George (given name)

George (given name)
George is a masculine given name derived from the Greek Georgios. The name gained popularity due to its association with the Christian martyr, Saint George (died 23 April 303), a member of the Praetorian Guard who was sentenced to death for his refusal to renounce Christianity, and prior to that, it might have been a theophoric name, with origins in Zeus Georgos, an early title of the Greek god Zeus. Today, it is one of the most commonly used names in the Western world, though its religious significance has waned among modern populations. Its diminutives are Geordie and Georgie, with the former being limited primarily to residents of England and Scotland. The most popular feminine forms in the Anglosphere are Georgia, Georgiana, and Georgina.
History
Etymology and origins
Its original Greek form, Georgios, is based on the Greek word georgos (γεωργός), 'farmer'. The word georgos itself is ultimately a combination of two Greek words: ge (γῆ), 'earth, soil' and ergon (ἔργον), 'work'. Aelius Herodianus (fl. 2nd century AD), a Roman-era Greek grammarian and writer, determined Georgios to be a theophoric name, or a name created to honor a deity, a nod to Zeus Georgos, or "Zeus the Farmer" in English. In the early stages of Greek mythology, before Zeus took on a major role in the Greek pantheon as ruler of all the gods and goddesses, he was sacrificed to as an agricultural god, a patron of crops and harvests. The name took on religious significance to followers of Early Christianity in 303 with the supposed martyrdom of Georgios, a Roman soldier of Greek heritage. While the story's historical accuracy is subject to debate, his character took on real importance to the Christian Church, with Georgios and its variants being used as baptismal names and by religious officials and Christian monarchs, though it did not become common among the laity until after the Middle Ages.
Forms
In other languages
Albanian: Gjergj, Gjorgj, Xhorxh, Jorgji
Amharic: Giorgis (ጊዮርጊስ)
Arabic: Jirjīs, Jirjis, Jawrj
Egyptian Arabic: Gerges, Girgis
Palestinian Arabic: Jiryes (جريس)
Aragonese: Chorche
Armenian: Gevorg (Գևորգ), Kevork (Western)
Aramaic: Gewargis (ܓܝܘܪܓܝܣ), Gevargis, Gaggi (diminutive), Gaggo (diminutive), Givo (diminutive)
Asturian: Xurde
Basque: Gorka, Jurgi, Urtzi
Belarusian: Yury (Юры), Yurka (Юрка) (diminutive)
Breton: Jor, Jord
Bulgarian: Georgi (Георги)
Catalan: Jordi
Chinese: Qiáozhì (乔治 in Simplified Chinese or 喬治 in Traditional Chinese) (Modern), Kuòlǐjísī (阔里吉思 in Simplified Chinese or 闊里吉思 in Traditional Chinese) (Medieval)
Cantonese: 佐治 (zo2 zi6 in Jyutping)
Coptic: Georgios (Ⲅⲉⲟⲣⲅⲓⲟⲥ), Girgis (Ⲅⲓⲣⲅⲓⲥ)
Croatian: Đuro, Juraj, Jure, Jurica
Czech: Jiří
Danish: Jørgen, Jørn
Dutch: Joris, Juriaan/Juriaen (archaic spelling), Sjors
English: Geordie (diminutive), George, Georgie (diminutive)
Estonian: Georg, Jüri, Jürgen
Faroese: Jørundur
French: Georges
Finnish: Jori, Jyri, Jyrki, Yrjänä, Yrjö
Frisian: Jurjen
Galician: Xurxo
Georgian: Gio (გიო) (diminutive), Giorgi (გიორგი), Gia (გია) (diminutive), Goga (გოგა) (diminutive), Gogi (გოგი) (diminutive)
German: Georg, Jirka, Jockel (diminutive), Jörg, Jörgen, Jürg, Jürgen, Jurian, Schorsch
Greek: Geórgios (Γεώργιος) (Modern), Geṓrgios (Γεώργιος) (Koine), Tzortz (Τζορτζ) (English)
Hindi: Jorj (जॉर्ज)
Hungarian: György
Icelandic: Georg
Irish: Seóirse (also Seoirse)
Italian: Giorgio, Giorgino (diminutive), Gino (diminutive)
Japanese: Jōji (じょうじ、ジョージ)
Korean: Jo-ji (조지)
Latin: Georgius
Latvian: Georgijs, Georgs, Jurģis, Juris
Lithuanian: Georgijus, Jurgis
Macedonian: Gjorgji (Ѓорѓи), Gjorgje (Ѓорѓе), Gjorgjija Ѓорѓија (Gjorgjija), Gjoko (Ѓоко)
Malayalam: Geevarghese (when referring to Saint George), Varghese (വര്ഗീസ്); Jorjj (ജോർജ്ജ്) (based on the English pronunciation)
Maltese: Ġorġ, Ġorġa
Manx: Shorys
Māori: Hori
Monegasque: Giorgi
Norman: Jore
Norwegian: Georg, Jørn, Ørjan, Jørgen
Persian: Jurjis (جرجیس)
Polish: Jerzy
Portuguese: Jorge
Romanian: George, Gheorghe, Georgiu
Russian: Georgiy (Георгий), Yuriy (Юрий), Yegor (Егор)
Samoan: Siaosi
Scottish Gaelic: Deòrsa, Seòras
Serbian: Đorđe (Ђорђе), Đorđo (Ђорђо), Đukan (Ђукан), Đurađ (Ђурађ), Đurđe (Ђурђе), Đoko (Ђоко), Đoka (Ђока), Đuro (Ђуро), Đura (Ђура), Georgije (Георгије)
Slovak: Juraj
Slovene: Jure, Jurij
Spanish: Jorge
Swedish: Georg, Göran, Jörgen, Jörn, Örjan
Tamil: Jārj (ஜார்ஜ்)
