George (English)
Where does "George" come from?
The name George originates from the Ancient Greek word 'geōrgos,' a compound meaning 'farmer' or 'earth-worker' formed from 'ge' (earth) and 'ergon' (work). It entered English via the Latin form 'Georgius' and the Middle English 'George.' While famously a saint’s name, it also evolved over time to serve as slang for everything from airplane autopilots to Pullman porters.
Full etymology tree
- George (English), 'An English and Welsh surname originating as a patronymic.'
- inherited George (Middle English)
- inherited Geōrgius (Latin), 'a male given name from Ancient Greek, equivalent to English George'
- borrowed Γεώργιος (Geṓrgĭos) (Ancient Greek), 'a male given name, equivalent to English George'
- derived γεωργός (geōrgós) (Ancient Greek), 'tilling the ground'
- compound γεω- (geō-) (Ancient Greek), 'combining form of γῆ (gê): geo-'
- derived γῆ (gê) (Ancient Greek), 'land, earth'
- compound ἔργον (érgon) (Ancient Greek), 'work, labour, task'
- inherited *wérǵom (Proto-Indo-European), 'work'
- suffix -ος (-os) (Ancient Greek), 'Added to verbal roots to form an o-grade action noun.'
- inherited *-os (Proto-Indo-European), 'Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs.'
- compound γεω- (geō-) (Ancient Greek), 'combining form of γῆ (gê): geo-'
- suffix -ιος (-ios) (Ancient Greek), 'Suffix added to nouns or adjectives, forming adjectives: pertaining to, belonging to ("of").'
- inherited *-yós (Proto-Indo-European), 'Creates adjectives from noun stems.'
- derived γεωργός (geōrgós) (Ancient Greek), 'tilling the ground'
- borrowed Γεώργιος (Geṓrgĭos) (Ancient Greek), 'a male given name, equivalent to English George'
- inherited Geōrgius (Latin), 'a male given name from Ancient Greek, equivalent to English George'
- inherited George (Middle English)
Direct ancestors
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris