2000
#7,090
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,350
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.61
Rare Last name
Georges
A French toponymic surname derived from the personal name George, referring to numerous places in France called Saint-Georges.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,113 Americans carry the last name Georges. That puts it at #5,433 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,187 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Georges surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Georges with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 48,187
Census rank
#5,433
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,203 bearers of the surname Georges in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5433rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Georges, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.0%. The next largest groups are White (40.8%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Georges
The surname Georges originates from France, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the given name George, which in turn comes from the Greek name Georgios, meaning "earth-worker" or "farmer."
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Georges was Jean Georges, a merchant from the town of Reims, who lived in the 14th century. His name appears in records from the year 1352, indicating the surname's presence in the region during that time.
In the 15th century, the surname Georges appeared in the records of the town of Angers, in western France. A notable figure from this period was Guillaume Georges, a prominent lawyer and judge who served in the local court from 1472 to 1498.
The Georges surname also has a connection to the village of Saint-Georges, located in the Charente-Maritime region of southwestern France. It is possible that some individuals adopted the surname as a reference to their place of origin or residence.
During the 16th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Pierre Georges (1505-1583), a French philosopher and theologian. He was known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy, which influenced the intellectual discourse of his time.
In the 17th century, the Georges family produced a notable military figure, Jean-Baptiste Georges (1632-1707). He served as a lieutenant general in the French army and played a crucial role in several military campaigns during the reign of King Louis XIV.
Another significant individual bearing the surname Georges was Marie-François-Pierre Georges (1761-1846), a French politician and lawyer. He served as a deputy in the French National Assembly during the Revolutionary period and was a vocal advocate for civil liberties and legal reforms.
The 19th century saw the rise of Édouard Georges (1819-1889), a French sculptor and artist. His works, which included sculptures and architectural decorations, adorned several prominent buildings and monuments in Paris and other parts of France.
In the field of literature, the Georges surname is associated with Henri Georges (1876-1944), a French novelist and poet. His works often explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, earning him recognition as a significant figure in French literature of the early 20th century.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Georges throughout history, highlighting its widespread presence and significance across various fields and time periods in France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Georges
Among Census respondents with the surname Georges, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.0%. The next largest groups are White (40.8%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Georges bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Georges surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American51.0% · 3,166
- White40.8% · 2,529
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 290
- Two or more races2.5% · 157
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Georges
Georges appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,611
+1,261 bearers (+29.0%)
Per 100,000 1.90
Rank movement Up 981 places
2020
#5,433
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,203
+592 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 2.08
Rank movement Up 676 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,090 | 4,350 | 1.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,109 | 5,611 | 1.90 | +1,261 bearers (+29.0%) | Up 981 places |
| 2020 | #5,433 | 6,203 | 2.08 | +592 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 676 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Georges surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,109 | #5,433 | 11.1% |
| Count | 5,611 | 6,203 | 10.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.90 | 2.08 | 9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Georges bearers went from 5,611 to 6,203 (+10.6% change). The surname moved up 676 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,109 to #5,433.
FAQ
Georges surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Georges?
Name Census estimates that about 7,113 living Americans carry the surname Georges. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,187 residents.
How common is Georges?
Georges ranks #5,433 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,203 people with the surname Georges. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,113), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Georges.
Has Georges become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Georges went from 5,611 recorded bearers to 6,203. That is an increase of 592 (+10.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,109 to #5,433.
What does the Census say about the background of Georges?
Among Census respondents with the surname Georges, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.0%. The next largest groups are White (40.8%) and Hispanic (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Georges in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.0% (3,166 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Georges appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (51.0%), White (40.8%), Hispanic (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Georges (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Georges mean?
A French toponymic surname derived from the personal name George, referring to numerous places in France called Saint-Georges. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Georges (2.08 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Georges?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.