George peaked in 1921 at rank 4 and has spent the century since drifting steadily downward, landing at 124 in 2024. Almost 1.5 million American boys have been named George across SSA records. One of the highest cumulative totals of any name in the database. The chart shape tells the story of a name that ruled the early 20th century and has been gracefully aging ever since, with no fashion-driven crash and no comeback wave to interrupt the drift.
The Greek farmer and the British monarchy
George comes from the Greek Georgios, derived from georgos ("farmer" or "earth-worker"), itself from ge ("earth") and ergon ("work"). The historical anchor is Saint George (3rd-4th century), the dragon-slaying Christian martyr who became the patron saint of England, Portugal, Catalonia, Georgia (the country), and several other cultures. The April 23 feast of Saint George is still observed in much of Europe.
The British royal line carries six kings named George (1714-1952), and Prince George of Wales, born 2013 and third in line to the British throne, gave the name its most recent royal anchor. The 2013 birth coincided with the start of a small but visible British and American re-evaluation of the name, though the SSA chart movement remains modest.
The American thread
The American cultural footprint runs deep. George Washington (1732-1799) anchors the founding-fathers reference. George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush carried the name through two presidential administrations (1989-1993 and 2001-2009). Curious George (the children's book character, debuted 1941) gave the name a beloved childhood association.
The 1921 peak coincides with the late Edwardian and early interwar window when traditional Anglo-Christian names dominated American naming. Subsequent decades shifted toward shorter, more modern picks, and George slid steadily as part of that broader transition. The slide has been so gradual that it almost reads as a controlled descent rather than a fall.
The counter-reading
The honest concern with George is whether the name reads as charmingly retro or simply old. Britain has clearly moved into the charmingly-retro zone, where George remains a strong British pick, while American chart data shows the name is still drifting. The 2013 royal birth produced a soft bounce but no decisive reversal. Common pairings favour clean middles: George Edward, George Henry. The 1920s data shows George's original chart context. Parents weighing George often consider Henry for adjacent classical energy.