Jaffa

Associated with the famous band leader of the Second World War period, Max Jaffa, this is a surname which appears in the register of the diocese of Greater London from early in the reign of Queen Victoria. It appears to have the spellings of Jaffa, Jaffra and Jephs, and these suggest a derivation from the name Jeff(rey), often found as Jeff(s), or Geoffrey found as Geff(s), and both of French origins. However this is not proven, and we hesitate to make other suggestions without more proof. These personal names and later surnames originate from the pre 10th century Olde French name 'Geuffroi, introduced into England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The church register recordings taken from a sweep around Europe include those of Amelia Jaffa. She married Robert Bruce at St Katherines church, Coleman Street, in the city of London, on February 10th 1840, and Adriana Jaffra, who married Johannes Hessing at Gravenhage in the Netherlands, on May 20th 1754. The first known recording of the surname in any spelling may be that of Ralph Jeffe in the Hundred Rolls of the county of Worcester in England in 1275.