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Vernon Name Meaning, Origins & History

Vernon

Pronunciation: VUR-nun

Meaning From the alder grove Origin Old French Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#1,387
TREND
170
Peak Years
1920, 1921, 1924
Lowest Years
1883, 1884, 1882
Energy Archetype
Loyal & Resolute

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Vernon in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Vernon

  • A favorite of earlier generations: Vernon appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 3 separate runs, totaling 32 years. Its last run lasted 1 consecutive years, from 1939 through 1939.
  • More than 148 thousand babies named Vernon: U.S. records list 148,385 babies given the name Vernon from 1880 through 2025. Even 1,976 girls received the name Vernon - about 1 girl for every 74 boys.

What Does the Name Vernon Mean?

Vernon is an English given name meaning alder grove, derived from the English surname Vernon. The surname is a habitational name, taken from one or more places in Normandy, France, especially Vernon in the Eure department. The place name is generally explained as coming from Gaulish *verno-, meaning alder, plus a suffix -onem; its sense is commonly given as alder grove or place of alders. The same old root for alder appears in Welsh gwern, Breton gwern, and Irish fearn. The English given name therefore preserves the meaning of the Norman place name rather than deriving from a separate English word.

Vernon Name History & Origins

Vernon is a Norman surname that came to England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. It was taken from places called Vernon in Normandy, and Norman families bearing the name settled in England; a prominent English family of Vernons held lands in Derbyshire and is associated with Haddon Hall. The surname later passed into use as a masculine given name, first as a family name and then as an independent English given name.

Admiral Edward Vernon (1684 - 1757) was a notable Royal Navy officer and a bearer of the surname; his nickname, Old Grog, gave rise to the word grog for rum mixed with water. In literature, Vernon is a character in Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 1, set during the Wars of the Roses; that literary appearance is later than the medieval surname and does not mark the name's origin.

How Popular is the Name Vernon?

Vernon has a rich multi-era history in the U.S. top 100, spanning 32 total years and enjoying its modern revival from 1939 to 1939.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Vernon

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

Past Favorite Boy Names

Past Favorite Boy Names: Once-Popular Names

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How the Name Vernon Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are fixed in your opinions, firm in your friendships and square in your dealings with others. You are an excellent worker. Since you are both possessive and emotional, you can be either very practical or very impractical and unpredictable. Your dual nature needs to become steadfast. You are the marrying kind. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.

You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.

✦ Vernon's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Vernon's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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