Jef

Jef is a Dutch short form of Jeffrey or Jozef, drawing on two distinct roots depending on which full name it abbreviates. When derived from Jeffrey, it traces back through Norman French to a Germanic name whose elements are debated but may include elements meaning territory or traveler combined with peace. When understood as a reduction of Jozef, it connects to the Hebrew Yosef, meaning he will add or God will increase, borne by the biblical patriarch Joseph. Related forms include Jeff, Jeffrey, Josef, and Joseph.