George (given name)

George

St. George depicted slaying a dragon

Pronunciation| English: /ˈdʒɔːrdʒ/ JORJ
Gender| Male
Name day| April 23
Origin
Meaning| farmer
Region of origin| Ancient Greece
Other names
Nickname(s)| Geo, Geordie
Related names| Georges, Georginio, Georgios, Georgius, Gheorghe, Giorgio, Göran, Geevarghese/Varghese, Gjergj György, Jerzy, Jorge, Joris, Jörg, Jörgen, Jørgen, Jørn, Jüri, Jurgis, Jurģis, Jürgen, Jurij, Juris, Örjan, Ørjan, Sjors, Yegor, Yrjö, Jyrki, Jyri, Yuri/Yury, Uri/Ori, Đorđe, Đurađ, Jiří
George Washington, the first president of the United States

George (English: /ˈdʒɔːrdʒ/) is a masculine given name derived from the Greek Georgios (Γεώργιος; Ancient Greek: [ɡeɔː́rɡi.os], Modern Greek: [ʝeˈorʝi.os]).[1][2][3] 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.[4][5] 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

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### Etymology and origins

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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.[6] 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

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#### In other languages

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* Albanian: Gjergj, Gjorgj, Xhorxh, Jorgji
* Amharic: Giorgis (ጊዮርጊስ)
* Arabic: Jirjīs (جرجيس), Jirjis (جرجس), Jawrj (جورج)
* Egyptian Arabic: Gerges (جرجس), Girgis (جرجس)
* Palestinian Arabic: Jiryes (جريس)
* Aragonese: Chorche
* Aramaic: Gewargis (ܓܝܘܪܓܝܣ), Gevargis, Gaggi (diminutive), Gaggo (diminutive), Givo (diminutive)
* Armenian: Gevorg (Գևորգ), Kevork (Western)
* Aromanian: Yioryi, Ioryi, Yoryi
* Asturian: Xurde
* Azerbaijani: Cərcis, Corcius, Corc
* Basque: Gorka, Jurgi, Urtzi
* Belarusian: Hieorhiy (Георгій), 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)
* Czech: Jiří
* Chechen language: Георгий (Gеorgiy)
* Danish: Jørgen, Jørn
* Dutch: Joris, Juriaan/Juriaen (archaic spelling), Joren, 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, Jockel (diminutive), Jörg, Jörgen, Jürgen, Schorsch
* Greek: Geórgios (Γεώργιος) (Modern), Geṓrgios (Γεώργιος) (Koine), Tzortz (Τζορτζ) (English)
* Hindi: Jorj (जॉर्ज)
* Hungarian: György
* Icelandic: Georg
* Indonesian: Georgius, George
* Irish: Seóirse (also Seoirse)
* Italian: Giorgio, Giorgino (diminutive), Gino (diminutive)
* Japanese: Jōji (じょうじ、ジョージ)
* Korean: Jo-ji (조지)
* Kanuri language: Jorji
* Kurdish Language: Gurc
* Latin: Georgius
* Latgalian language: Jurs
* Latvian: Georgijs, Georgs, Jurģis, Juris
* Lithuanian: Georgijus, Jurgis
* Limburgish language: Jorge.
* Macedonian: Gjorgji (Ѓорѓи), Gjorgje (Ѓорѓе), Gjorgjija Ѓорѓија (Gjorgjija), Gjoko (Ѓоко)
* Malayalam: Geevarghese (ഗീവര്ഗീസ്) (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
* Occitan language: Jòrdi
* Persian: Jurjis (جرجیس)
* Polish: Jerzy, Jur, Jurek, (diminutive), Juras (diminutive)
* Portuguese: Jorge
* Romanian: George, Gheorghe, Georgiu
* Russian: Георгий (Gheorghy) with diminutives Гога (Goga), Жора (Zhora) and Гоша (Gosha), Юрий (Yury) with diminutive Юра (Yura) and Егор (Yegor).
* Samoan: Siaosi
* Scots: Dod, Doddie
* Scottish Gaelic: Deòrsa, Seòras
* Serbo-Croatian: Đorđe (Ђорђе), Đorđo (Ђорђо), Đukan (Ђукан), Đurađ (Ђурађ), Đurđe (Ђурђе), Đoko (Ђоко), Đoka (Ђока), Đuro (Ђуро), Đura (Ђура), Georgije (Георгије), Juraj (Јурај), Jure (Јуре), Jurica (Јурица)
* 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
* Uzbek language: Jorj
* Venetian: Xorxi, Zorzi
* Vietnamese: Giorgiô
* Waray language: Jorge
* Welsh: Siôr

#### Feminine forms

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* Bulgarian: Gergana (Гергана)
* Albanian: Jorgjia, Jorgjica, Gjeorgjina, Gjorgjina, Xheorxhina, Xhorxhina
* Czech: Jiřina
* Dutch: Georgina, Jorien[7]
* English: Georgeanna, Georgann, Georgia, 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
* Polish: Georgina
* Portuguese: Jorgina
* Romanian: Georgeta, Georgiana
* Spanish: Georgina, Jorgelina
* Turkish: Yorgiya

