# Georgie Porgie

"Georgie Porgie" is an English nursery rhyme first printed in 1841 as an "old ballad"; the various claims that Georgie was a real king or courtier are all unsubstantiated.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | 1841 |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/georgie-porgie/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

Georgie Porgie, pudding pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry.
When the boys came out to play,
Georgie Porgie ran away.

## Common questions

**How old is "Georgie Porgie"?**

It was first printed in 1841, in a collection called "The Kentish Coronal", where it was already described as an "old ballad" and spelled "Georgy Peorgy" — so it was in use for some time before that.

**Was Georgie a real person, like a king?**

Several real figures have been proposed — King George I, King George IV, George Villiers the Duke of Buckingham, even Charles II — but every one of these is unsubstantiated guesswork. As Wikipedia notes, the claims have been copied from book to book without any solid evidence behind them.

**What is the rhyme about?**

A boy who teases the girls until the other boys appear, and then runs away — a small, knowing sketch of a bully who is only brave when unopposed. The appeal is that children recognise the type at once.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — Georgie Porgie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgie_Porgie)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3760771