The name George originates from the Greek word "georgos" which means farmer or earth-worker. It has been a popular name in many cultures for centuries.

The name first gained widespread use during the 4th century AD when it was borne by several early Christian saints and martyrs. The most famous of these was St. George, a Roman soldier who was tortured and executed for refusing to renounce his Christian faith. His legendary struggle against evil became deeply embedded in Christian folklore and hagiography.

In the Middle Ages, the name George became associated with ideals of chivalry, courage, and military prowess. It was a favored name among European nobility and royalty, including the famous St. George, the patron saint of England from the 12th century onwards.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name George dates back to the 6th century Byzantine emperor Georgios Maniakes. Other notable historical figures with this name include George I (1660-1727), the first Hanoverian king of Great Britain, and George Washington (1732-1799), the first president of the United States.

The name George has been borne by many other influential people throughout history, such as the composers George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) and George Gershwin (1898-1937), the writers George Orwell (1903-1950) and George Eliot (1819-1880, whose real name was Mary Ann Evans), and the physicists George Gamow (1904-1968) and George Smoot (born 1945), who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006.

Other famous Georges include the British explorer George Vancouver (1757-1798), after whom the Canadian city is named, the Irish satirist George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), and the American jazz musician George Benson (born 1943).