# Jeffery, Javier and Jaffar



## Outlandish

I love so much to find the etymological background of names. It came to my mind a long time ago that the Western name Jeffery and the Latin name Javier are similar to the Arabic name Jaffar which was common among the Muslims and Arabs of Andalus, Spain, long time ago.

In Arabic, Jaffar means a brook, or a river. Now I have the chance to ask if anyone has any idea about the origins of Javier and Jeffery, and how old they are. Were they recorded to have existed before the Muslim presence in Spain in the Middle ages? Does any one know for sure that they are a distortion of Jaffar?


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## Agró

*Javier* (pronounced [xaˈβjer]) is the Spanish spelling of the masculine name *Xabier*.
 The name has Basque roots, etymologically originating in the word _exaberri_ (_etxe berri_ in standard spelling, meaning "new house"). It has been phonetically influenced by Latin and has evolved along with other Castilian words. Other variations of this name includes *Xaverius*, *Xever*, *Javiero*, and *Saverio*. The feminine *Javiera*, *Saveria*, *Zaviera*, and *Saverina* are less common.
_Etxeberria_, _Echeverría_, _Echevarría_, _Etxebarri_, _Chávarri_ are other versions of the word, used as surnames.


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## miguel89

And here is the etymology of Geoffrey.


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## koniecswiata

Are you sure that the etymology is Basque and not via Latin?  It exists in German as "Xaver" and in Polish as "Ksawery" though that would just mean then that those languages have a name of Basque origin.


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## Epilio

It's a name of Basque origin that was expanded throughout the Christendom. There are many adaptations: 

    * Philippines Tagalog: Javier
    * Asturias Asturian: Xabel
    * Basque Country (autonomous community) Basque: Xabier
    * Catalonia Catalan Xavier
    * England English: Xavier (pronounced /ˈzeɪviər/)
    * France French: Xavier
    * Republic of Ireland Gaeilge: Savy
    * Galicia (Spain) Galician: Xavier
    * Germany German: Xaver (pronounced [ˈksaːfə])
    * Italy Italian: Saverio
    * Vatican City Latin: Xaverius
    * Castile and León Leonese: Xabiere
    * Poland Polish: Ksawery
    * Portugal Portuguese: Xavier
    * Russia Russian: Ксавьер (Ksaber)


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## koniecswiata

A good contribution by Basque then!  Thanks


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## pickypuck

Another variant of the name is Ja*b*ier. I haven't seen it in the list. That's why I point it out.

Cheers!


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## shawnee

I would need some confirmation, but I believe the Greek name Τζαφέρης - Tzaferis, is another variant. I would have thought it derived from Jaffar rather than Xavier.


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## apmoy70

shawnee said:


> I would need some confirmation, but I believe the Greek name Τζαφέρης - Tzaferis, is another variant. I would have thought it derived from Jaffar rather than Xavier.


Actually Τζαφέρης derives drom the Albanian/Arbanitic Xhafer and has no connection with Geoffrey.
The Greek variant of Xavier/Javier/Geoffrey is _Γοδεφρείγος_ (pron. ɣoðe'friɣos)

Edit: After a thorough search I realised that Γοδεφρείγος is the Greek rendering of Godfrey and not of Geoffrey. Javier/Xavier is translated as _Ιαβέρης_ (Ia'veris) in Greek.


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## shawnee

Thanks for that apmoy. Can we say then that Tzaferis < Xhafer is related to the Arabic < Jaffar?


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## rusita preciosa

Epilio said:


> Russia Russian: Ксавьер (Ksaber)


This name does not exist in Russian (only as a transliteration of the European name Xavier), and if it did, it would be pronounced [Ksavier] according to your spelling.

I also cannot think of any "russified" variations.


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## Abu Rashid

I'd just like to point out that "jaffar" is probably a mis-transliteration (most likely Disney is to blame for this).

The Arabic name is جعفر which would probably best be transliterated as jaafar. Since that second consonant doesn't exist in English it's hard to really explain how it's pronounced, but it's something like an 'a' sound, which I've therefore doubled, since there is also a vowel 'a' between the first and second consonant.

The 'f' is definitely not doubled though, that is just plain wrong, and more important in Arabic as it changes meaning, unlike in English.


