# Algernon (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/algernon/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | boys |
| Origin | French |
| Meaning | “having mustaches”, “mustache”, “facial hair”, “awn”, “beard-hair”, “hair-tips”, “(upper) lip” |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Nicknames | Algy, Algie |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |
| US babies named this | 985 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 985 / 0 (0% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 22, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

From Old French als gernons (“having mustaches”), from als (contraction of a and les) + gernon, variant of grenon (“mustache”), from Vulgar Latin *granonem (“facial hair, mustache”), from Proto-Germanic *granō (“awn, beard-hair, hair-tips, mustache”), related to Old High German grana, granu (“mustache”), Old Norse grǫn (“mustache, (upper) lip”), Old English granu (“mustache”). Mustaches were often a prominent cultural component for men of some early medieval Germanic societies (contrary to popular culture, beards were uncommon), whence the name originates from. However, the particular distinction owing this name vis-a-vis other families is unclear.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 16 | 3,824 |
| 1994 | 6 | 7,801 |
| 1995 | 8 | 6,432 |
| 1997 | 12 | 4,969 |
| 1999 | 7 | 7,903 |
| 2000 | 5 | 10,415 |
| 2001 | 7 | 8,370 |
| 2002 | 5 | 10,731 |
| 2006 | 6 | 10,728 |
| 2007 | 9 | 8,201 |
| 2009 | 5 | 12,564 |
| 2010 | 9 | 8,172 |
| 2014 | 8 | 8,815 |
| 2015 | 5 | 12,165 |
| 2016 | 5 | 12,278 |

### England and Wales, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 3 | 3,225 |
| 2004 | 3 | 3,651 |
| 2007 | 4 | 3,589 |
| 2009 | 4 | 3,744 |
| 2016 | 3 | 4,810 |
| 2022 | 5 | 3,449 |

## People named Algernon

- Algernon Charles Swinburne, English poet, playwright and novelist (1837–1909)
- Algernon Blackwood, English short story writer and novelist (1869–1951)
- Algernon Sidney, British politician and political theorist (1623-1683)
- Hugh Algernon Weddell, Anglo-French botanist, physician, and explorer (1819-1877)
- Algernon Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale, British noble, diplomat, collector, and writer (1837-1916)
- Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, British soldier, politician and landowner (1684-1750)
- Algernon Percy, 6th Duke of Northumberland, British politician (1810-1899)
- Algernon Kingscote, British tennis player (1888–1964)
- Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland, British naval commander, explorer and politician (1792-1865)
- Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland, English noble (1602-1668)
- Algernon Paddock, American politician (1830-1897)
- Algernon Keith-Falconer, 9th Earl of Kintore, British colonial administrator (1852-1930)

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.