Contents [hide]

George History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Sources

George History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Belgium
England
Germany

Etymology of George

What does the name George mean?

The distinguished surname George is of German origin, meaning "son of George." The name is derived from the Greek "ge ergon," literally meaning "tiller of the soil" or "farmer." George was used as a first name throughout Europe during the Middle Ages due to the legendary dragon-slaying fame of St. George, and eventually came into use as a surname around the 12th century.

Early Origins of the George family

The surname George was first found in various regions of Germany; it is likely that several branches of the family emerged independently when hereditary surnames came into common use. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Everhardus filius Georgi, who was a resident of Hamburg in 1256. Every branch of the young George family was instrumental during this early period, each playing a major role in the development of the society of its particular region.

Early History of the George family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our George research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1256, 1471, 1559, 1585, 1588, 1611, 1656, 1811, 1868 and 1933 are included under the topic Early George History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

George Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Georg, George, Gurganus, Gürganus, Georgi, Giorges, Gorges, Georgeis, Jorge, Jurge, Jürge, Jörg, Gorgens, Görgens, Jürgen, Jurgen, Yerkes and many more.

Early Notables of the George family

Notables of the time with the name George included

John George I (1585-1656), Elector of Saxony from 1611 to 1656

George World Ranking

In the United States, the name George is the 230^th most popular surname with an estimated 114,402 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name George is ranked the 313^rd most popular surname with an estimated 14,128 people with that name. 2 And in France, the name George is the 568^th popular surname with an estimated 8,225 people with that name. 3 Australia ranks George as 177^th with 17,884 people. 4 New Zealand ranks George as 215^th with 2,654 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks George as 239^th with 24,762 people. 6 South Africa ranks George as 332^nd with 20,251 people. 7

George migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

George Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Griffeth George, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 8
John George, who landed in Virginia in 1632 8
Henry George, aged 19, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Assurance" 8
Jane George, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 8
William George, who arrived in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1637 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

George Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Rebecca George, who landed in Virginia in 1702 8
Jean George, who arrived in Louisiana in 1718 8
Joh Christoph George, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 8
Edmund George, who arrived in America in 1760 8
Francois George, who landed in South Carolina in 1763 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

George Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert George, who landed in America in 1806 8
Matthew George, who landed in America in 1810 8
M George, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 8
Martha George, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 8
Eliza George, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

George Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Joe George, who landed in Mississippi in 1903 8
Albert George, who arrived in Mississippi in 1905 8
Michael George, who arrived in Mississippi in 1905 8
Petro George, who arrived in Mississippi in 1913 8
John George, who landed in Alabama in 1928 8

George migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

George Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John George U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 461 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 9
Mr. William George U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Port Matoon Association 9
Mr. John George U.E. who settled in Ernest Town [Ernestown], Ontario c. 1784 9

George Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Samuel George, who landed in Canada in 1830
Isaac Lyman George, who landed in Canada in 1839

George Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

R George, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907
G George, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

George migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

George Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John George, (b. 1799), aged 15, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 8th August 1814, sentenced for life for stealing a watch and wearing apparel, transported aboard the ship "Northampton" in December 1814 to New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. John George, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. John George, (b. 1799), aged 16, Cornish gardener who was convicted in Cornwall, England for life for theft, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Walker George, (b. 1796), aged 22, Irish labourer who was convicted in Kilkenny, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 9th August 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1876 12
Mr. David George, (b. 1807), aged 19, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for life for felony, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 20th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1855 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

George migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

George Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas George, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
Mr. William George, (b. 1814), aged 27, British blacksmith travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand via Wellington on 7th November 1841 14
Mrs. Ann George, (b. 1815), aged 26, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand via Wellington on 7th November 1841 14
Miss Ann Bennett George, (b. 1834), aged 7, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand via Wellington on 7th November 1841 14
Miss Georgiana George, (b. 1836), aged 5, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand via Wellington on 7th November 1841 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

George migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 15

George Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Hubbard George, (b. 1619), aged 16, British settler travelling aboard the ship "The Dorset" arriving in Barbados in September 1635 16
John George, a servant sent from Bristol to Barbados in 1656
Elizabeth George, who settled in Barbados in 1659
Joseph George, aged 31, who landed in Barbados in 1683 8

Contemporary Notables of the name George (post 1700) +

Orlando J. George Jr. (1945-2024), American academic administrator and politician, Member of the Delaware House of Representatives (1974-1995)
J. Russell George (d. 2024), American attorney, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at the Internal Revenue Service from 2004 until his death in 2024
Matthew "Matt" George (1995-2021), American podcast host, known for his work on the podcast She Rates Dogs, he was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Los Angeles at the age of 26
Lloyd Dee George (1930-2020), American jurist, United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
Phyllis Ann George (1949-2020), American businesswoman, actress, and sportscaster, First Lady of Kentucky from 1979 to 1983, Miss America 1971
Mary Antonia "Mari" Hulman George (1934-2018), née Hulman, American philanthropist and business owner, Chairperson of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1988 to 2016
Camille "Bud" George (1927-2017), American politician, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1975-2012)
Jean Craighead George (1919-2012), American NewBerry Medal winning writer who authored over one hundred books for young adults, probably best known for her work On the Far Side of the Mountain
Lieutenant-General Harold Lee George (1893-1986), American Director of Information, Headquarters U.S. Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C. (1946) 17
Brigadier-General Harold Huston George (1892-1942), American Deputy Chief of Staff for Material and Logistics (A-4), Far East Air Force (1942) 18
... (Another 138 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the George family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Edward O De St George (b. 1922), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Jersey, Channel Islands, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 19

HMS Repulse

Mr. William R J George, British Petty Officer "A", who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 20

Monongah Mine

Mr. Albert George (b. 1884), American coal miner who was in mine 6 at the Monongah Mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died 21

Senghenydd colliery

Mr. Robert George (b. 1899), Welsh coal miner from Rhydyfelin, Pontypridd, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died 22

SS Atlantic

Mr. Richard George, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking

St. Francis Dam

Mr. William Randolph "Willie" George, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

USS Indianapolis

Gabriel Vincent George (1912-1989), American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he survived the sinking 23

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 5) Harold George. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/George/Harold_Lee/USA.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 5) Harold George. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/George/Harold_Huston/USA.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Monongah Mining Disaster retrieved on 8th August 2021. Retrieved from https://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/monongah.htm
Universal Colliery Senghenydd 1913 disaster retrieved 21st September 2019, retrieved from http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/deathrolls/SenghenyddDead1913.htm
Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew