Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Georgia

Georgia is the Latinate feminine equivalent of George. The etymological origin of the name George comes from the Greek “geōrgos” which means ‘farmer’. The elements are derived from the Greek “gē” (earth) and “ergein” (to work). The name George was popularized among English speakers in the 14th century when St. George became the patron saint of England; although St. George dates back to the 4th century. He was a prominent Roman soldier and a Christian during the pagan days of the Empire. He received sainthood after being martyred – he was beheaded for his Christian faith. St. George is usually depicted killing a dragon (the devil) to rescue a beautiful lady (Christianity). Saint George’s legend was resuscitated during the Crusades (religious wars of the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries whereby Christians attempted to recapture the Holy Land); and he would shortly thereafter become the patron Saint of England and protector of the royal family. Adding extra currency to George were a total of six Kings of the United Kingdom bearing this name between the 18th and 20th centuries. The name is still extremely popular in England (ranked #9 in 2010) and also on the Top 100 list of most commonly used boy names in Scotland and Australia. The female Georgia is a particular favorite in Australia, but is also ranked high in England, Wales, Scotland and Canada. There are several female variations of George: Georgette (French), Jorja (Spanish), Georgina (also Latinate), as well as diminutives Georgie and Gina.

All About the Baby Name – Georgia

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME GEORGIA

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME GEORGIA

Not surprisingly, Georgia was at the height of her popularity over 100 years ago around the turn of the 20th century. The name maintained a relatively high position on the charts all the way through the 1940s and then began to fall from favor fairly rapidly. Georgia experienced her lowest point of usage in the 1980s when she was bestowed upon less than 300 baby girls that year. In the last 20 years, since the 1990s, Georgia has managed to recapture almost 400 positions on the popularity charts. This is by no means a major comeback, but she is riding the current wave of renewed interest in old-fashioned names. We would also consider Georgia a place name (like Madison and Savannah) – and using place names as given names is still a rock-solid trend in the United States. Several famous people have chosen this name for their little girls in the past 20 years such as Harry Connick Jr., Mick Jagger and William Macy demonstrating their obvious good taste in female names. We absolutely love this name. It’s old school (having been derived from George), but it also has a sweet southern sensibility. It exudes that antique charm of old-fashioned names that are all the rage, but this one is neglected and underused in our humble opinion. It’s an all around peach of a name!

Quick Facts

ON GEORGIA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

252

PRONUNCIATION:

JAWR-jə

SIMPLE MEANING:

Farmer, earth worker

Characteristics

OF GEORGIA

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Georgia

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME GEORGIA

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Georgia

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME GEORGIA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Georgia


Popular Songs

ON GEORGIA

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Georgia


Famous People

NAMED GEORGIA

Georgia O'Keeffe (artist)
Georgia of Clermont (5th century French nun and saint)
Georgia Brown (English singer)
Georgia Brown (Brazilian singer)
Georgia Caine (actress)
Georgia Carroll (singer)
Georgia Cayvan (stage actress)
Georgia Engel (actress)
Georgia Frontiere (businesswoman)
Georgia Frost (English model)
Georgia Gibbs (jazz singer)
Georgia Hale (silent era actress)
Georgia Douglas Johnson (poet/Harlem Renaissance)
Georgia Turner (folk singer)
Jorja Fox (actress)

Children of Famous People

NAMED GEORGIA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Georgia

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME GEORGIA

Georgia O’Keeffe knew from an early age that she wanted to be an artist. Born in Wisconsin at the end of the 19th century, she studied art in both Chicago and New York – however it was not until she met Arthur Dow, her art teacher in South Carolina, that she would find her own unique expression. A friend showed O’Keeffe’s works to a NY gallery owner, Alfred Stieglitz, who quickly saw the brave, vibrant energy of her art (he would also later become Georgia’s husband and fruitful collaborator). Through Stieglitz’s gallery, O’Keeffe developed a respectable following. By the 1920s, Georgia O’Keeffe was producing some of her finest work and establishing herself as an important American modern artist (at a time when women artists had little to no recognition). When one thinks of Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting, one thinks of brilliant, sensual flower still-lifes under a magnifying lens. When her husband died in 1946, O’Keeffe would move permanently to Taos, New Mexico where she filled canvases with its dramatically unique landscapes made more compelling under the artistic eye of O’Keeffe (clouds, cultural objects, animal bones, adobe structures) – which is how she is so strongly associated with the American Southwest. Georgia O’Keeffe still stands out as one of the greatest and most influential modern American artists.