australian historian and political commentator
* Gioffre Borgia, Prince of Squillace, illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI and brother of Lucrezia Borgia, Cesare Borgia and Giovanni Borgia
* Geoffrey Rudolph Elton, British historian of the Tudor period
* Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, founder of the House of Plantagenet

In other fields

* Geoffrey Beene (1927–2004), American fashion designer, born Samuel Albert Bozeman, Jr
* Geoff Dixon, Australian corporate executive
* Geoffrey Evans (1940-2012) English-born Irish serial killer
* Geoffrey C. Hazard Jr., American law professor
* Geoffrey Hinton, British computer scientist
* Geoffrey Langlands (1917–2019), British Army officer and educator
* Geoffroy Lejeune (born 1988), French journalist
* Geoff Lloyd, British radio DJ
* Geoffrey Ma, Chief Justice of Hong Kong
* Geoffrey Massey (1924–2020), Canadian architect and urban planner
* Geoff Morrell, American journalist and public affairs official
* Geoffrey Pleyers, Belgian sociologist and researcher
* Geoff Ramsey, American voice actor and film producer
* Geoffrey Russom, American philologist
* Geoffrey See, entrepreneur and startup ecosystem builder in North Korea

See also

* Galfrid
* Gofraid
* Godfrey
* Gottfried, Godefroy, Goffredo
* Jeffrey
* Jeffries, Jeffers

References

{{given name, Geoffrey

English masculine given names
French masculine given names
Lists of people by given name

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