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## apmoy70

shawnee said:


> Thanks for that apmoy. Can we say then that Tzaferis < Xhafer is related to the Arabic < Jaffar?


No, I do not think so, since Xhafer in Arbanitic & medieval Albanian means (if I' not mistaken) _steed, stallion_


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## shawnee

apmoy70 said:


> No, I do not think so, since Xhafer in Arbanitic & medieval Albanian means (if I' not mistaken) _steed, stallion_



I’m not sure how reliable the source is but at least one Greek surname source supports my speculation: http://greeksurnames.blogspot.com/search?q=Τζαφέρης attributing the Tzaferis part of the Karatzaferis surname to the Arabic Ja’far and refers to Ja’far al Sadik one of the infallible prophets and successors Muhammad.


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## apmoy70

shawnee said:


> I’m not sure how reliable the source is but at least one Greek surname source supports my speculation: http://greeksurnames.blogspot.com/search?q=Τζαφέρης attributing the Tzaferis part of the Karatzaferis surname to the Arabic Ja’far and refers to Ja’far al Sadik one of the infallible prophets and successors Muhammad.


Thanks for the link.
Well I wouldn't be surprised if indeed Xhafer and Ja'far are cognates since a large persentage of Albanians are Muslims and Arabic is the language of the Quran (though Bektashi Muslims, but that's a different story  )


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## Abu Rashid

> Ja’far al Sadik one of the infallible prophets and successors Muhammad.



Just a correction, Ja'far as-Sadiq is the cousin of Muhammad (pbuh), not his successor, nor a prophet.


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## shawnee

Thanks Abu Rashid,. I must have misread the source material. With apologies.


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## Outlandish

> Originally Posted by *apmoy70*
> 
> 
> No, I do not think so, since Xhafer in Arbanitic & medieval Albanian means (if I' not mistaken) _steed, stallion_





> I’m not sure how reliable the source is but at least one Greek surname source supports my speculation: http://greeksurnames.blogspot.com/search?q=Τζαφέρης attributing the Tzaferis part of the Karatzaferis surname to the Arabic Ja’far and refers to Ja’far al Sadik


Yes, Jaffar mainly means a brook, but one of its other meanings is a she-camel with a lot of milk in her udder,which might contribute to solving how the word was entered into the Arvantic language. A common horse name, however, is Jaffar, although I'm not sure it has been that common in earlier periods or is it just a modern thing.


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## Gilani.A

Abu Rashid said:


> Just a correction, Ja'far as-Sadiq is the cousin of Muhammad (pbuh), not his successor, nor a prophet.


Actually, Ja'fer as-Sadik/Sadiq is a scion of Prophet Muhammed. Not a prophet, but a successor through the line of Hasan and Hussain, 5 generations after the Prophet.  
The Ja'fer you're thinking of is most commonly known as Ja'fer Zul-janain (Ja'fer of Double wings) or Ja'fer at-Tayaar (Ja'fer the Flying one).
Though, the cousin could also be known as as-Sadik (the truthful), it's not a epithet given to him as it is to the Prophet great-grandson.


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## fdb

This question has been around for a long time, but has not yet been answered correctly. The English name Geoffrey, Jeffery etc. comes from French Godefrey, Geoffroy etc., which is of Germanic origin (modern German Gottfried, Götz). None of these is connected with the Spanish Xavier or with Arabic Jaʻfar. On the other hand, modern Greek Tzaferis is indeed from the Arabic, via Turkish Cafer.


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## WadiH

And where does Spanish 'Xavier' come from?


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## Quiviscumque

Wadi Hanifa said:


> And where does Spanish 'Xavier' come from?



Message #2 explains. It comes from a Basque toponym. Francisco de Jaso y Azpilicueta, called Francisco Javier form the name of its family castle,  is a very popular Catholic saint  (s. XVI). So the name "Francisco Javier" was given to many children and nowadays just "Javier".


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## Circunflejo

Epilio said:


> Castile and León Leonese: Xabiere


Leonese just in (parts of) León.


rusita preciosa said:


> I also cannot think of any "russified" variations.


As I can't write Russian with my keyboard, take a look at the Russian version of the Wikipedia page for Francis Xavier: Francis Xavier - Wikipedia (click on60 more and look for the Russian one).


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