George (given name)
Pronunciation | English: /ˈdʒɔːrdʒ/ JORJ Romanian: [ˈdʒe̯ordʒe] |
---|---|
Gender | Male |
Name day | April 23 |
Origin | |
Meaning | farmer |
Region of origin | Ancient Greece |
Other names | |
Related names | Georges, Georgios, Georgius, Gheorghe, Giorgio, Göran, György, Jerzy, Jorge, Joris, Jörg, Jörgen, Jørgen, Jørn, Jüri, Jurgis, Jurģis, Jürgen, Jurij, Juris, Örjan, Ørjan, Sjors, Yegor, Yrjö, Jyrki, , Yuri/Yury, Đorđe [Jiří] |
George (English: /ˈdʒɔːrdʒ/, Romanian: [ˈdʒe̯ordʒe]) is a masculine given name derived from the Greek Geōrgios (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, and its feminine forms, used in the Anglosphere, are Georgeanna, Georgeanne, Georgann, Georgene, Georgette, 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 of 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[]
In other languages[]
- Albanian: Gjergj, Gjorgj, Jorgji
- Amharic: Giorgis (ጊዮርጊስ)
- Arabic: Jirjīs (جرجيس), Jirjis (جرجس), Jawrj (جورج)
- Egyptian Arabic: Gerges (جرجس), Girgis (جرجس)
- 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)
- 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, Örjan
- Greek: Geórgios (Γεώργιος in ancient Greek pronounced geavergios see Aramaic and Armenian forms retaining the initial greek sound and in new greek as yeoryios) (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 (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 (ഗീവര്ഗീസ്) (when referring to Saint George), Varghese (വര്ഗീസ്); Jēārjj (ജോർജ്ജ്) (based on the English pronunciation)
- Maltese: Ġorġ, Ġorġa
- Manx: Shorys
- 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)
- Scottish Gaelic: Deòrsa, Seòras
- Serbian: Đorđe (Ђорђе), Đorđo (Ђорђо), Đukan (Ђукан), Đurađ (Ђурађ), Đurđe (Ђурђе), Đoko (Ђоко), Đoka (Ђока), Đuro (Ђуро), Đura (Ђура)
- Slovak: Juraj
- Slovene: Jure, Jurij
- Spanish: Jorge
- Swedish: Georg, Göran, Jörgen, Jörn, Örjan
- Tamil: Jārj (ஜார்ஜ்)
- Tibetan: Rdorje (རྡོ་རྗེ།)
- Turkish: Cercis, Circis, Curcis, Yorgi
- Ukrainian: Heorhiy (Георгій), Yehor (Єгор), Yuriy (Юрій)
- Venetian: Xorxi, Zorzi
- Vietnamese: Dũng
- Welsh: Siôr
Feminine forms[]
- Bulgarian: Gergana (Гергана)
- Albanian: Jorgjia, Jorgjica, Gjeorgjina, Gjorgjina, Xhorxhina
- Czech: Jiřina
- Dutch: Georgina, Jorien[7]
- English: Georgeanna, Georgeanne (also George Anne), Georgene, Georgia (also Jorja), Georgiana, Georgina, Georgie (diminutive), Gina (diminutive, also Geena)
- 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, 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)
- 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 1388-1392
- 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: 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)
- 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), Portuguese prince
- 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), first 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), US Congressman
- Kingdom of Greece
- George I (1845–1913)
- George II (1890–1947)
- George Alice (born Georgia Mannion; 2003), Australian singer-songwriter
- George Appo (1856-1930), a thief from New York City
- George Eliot, a pen name for English writer Mary Ann Evans (1819–1880)
- George Locke, (1870–1937), Canadian librarian
- George Dudley (1894–1960), Canadian ice hockey administrator and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee
- George Metesky (1903–1994), American bomber and terrorist
- George H. W. Bush (1924–2018), 41st President of the United States
- George Stanich (born 1928), American high jumper
- George H. Morris (born 1938), American equestrian
- George Harrison (1943–2001), lead guitarist of the Beatles
- George Krull (1925–1957), one half of a brother's criminal duo from Pennsylvania
- George W. Bush, 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 Keyt (1901–1993), Sri Lankan painter
- George Mayienga, Kenyan basketball coach
- George Felix Michel Melki (born 1994), Swedish-Lebanese footballer
- George Rajapaksa (1926-1976), Sri Lankan Sinhala politician
- George Robertson (born 1946), British politician
- George Waterfield Russell (born 1958), American thief and serial killer
- Prince George of Cambridge (born 2013), third-in-line to the British throne
- George Hill (disambiguation), multiple people
- George Washington Vanderbilt III (1914–1961), American yachtsman and scientific explore
- George Simion (born 1986), Romanian activist and politician
- George Michael (born 1963), English Pop Singer,Songwriter and Philanthropist.
See also[]
- All pages with titles beginning with George
- Georg (disambiguation)
- George (disambiguation)
- George (surname)
- Georgeanna
- Georgeson
- Georgiev
- Georgievski
- Georgios
- Giorgos
- Saint George (disambiguation)
- Georgia (disambiguation)
- Geordie
References[]
- ^ Greek Names in English, Lexicon of Greek Personal Names, Oxford University
- ^ Campbell, Mike. "Meaning, origin and history of the name George". Behind the Name. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
- ^ γεωργ-ός, γεωργ-έω in Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- ^ Jan N. Bremmer, Andrew Erskine, The Gods of Ancient Greece: Identities and Transformations, p. 104, Edinburgh University Press, 2010
- ^ Michael York,Pagan Theology: Paganism As A World Religion, p. 132, NYU Press, 2005
- ^ 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.
- ^ "NVB - verklaring voornaam Jorien".
- Given names
- Given names of Greek language origin
- English masculine given names
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