Thai: Čhort (จอร์จ; based on the English pronunciation), Yod (ยอด; a historical distorted interpretation of the name)
Tibetan: Rdorje (རྡོ་རྗེ།)
Tongan: Siaosi
Turkish: Cercis, Circis, Curcis, Yorgi, Gürcü,
Ukrainian: Heorhiy (Георгій), Yehor (Єгор), Yuriy (Юрій)
Upper Sorbian: Jurij
Venetian: Xorxi, Zorzi
Vietnamese: Giorgiô
Welsh: Siôr
Feminine forms
Bulgarian: Gergana (Гергана)
Albanian: Jorgjia, Jorgjica, Gjeorgjina, Gjorgjina, Xhorxhina
Czech: Jiřina
Dutch: Georgina, Jorien
English: Georgeanna, Georgeanne (also George Anne),Georgeana, Georgianna, Georgane, Georgann, Georgene, Georgenne, Georgenna, Georgia (also Jorja), Georgiana, Georgina, Georgie (diminutive), Gina (diminutive, also Geena), Georgette, Georenn
French: George, Georgette, Georgine, Gigi
Greek: Georgia (Γεωργία)
Hungarian: Györgyi, Györgyike (diminutive)
Italian: Giorgia, Giorgina (diminutive), Gina (diminutive)
Latin: Georgia
Portuguese: Jorgina
Romanian: Georgeta, Georgiana
Spanish: Georgina, Jorgelina
People with the given name
Late antiquity to early medieval
George of Laodicea (d. 347)
George of Cappadocia (d. 361)
Georgius Florentius, the birth name of Gregory of Tours (d. 594)
Giorgio (fl. 610), cardinal under Pope Honorius I
George of Izla (d. 615)
George of Cyprus (7th century)
George of Pisidia (7th century)
George of Resh'aina (7th century)
George I of Constantinople (d. 686)
Patriarch George of Antioch (758–790), Patriarch of Antioch and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church
George Syncellus (d. after 810)
George Choiroboskos (9th century)
George Hamartolos (d. 867)
George II of Armenia, Catholicos of Armenian Church (877–897)
High to late medieval
Georgius Tzul (fl. 1016)
Kingdom of Georgia
George I of Georgia (d. 1027)
George II of Georgia
George III of Georgia
George III of Imereti
George IV of Georgia
George V of Georgia
George VI of Georgia
George VII of Georgia
George VII of Imereti
George VIII of Georgia (George I of Kakheti, died 1476)
George I of Imereti (late 14th century)
George II of Kakheti (1464–1513)
George of Chqondidi (d. 1118)
Kievan Rus'
Yuriy Dolgorukiy (c. 1099 – 1157)
Yuri II of Vladimir (1189–1238)
Second Bulgarian Empire
George I of Bulgaria, Emperor of Bulgaria 1280–1292
George II of Bulgaria, Emperor of Bulgaria 1321–1322
Đurađ I Balšić (fl. 1362–78), Lord of Zeta
Đurađ II Balšić (1385–1403), Lord of Zeta
Đurađ Bogutović (fl. 1370–99), Serbian nobleman
Đurađ Branković (1377–1456), Serbian Despot
Đurađ Đurašević (fl. 1413–35), Serbian nobleman
Đurađ Crnojević (fl. 1489–1514), Lord of Zeta
George of Antioch (d. 1252)
George Akropolites (d. 1282)
George (Ongud king) (d. 1298/9)
Georgius Chrysococcas (fl. 1340s)
Medieval Albania
Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg (1405–1468), Albanian prince and national hero
Gjergj Arianiti (1383–1462), Albanian lord who led several campaigns against the Ottoman Empire
Gjergj Thopia (died 1392), medieval Albanian nobleman and the lord of Durrës between 1388 and 1392
Gjergj Pelini (died 1463), medieval Albanian Catholic priest and diplomat for Skanderbeg and Venice
George Sphrantzes (d. 1478)
George of Trebizond (d. 1486)
Renaissance to modern
See:
George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence (1449–1478)
Giorgio Cornaro (1452–1527)
György Dózsa (1470–1514)
George, Duke of Saxony (1471–1539)
Yury Ivanovich (1480–1536)
George, Duke of Coimbra (1481–1550), Portuguese Infante, natural son of King John II of Portugal
György Szondy (1500–1552)
Giorgio Basta (1540–1607)
George Weymouth (1585–1612), English explorer
George of Lencastre, 2nd Duke of Aveiro (1548–1578)
Giorgio Giorgicci (1614–1660)
Kingdom of Great Britain
George I of Great Britain (1660–1727)
George II of Great Britain (1683–1760)
United Kingdom
George III of the United Kingdom (1738–1820)
George IV of the United Kingdom (1762–1830)
George V of the United Kingdom (1865–1936)
George VI of the United Kingdom (1895–1952)
George Washington (1732–1799), 1st president of the United States (1789–97), and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, better known as Lord Byron (1788–1824), English author
George Nicholas Eckert (1802–1865), U.S. congressman
George Tyler Bigelow (1810–1878), chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
George Rex Graham (1813–1894), American magazine editor and publisher
George Meade (1815-1872), American Civil War general
Kingdom of Greece
George I (1845–1913)
