St George was of Greek origin. He was born in Palestine into an aristocratic family of Greek Christians in the 3rd century AD. His father was an officer in the Roman army and probably came from Nicomedia, a Greek city in what is now Turkey. The exact date of his birth is unsure but it seems certain that it took place in the last quarter of the century, probably around 280. In the original Greek his name was Georgios (a name still used in Greece today), which means farmer or rural worker.
When George grew up he also went to his father's city of Nicomedia and also became a soldier. He was successful in his career, but later came under attack for his Christian beliefs. Refusing to change these, he was eventually executed in the year 303. The date of his death, 23 April, later became St George's day and he was adopted as the patron saint of England.