The Jersey breed originates from the Island of Jersey, a small British Crown Dependency located approximately 15 miles from the coast of France. The exact geographic and genetic origins of the breed are not known; however, the Island’s population of cattle has existed as a distinct purebred population since a ban on the importation of foreign cattle into Jersey which lasted nearly 200 years, from 1789 to 2008. The Island population remains closely protected with strict regulations on the import of foreign cattle genetics into Jersey.

Today the reach of the Jersey extends well beyond the Island itself. Jersey cattle have been exported internationally since the 1700s, with the first recorded sale into South Africa occurring in 1877. The Jersey is now the second most populous breed of dairy cow, found in over 100 countries worldwide. Distinct high-quality populations of Jersey cattle exist in the United Kingdom, Ireland, USA , Canada, Denmark, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, amongst others.