George II (1890–1947)
George W. Melville (1841-1912), U.S. Navy rear admiral
George Deardorff McCreary (1846-1915), U.S. congressman
George Eastman (1854–1932), American entrepreneur and founder of the Eastman Kodak Company
George Howard Earle Jr. (1856-1928), American lawyer and businessman
George Alderink (1889-1977), American businessman and politician
George Alice (born Georgia Mannion; 2003), Australian singer-songwriter
George Appo (1856–1930), thief from New York City
George Eliot, a pen name for English writer Mary Ann Evans (1819–1880)
George B. McFarland (1866–1942), Thai physician
George Horace Lorimer (1867–1937), American editor of The Saturday Evening Post
George A. Hulett (1867–1955), American chemist
George Locke, (1870–1937), Canadian librarian
George A. Luxford (1876–1956), associate justice of the Colorado Supreme Court
George R. de Silva (1898–1968), Sri Lankan Sinhala politician
George Dudley (1894–1960), Canadian ice hockey administrator and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee
George Keyt (1901–1993), Sri Lankan painter
George Metesky (1903–1994), American bomber and terrorist
George Washington Vanderbilt III (1914–1961), American yachtsman and scientific explorer
George H. W. Bush (1924–2018), 41st president of the United States
George Krull (1925–1957), one half of a brother's criminal duo from Pennsylvania
George Christopher Rambukpotha (1884-1943), Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and politician, representative for Bibile in the 1st and 2nd State Council of Ceylon
George Rajapaksa (1926–1976), Sri Lankan Sinhala politician
George Stanich (born 1928), American high jumper
George Carlin (1937–2008), American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, and author
George H. Morris (born 1938), American equestrian
George Harrison (1943–2001), lead guitarist of the Beatles
George Cecil Horry (1907–1981), British-born New Zealand tailor, confidence trickster and convicted murderer
George W. Bush (born 1946), 43rd president of the United States; son of George H. W. Bush
George Clooney (born 1961), American actor, film producer, director, and activist
George Dario Franchitti (born 1973), Scottish racing driver
George Zidek (born 1973), Czech basketball player
George Floyd (1973–2020), American man murdered by police during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota
George Clanton, American electronic musician
George Mayienga, Kenyan basketball coach
George Robertson (born 1946), British politician
George Russell (born 1958), American thief and serial killer
George Hill (disambiguation), multiple people
George Michael (1963–2016), English pop singer, songwriter and philanthropist
George Seitz (1894–1976), American murder victim
George Simion (born 1986), Romanian activist and politician
George Piștereanu (born 1990), Romanian actor
George Felix Michel Melki (born 1994), Swedish-Lebanese footballer
George Russell (born 1998), English racing driver
Prince George of Wales (born 2013), second-in-line to the British throne
George Alfred Henry Wille (1871–1951), Sri Lankan Burgher proctor, notary public, journalist, and politician
George Winston (1949–2023), American pianist
George Formby (1904-1961), British entertainer
George Martin (1926-2016), English record producer known for being the Beatles’ producer
George Manuhu, judge of the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea
Fictional characters
George Bailey, the main character in the 1946 American Christmas supernatural drama movie It's a Wonderful Life
George Beard, fictional character from Captain Underpants
George Jetson, a character in the animated television series The Jetsons
George McFly, a character in the Back to the Future movie series
George Owens, a character from Mr. Belvedere
George Papadopoulos and George "Papa" Papadopoulos, Sr, characters in the American sitcom television series Webster
George Roper, one of the two main characters in the British sitcom George and Mildred
George Taylor, the main character in the American film Planet of the Apes
See also
George Osborn (disambiguation)
Georg (disambiguation)
George (disambiguation)
George (surname)
Georgeanna
Georgeson
Georgiev
Georgievski
Georgios
Giorgos
Saint George (disambiguation)
Georgia (disambiguation)
Geordie
References
Given names of Greek language origin
English masculine given names
Masculine given names
Romanian masculine given names