George
George is a masculine given name derived from the Greek name Georgios. 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. Today, it is one of the most commonly used names in the Western world.
Meaning & Origin of George
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
George is a masculine given name derived from the Greek name Georgios. 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. Today, it is one of the most commonly used names in the Western world.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of George
George first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 5,126 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 27,476 Georges were born — ranking #6 that year. As of 2026, George ranks #126 for baby boys with 2,821 births, gradually falling (-8%). In total, more than 1.5M Georges have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like George
Phonetically similar names — useful when George is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about George
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About the name George
George is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 1.5M births in the dataset. George's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #4. Use the chart and map above to compare George's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.