2000
#227
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119,778
First available Census row
Per 100,000 44.40
Common Last name
George
A patronymic surname derived from the Greek given name Georgios, meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 146,194 Americans carry the last name George. That puts it at #230 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 42.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,345 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the George 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 George with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
146K
1 in 2,345
Census rank
#230
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
42.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
127K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 127,488 bearers of the surname George in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 42.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 230th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname George, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of George
The surname George originated from the personal name George, which itself derived from the Greek name Georgios meaning "earth-worker" or "farmer". The name first appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, introduced by knights and retainers from France.
The earliest recorded spelling of the surname George is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as Georgi and Georgius. These entries refer to landholders in Cambridgeshire and Hampshire. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Georgs, Georgge, and George.
In the 12th century, the surname George was particularly prevalent in the south of England, especially in counties like Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. This may have been due to the influence of the St George's Cross, which became the national emblem of England during the Crusades.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname George was Sir John George, a knight who fought alongside Richard the Lionheart in the Third Crusade (1189-1192). Another notable figure was Robert George (c.1325-1392), a prominent merchant and alderman of London who served as Lord Mayor in 1376.
During the 15th century, the surname George was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where the George family of Sewerby held estates. One member of this family, Sir Robert George (1455-1522), served as a courtier to Henry VII and Henry VIII.
In Scotland, the surname George can be traced back to the 14th century, with records showing a John George who held lands in Aberdeenshire in the 1360s. The George family of Balgonie in Fife was also notable, with Andrew George (1575-1647) serving as Lord Bishop of Raphoe in Ireland.
Other prominent individuals with the surname George include Sir Edward George (1628-1692), a judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, and Sir Samuel George (1787-1828), a British naval officer who participated in the Napoleonic Wars.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for George
Among Census respondents with the surname George, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%).
The bar chart below shows how George 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 George surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White61.3% · 78,133
- Black or African American18.5% · 23,532
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.0% · 12,811
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5,350
- Two or more races3.9% · 4,922
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.1% · 2,740
Timeline
Historical Census data for George
George 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
#235
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128,625
+8,847 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 43.60
Rank movement Down 8 places
2020
#230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127,488
-1,137 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 42.65
Rank movement Up 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #227 | 119,778 | 44.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #235 | 128,625 | 43.60 | +8,847 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 8 places |
| 2020 | #230 | 127,488 | 42.65 | -1,137 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 5 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 George 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 | #235 | #230 | 2.1% |
| Count | 128,625 | 127,488 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 43.60 | 42.65 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of George bearers went from 128,625 to 127,488 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #235 to #230.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname George
FAQ
George surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname George?
Name Census estimates that about 146,194 living Americans carry the surname George. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,345 residents.
How common is George?
George ranks #230 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 42.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 43 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 127,488 people with the surname George. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (146,194), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 42.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 42.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 43 of them to have the surname George.
Has George become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname George went from 128,625 recorded bearers to 127,488. That is a decrease of 1,137 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #235 to #230.
What does the Census say about the background of George?
Among Census respondents with the surname George, the largest self-reported group is White at 61.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname George in the 2020 Census, accounting for 61.3% (78,133 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
George appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (61.3%), Black (18.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.0%). 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 George (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 George mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the Greek given name Georgios, meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker." 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 George (42.65 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 are called George?
You can see how many people have the surname George on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.