George () is a male given name derived from the Greek name Georgios (; , ).Greek Names in English , Lexicon of Greek Personal Names, Oxford Universityγεωργ-ός, γεωργ-έω in Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon. It may have been a theophoric name, with origins in Zeus Georgos, an early title of the Greek god Zeus. In the fourth century, the name gained popularity due to its association with the Christian martyr, Saint George (died 23 April 303).Jan N. Bremmer, Andrew Erskine, The Gods of Ancient Greece: Identities and Transformations, p. 104, Edinburgh University Press, 2010Michael York,Pagan Theology: Paganism As A World Religion, p. 132, NYU Press, 2005 Its diminutives include Geordie and Georgie. Feminine forms in the Anglosphere are Georgia, Georgiana, Georgina and Georgine.
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.J.F. Boissonade, Herodiani partitiones (= Ἐπιμερισμοί, e codd. Paris. 2543 + 2570). London, 1819 (repr. Amsterdam: Hakkert, 1963), 172. 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 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.
Six British kings have been named George, with King George III nicknamed Farmer George by virtue of his practical interests which aptly refers back to the etymology of Zeus the Farmer. The US state of Georgia was named for King George II but the Caucasian country 'Georgia' is probably derived from the Persian for 'wolf'- gurj Hock, Hans Henrich; Zgusta, Ladislav (1997). Historical, Indo-European, and Lexicographical Studies. Walter de Gruyter. p. 211. ISBN 978-3-11-012884-0, assimilated with the Christian Saint George.
Forms
In other languages
Avar: Георгий (Georgij), Джордж (Džordž) Abkhazian: Гьаргь (G’arg’), Џьорџь (J’orj’) Albanian: Gjergj, Gjorgj, Xhorxh, Jorgji Amharic: Giorgis (ጊዮርጊስ) Arabic: Jirjīs (), Jirjis (), Jawrj () Egyptian Arabic: Gerges (), Girgis () 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 Coptic: Georgios (Ⲅⲉⲟⲣⲅⲓⲟⲥ), Girgis (Ⲅⲓⲣⲅⲓⲥ) Czech: Jiří Chechen: 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) Kanuri: Jorji Kurdish: Gurc Latin: Georgius Latgalian: Jurs Latvian: Georgijs, Georgs, Jurģis, Juris Lithuanian: Georgijus, Jurgis Limburgish: Jorge. 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 Manx: Shorys Māori: Hori Monegasque: Giorgi Norman: Jore Norwegian: Georg, Jørn, Ørjan, Jørgen Occitan: 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 Syriac: Gīwargīs (ܓܹܝܘܲܪ) 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), Yurii, Yuriy, Yuri (Юрій) Upper Sorbian: Jurij Uzbek: Jorj Venetian: Xorxi, Zorzi Waray: Jorge Welsh: Siôr
Feminine forms
Bulgarian: Gergana (Гергана), Георгия Albanian: Jorgjia, Jorgjica, Gjeorgjina, Gjorgjina, Xheorxhina, Xhorxhina Catalan: Jordina Czech: Jiřina Dutch: Georgina, Jorien 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 Maltese: Ġorġa Polish: Georgina Portuguese: Jorgina Romanian: Georgeta, Georgiana Spanish: Georgina, Jorgelina Turkish: Yorgiya
People
Rulers and aristocrats Ordered chronologically where feasible. King George (disambiguation) Prince George (disambiguation) George I (disambiguation) George II (disambiguation) George III (disambiguation) George IV (disambiguation) George V (disambiguation) George VI (disambiguation) George VII (disambiguation) George VII (disambiguation) George (Ongud king) (c. 1250–1298/1299), king of the Ongud and an official of the Yuan dynasty George, Emperor of Trebizond (c. 1255–after 1284) George VIII of Georgia (1415/1417–1476), King of Georgia and, as George I, King of Kakheti George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence (1449–1478) George, Duke of Saxony (1471–1539) George, Duke of Coimbra (1481–1550), Portuguese Infante, natural son of King John II of Portugal George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford (1504–1536), Tudor poet and diplomat, brother of Anne Boleyn George of Lencastre, 2nd Duke of Aveiro (1548–1578) George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, better known as Lord Byron (1788–1824), English author
Religious figures
Saint George of Lydda (died 303), Christian Martyr and Roman soldier
