A male name. Norman-French, meaning ‘with whiskers or moustaches’. William de Percy, companion of William the Conqueror and founder of the Percy family, bore this nickname (most Normans were clean-shaven); cf. also Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, who was called aux Gernons or als Gernons, to distinguish him from his father, Eustace à l’œil. In the Whitby Cartulary William de Percy is called ‘cognomento Asgernuns’ and his s. is ‘filius Willielmi de Percy Ohtlesgernuns’. It was not until 400 years later that the sobriquet as or al Gernons was bestowed as a christian name upon his descendant, Henry Algernon Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland (1478-1527). From that time it was commonly used in the Percy family, and transmitted by marriage to other families (e.g Algernon Sidney’s mother was a Percy) It has remained a mainly aristocratic name. It is sometimes abbreviated to Algy.

This aristocratic, by the vulgar ridiculed, name has a slightly comic origin, for it means ‘whiskered’: from the Norman als gernons, the whiskered (man). The widow of Henry I of England ‘married Alex of Louvaine, who wore moustachios. He became the ancestor of the Howard and Percy families, and transmitted his nickname as a baptismal name to both branches of his descendant’, Swan.

It struck me at once that this name was the Old French grenon, gernon. A correspondent of N. Q. (5th S. x. 247) says, The name of Algernon from als (aux) gernons, was originally given in the twelfth century to those who, contrary to the fashion of the time, wore their whiskers. Among those so named we find Eustace II., Count of Boulogne (aux grenons); and William de Perci (als gernons), who came over with the Conqueror, and founded the noble family which, strange to say, used it afterwards as a Christian name. Roquefort renders the Old French gernon, grenon, guernon, ghemon, ‘poil de la barbe, moustache;’ from Med.the Latin grams, greno; the latter is no doubt from the Latin crinis, hair of the head. Roman du Rénard, 72.

Et la mesenge a empoinguié Plain son poing de mouse et de foille; N’a talent que besier le voille, Les grenons li commence à terdre.

And in Fabliau de S. Pierre et du Jougléor— Droitement en enfer entra, Moult estoit bien appareillez, Barbe ot noire, grenons trechiez, En enfer entre tot secrez.

Teutonic (masculine) - Noble weapon, fig. noble and brave.

A French name, meaning: Bearded.