George

George is an English name derived from the Greek Γεώργιος (Georgios), from γεωργός (georgos), meaning “farmer” or “earthworker,” itself based on γῆ (ge, “earth”) and ἔργον (ergon, “work”). It is associated with Saint George, a 3rd-century Roman soldier from Cappadocia who was martyred under Diocletian and later became the subject of dragon-slaying legends and a popular figure in medieval art. Originally venerated mainly by Eastern Christians, his cult spread to Western Europe through the crusaders, and he became the patron of England, Portugal, Catalonia, and Aragon. The name was uncommon in England until the German-born George I took the British throne in the 18th century, after which five more British kings were named George. Notable bearers include two kings of Greece, George Frideric Handel, George Washington, and George Vancouver, and it was also used as a pen name by George Eliot and George Orwell. The name is likewise used by Christians in India, especially Saint Thomas Christians in Kerala, where it appears as ജോർജ്ജ് (Jōrjj).

George moved from #123 to #126 for boys between 2024 and 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 1921, with 27,476 births.