Home › Baby Names Directory › Algernon
Algernon
How to Pronounce Algernon
Pronounced AL-jer-non /ˈældʒərnɒn/High
Meaning: Algernon began as a Norman French byname, 'als gernons', literally 'with moustaches', reportedly used to distinguish a clean-shaven era's rare bearded nobleman. It attached to the Percy family and hardened into an aristocratic English given name, so its meaning is a physical nickname rather than a lofty virtue.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Algernon traces to the Norman French als gernons, 'with moustaches', a byname later borne by branches of the powerful Percy family and passed down as a mark of lineage. Its literary flavour was sealed by the poet Algernon Charles Swinburne and by Wilde's languid Algernon Moncrieff.
In the United States it was never common: a few dozen boys a year at most, drifting near a modest high around 1972 before thinning again. It reads today as an ornate, Edwardian-drawing-room name that carries wit rather than warmth.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- ★Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909)English Victorian poet and critic
If you like Algernon…
Explore names like Algernon
Frequently Asked
What does the name Algernon mean?
It comes from the Old French 'als gernons', meaning 'with moustaches' or 'whiskered'.
How do you pronounce Algernon?
It's said AL-jer-non /ˈældʒərnɒn/, three syllables, stress on the first.
Is Algernon a boy or girl name?
Algernon is used as a boy's name.
Is Algernon a popular name?
No, it has always been rare in America, an ornate English gentleman's name that peaked only faintly in the early nineteen-seventies.