Vernon

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A masculine first name of Latin origin, often given to boys in English-speaking countries ; a name borne by several towns, including one in Normandy, France
2. A male personal name of Latin origin, popular in the English-speaking world ; the name of various places, such as a small town in northern France
3. A traditional boy's first name, also used as a surname ; a geographical name applied to towns in France and the United States

Etymology: Vernon began as a place name, not a person's name. It comes from Transalpine Gaulish "uerna", meaning "alder", with a locative suffix that makes the whole thing mean "place of alder trees". The alder root traces back through Proto-Celtic to a much older Indo-European form, so the name is essentially a description of a landscape. The name was carried into Britain and northern France by the Normans and their predecessors, where it became attached to towns such as Vernon in Normandy. From there it moved from geography to family and personal use, the way many English surnames and given names did, and it eventually became a common male first name in English-speaking countries.