Vernon
Vernon is an English masculine given name, a transferred use of the French and English surname meaning “from the place of the alder trees.” Many English boys were likely named in honor of British Navy Admiral Edward Vernon (1684-1757). The name has been in regular use throughout the Anglosphere since 1700.
Meaning & Origin of Vernon
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Vernon is an English masculine given name, a transferred use of the French and English surname meaning “from the place of the alder trees.” Many English boys were likely named in honor of British Navy Admiral Edward Vernon (1684-1757). The name has been in regular use throughout the Anglosphere since 1700.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Vernon
Vernon first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 56 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 3,144 Vernons were born — ranking #65 that year. As of 2026, Vernon ranks #1,511 for baby boys with 119 births, gradually rising (+7%). In total, more than 147K Vernons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Vernon
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Vernon Abeysekera , Postmaster General of Sri Lanka from 1969–1970
- Vernon Adams (born 1993), American football quarterback
- Vernon Anthonisz , Singaporean radio presenter
- Vernon Baker (1919–2010), Medal of Honor recipient
- Vernon Bell , founder of the British karate movement
- Vernon Bogdanor (born 1943), British Research Professor
- Vernon H. Broom (1924–1989), justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi
- Vernon Broughton (born 2001), American football player
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Vernon
Phonetically similar names — useful when Vernon is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Vernon
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About the name Vernon
Vernon is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 147K births in the dataset. Vernon's peak popularity came in 1920 when it ranked #65. Use the chart and map above to compare Vernon's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1920 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "V" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.