Georgios

Georgios is the Greek given name that corresponds to the English name George. It derives from the Greek Γεώργιος, from the roots ge meaning earth and ergon meaning work, traditionally rendered as “earth worker” or “farmer.” The name has ancient and continuous use in Greece and remains common in Greek-speaking communities today. In religious contexts, it is associated with Saint George, known in Greek as Agios Georgios.

In modern usage, Georgios is the formal form of the name, while Giorgos (or Giorgios) serves as a common diminutive in everyday speech. The name has numerous international variants, with George in English, Giorgio in Italian, and Jörg in German. The Greek form is widely used in Greece and among the Greek diaspora, preserving its cultural and religious associations.

Notable individuals named Georgios include Georgios Papanikolaou (1883–1962), a Greek physician who developed the Pap test; Georgios Gemistos Plethon (c. 1355–1452), a Byzantine Greek philosopher and humanist; Georgios Averoff-Tossizza (Georgios Averoff) (1815–1889), a shipping magnate who funded Greek naval modernization; and Georgios Papadopoulos (1919–1999), a political and military figure who led the country during a critical period in the late 1960s. The name remains a recognizable part of Greek personal naming traditions.