George of Laodicea (died 347), ancient Roman bishop of Laodicea George of Cappadocia (died 361), ancient Roman bishop of Alexandria George of Izla (died 615), East Syriac martyr, theologian and interpreter Patriarch George I of Alexandria (), Greek Orthodox Greek Patriarch of Alexandria George I of Constantinople (died 686), Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and Eastern Orthodox saint George II of Antioch, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch (691–702) George of Beltan (758–790), Patriarch of Antioch and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church George Syncellus (died after 810), Byzantine chronicler and ecclesiastical official George Choiroboskos, early 9th-century Byzantine grammarian and deacon George Hamartolos, 9th-century Byzantine monk George II of Armenia, Catholicos of the Apostolic Armenian Church (877–897) Patriarch George II of Alexandria, Greek Patriarch of Alexandria (1021–1052) George of Chqondidi (died c. 1118), Archbishop of Chqondidi and advisor to King David IV of Georgia George II of Constantinople (died 1198), Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople George Beseb'ely (1595–1670), Maronite Patriarch of Antioch George (archbishop of Cyprus) (born 1949), Eastern Orthodox Archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus George of Antioch (disambiguation), various clergymen from the 9th to the 19th centuries
Others
Pre-modern world George of Cyprus (geographer), Greek Byzantine geographer of the early seventh century George of Pisidia, 7th-century Byzantine poet George of Resh'aina, 7th-century Syriac historian George of Antioch (c. 1080–1151 or 1152), court official and admiral in the Norman Kingdom of Sicily George Akropolites (1217 or 1220–1282), Byzantine Greek diplomat, military leader and historian George Sphrantzes (1401–c. 1478), Byzantine Greek historian and Imperial courtier George of Trebizond (1395–1486), Byzantine Greek philosopher, scholar and humanist
Modern world
A
George Abbey (disambiguation) George Abbott (disambiguation) George Abell (disambiguation) George Abercromby (disambiguation) George Abraham (disambiguation) George Ackerman (disambiguation) George Acworth (disambiguation) George Adams (disambiguation) George Addison (disambiguation) George Affleck (disambiguation) George Agar (disambiguation) George Agnew (disambiguation) George Ainslie (disambiguation) George Aitken (disambiguation) George Albert (disambiguation) George Alexander Albrecht (businessman) (1834–1898), German cotton merchant and philanthropist George Alexander Albrecht (1935–2021), German conductor and composer, great-grandson of the above George Albright (disambiguation) George Alcorn (disambiguation) George Alden (disambiguation) George Alderink (1889–1977), American businessman and politician George Aldridge (disambiguation) George Alexander (disambiguation) George Allan (disambiguation) George Allen (disambiguation) George Allman (disambiguation) George Allsopp (disambiguation) George Altman (disambiguation) George Alvarez (disambiguation) George Anderson (disambiguation) George Andrews (disambiguation) George Angus (disambiguation) George Anson (disambiguation) George Anthony (disambiguation) George Appo (1856–1930), American pickpocket and fraudster George Arbuthnot (disambiguation) George Archer (disambiguation) George Archibald (disambiguation) George Ariyoshi (1926–2026), American lawyer and politician George Armstrong (disambiguation) George Armitage (disambiguation) George Armitstead (disambiguation) George Armytage (disambiguation) George Arnold (disambiguation) George Arthur (disambiguation) George Ashburnham (disambiguation) George Ashby (disambiguation) George Ashe (disambiguation) George Ashman (disambiguation) George Atherton (disambiguation) George Atkins (disambiguation) George Atkinson (disambiguation) George Auchinleck (disambiguation) George Austen (disambiguation) George Austin (disambiguation) George Avery (disambiguation)
B
George Babb (disambiguation) George Babcock (disambiguation) George Bacon (disambiguation) George Badger (disambiguation) George Baer (disambiguation) George Bagby (disambiguation) George Bagley (disambiguation) George Bagration (disambiguation) George Bailey (disambiguation) George Baillie (disambiguation) George Bain (disambiguation) George Baines (disambiguation) George Baird (disambiguation) George Baker (disambiguation)