Contents [hide]

Georges History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Georges History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland
Scotland

The name Georges is tied to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England. It comes from the given name of the father and was typically denoted as "the son of George." The personal name George was originally derived from the Greek word which means someone who was a farmer or someone who worked the land. 1

Another source claims a Norman influence as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Richard and William de St. Georgio in Normandy as well as Robert, William, Ralph de St. Georgio were listed there 1180-1195. 2

Interestingly, one source notes the variant Georges was of some note, particularly in Ireland: "Of the family planted by the Georges of Hastings, branches spread over the counties of Hertford, Dorset, Somerset, and Wilts. In the last named shires it was seated at Longford, and possessed so influential a position, that Sir Edward Georges, of Longford, obtained a baronetcy in 1612, and was afterwards raised to the peerage of Ireland, as Baron Georges, of Dundalk. " 3

The Charge variant is derived from "Gardge, Gordge, Gorges, or Gaurges, from Gaurges in the Cotentin. Ralph de Gorges married the heiress of Morville, and acquired her estates in Dorset. Raoulde Gorges, married an heiress of Morville, and had the manors of Wraxall and Bradpole, cos. Dorset and Somerset, and was sheriff of Devonshire." 4 2 "The chateau de Gorges, one of whose lords was at the battle of Hastings, stands in the parish of the same name, in the canton of Periers, department of La Manche, Normandy." 4

Early Origins of the Georges family

The surname Georges was first found in Dorset where it is noted as a somewhat rare name in mediaeval records. The popularity of the name increased during the Crusades which brought more contact with the Orthodox Church. St. George, who slew his famous dragon in 303 A.D., may have inspired the use of this name.

In 1348, Edward III founded the Order of the Garter under the patronage of St. George and by 1415, a yearly festival was set in place that continues today. Today, St. George is considered the patron saint of England.

One of the first records was Hugo filius Georgii who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1222 in Norfolk. 5

By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name was scattered throughout ancient England and Wales. Those rolls listed: Robert Gorge in Oxfordshire; William Gorge in Cambridgeshire; and Jeorgius Clericus in Lincolnshire. 6

Guppy notes the "name at present most numerous in Monmouthshire, and after that in South Wales. Bare in the south coast counties, excepting Cornwall, and in the north of England, north of the Wash and the Dee." 7

Further to the north in Scotland, the name appeared later as "it was a not uncommon surname in Prestwick in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Archibald George appears as burgess and councillor of Irvine, 1597." 8

Early History of the Georges family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Georges research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1412, 1471, 1511, 1566, 1594, 1625, 1626, 1640, 1644, 1647, 1674, 1677, 1678, 1690, 1700, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Georges History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Georges Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Georges has undergone many spelling variations, including George, Gorge, Gorges, Georgeson and others.

Early Notables of the Georges family

Distinguished members of the family include John George (1594-1677), an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1626 and 1678.Sir Ferdinando Gorges (1566?-1647), was an "English naval and military commander, Governor of Plymouth, the 'Father of English Colonisation in America,' of a family said to have been settled in Somersetshire from the time of Henry I, and holding estates in the parish of Wraxall from the time of Edward II, was the younger son of Edward Gorges of Wraxall." 9Sir Arthur Gorges (d. 1625), was an...
Another 93 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Georges Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Georges Ranking

In the United States, the name Georges is the 10,501^st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 10 However, in France, the name Georges is ranked the 201^st most popular surname with an estimated 16,958 people with that name. 11

Migration of the Georges family to Ireland

Some of the Georges family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Georges migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Georges were among those contributors:

Georges Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Sir Ferdinando Georges, who arrived in New England in 1631 12

Georges Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Michael Georges, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1752 12

Georges Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Georges, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 12
P Georges, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1854 12

Georges migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Georges Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Jacques Georges, who landed in Montreal in 1655

Contemporary Notables of the name Georges (post 1700) +

Gigi Georges, American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for New York, 1992 13
Marvie Elton Georges CMG OBE (1943-2018), British Virgin Islander politician and businessman, Deputy Governor of the British Virgin Islands (1983-2003) and (2007-2008)
General Alphonse-Joseph Georges (1875-1951), French Member of French Committee for National Liberation (1942-1945) 14
Anna Georges Eshoo (b. 1942), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Democratic National Committee from California, 1980-92; U.S. Representative from California 14th District, 1993-; Defeated, 1988 15
Patrick Georges Pillay, Seychellois politician, former Minister of External Affairs of the Seychelles and Minister of Health
Jean Georges Grenier, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 16
Jean Georges Fruhinsholz, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 17
Jean Georges Edighoffen, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 18
Eymard Georges Corbin (b. 1934), retired Canadian Senator, Member of Parliament for Madawaska-Victoria (1968-1984)
René Georges Drolet (b. 1944), Canadian former professional ice hockey centre

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 5) Alphonse-Joseph Georges. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Georges/Alphonse-Joseph/France.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 30) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 6) Jean Grenier. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 5) Jean Fruhinsholz. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 4) Jean Edighoffen. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html