## People with the given name

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### Late antiquity to early medieval

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See also: King George (disambiguation) and Prince George (disambiguation)

* 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

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* 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

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See: All pages with titles beginning with George

* George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence (1449–1478)
* Giorgio Cornaro (1452–1527)
* György Dózsa (1470–1514)
* George, Duke of Saxony (1471–1539)
* George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford (1504–1536), Tudor poet and diplomat, brother of Queen Anne Boleyn
* 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)
* George D. Chryssides (born 1945), British academic
* 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 Gewinner (1814–1894), German-born American bandmaster
* 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 Ceara (1880/1881–1939), Aromanian poet and prose writer
* 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 Cecil Horry (1907–1981), British-born New Zealand tailor, confidence trickster and convicted murderer
* 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 Rajapaksa (1926–1976), Sri Lankan Sinhala politician
* George Wilfred Rajapaksha (1917-1999), Sri Lankan military officer and educationist
* George Christopher Rambukpotha (1884-1943), Sri Lankan Sinhala lawyer and politician, representative for Bibile in the 1st and 2nd State Council of Ceylon
* 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 Mallen (born 1939), English computer arts businessman
* George Harrison (1943–2001), lead guitarist of the Beatles
* 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
* George Ragan (born 1981/82), better known by his stage name "Johnny 3 Tears", American musician
* George Sharswood (1810-1883), American politician and judge
* George Timotheou (born 1997), Australian footballer
* George William Arnold, American telecoms protocol engineer
* George Emil Palade (1912-2008), Romanian-American cell biologist
* George "Babe" Ruth (1895-1948), American baseball player

## Fictional characters

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* Big George, a character in the 1991 American comedy-drama Fried Green Tomatoes
* Curious George, fictional monkey who is the title character in the Curious George franchise
* 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 Cooper Sr. and George "Georgie" Cooper Jr, both characters in Young Sheldon . Georgie also appears in The Big Bang Theory and the upcoming show Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage .
* George Costanza, a character in the television series Seinfeld
* 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 P. Mandrake (formerly known as Barnyard Dawg), a character from the Looney Tunes franchise
* George Roper, one of the two main characters in the British sitcom George and Mildred
* George Stoody, one of the two main characters in the American sitcom television series George and Leo
* George Taylor, the main character in the American film Planet of the Apes
* George Pig, a 2-year-old pig and Peppa's younger brother in the British show Peppa Pig
* George Beard, a character in Captain Underpants
* George Kirrin, a character from The Famous Five
* George Liquor, a character created by John Kricfalusi
* George Lundgren, a character in the Arthur book and television series
* George Papadopolis and George "Papa" Papadopolis, characters in the American sitcom television series Webster
* George the Steamroller, a character from Thomas & Friends
* the title character of the animated television program George of the Jungle
* the title character of the American animated television series George Shrinks
* the title character of the TV series George Lopez

## See also

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* All pages with titles beginning with George
* George Osborn (disambiguation)
* Georg (disambiguation)
* George (disambiguation)
* George (surname)
* Georgeanna
* Georgeson
* Georgiev
* Georgievski
* Georgios
* Giorgos
* Saint George (disambiguation)
* Georgia (disambiguation)
* Geordie

## References

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1. ^ Greek Names in English Archived January 4, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, Lexicon of Greek Personal Names, Oxford University
2. ^ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name George". Behind the Name. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
3. ^ γεωργ-ός, γεωργ-έω in Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon.
4. ^ Jan N. Bremmer, Andrew Erskine, The Gods of Ancient Greece: Identities and Transformations, p. 104, Edinburgh University Press, 2010
5. ^ Michael York,Pagan Theology: Paganism As A World Religion, p. 132, NYU Press, 2005
6. ^ J.F. Boissonade, Herodiani partitiones (= Ἐπιμερισμοί, e codd. Paris. 2543 + 2570). London, 1819 (repr. Amsterdam: Hakkert, 1963), 172. Τὰ διὰ τοῦ ιος προπαροξύτονα ὀνόματα, κύριά τε καὶ ἐπίθετα, καὶ ἀπὸ τόπου λαμβανόμενα, διὰ τοῦ ἰῶτα γράφονται· κύρια μέν· οἷον· Γεώργιος· Δημήτριος· Ἀμμώνιος· ἐπίθετα δέ· οἷον· ἅγιος· κύριος· ὅσιος· λόγιος· ἄξιος· καὶ τὰ λοιπά· ἀπὸ τόπου δὲ λαμβανόμενα· οἷον· Ῥόδιος· Κύπριος· Βυζάντιος· καὶ τὰ ὅμοια.
7. ^ "NVB - verklaring voornaam Jorien".

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