English:    from a Norman personal name that appears in Middle English as Geffrey and in Old French as Je(u)foi. Some authorities regard this as no more than a palatialised form of Godfrey, but early forms such as Galfridus and Gaufridus point to a first element from Germanic gala ‘to sing’ or gawi ‘region’, ‘territory’. It is possible that several originally distinct names have fallen together in the same form.

The Jeffrey family traces their ancestral roots back to Strathclyde Briton origin, and first appeared in ancient medieval record in Peebleshire. From very early on the Jeffrey family not only held lands and estates in the Scottish English Border Ridings but were also actively allied with other influential families. They also branched out into other territories and holdings, before taking the long voyage to the new world.

Through the centuries the JEFFREY family was affiliated with many different clans through marriage. The clan MACDONALD claims the JEFFREY family as a sept or directly affiliated family, entitled to clan rights including the use of the clan tartan.