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At a Glance: Name: Lennon – Meaning: descendant of a 'sweetheart' — or, in an alternate surname line, descendant of a 'little blackbird' – Origin: Irish (surname) – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: LEN-un
Lennon is an Irish surname turned first name, used for any gender, that fits parents drawn to bohemian, free-spirit and globally-minded styles. You may have heard it explained as 'little cloak' and tied to John Lennon, but that's not accurate — as a surname it actually comes from Ó Leannáin, 'descendant of a sweetheart,' or in another line, Ó Lonáin, 'descendant of a little blackbird.' It's pronounced LEN-un.
Meaning & Origin of Lennon
Meaning: Descendant of a 'sweetheart' — or, in an alternate surname line, descendant of a 'little blackbird'.
Origin: Irish (surname).
A common claim: Often glossed as 'little cloak,' and associated with John Lennon. Actually: Lennon is often said to mean 'little cloak' — neither of its real surname sources supports that; it derives from Ó Leannáin ('lover/sweetheart') or Ó Lonáin ('little blackbird').
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Lennon
Phonetic: LEN-un IPA: /ˈlɛnən/
Popularity of Lennon
Lennon peaked at #228 in 2022 with 1,318 babies given the name, and has stayed close to that since, ranking #237 in 2024 with 1,311 babies.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1913–2024.
Make Lennon Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Lennon, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Lennon mean?
Descendant of a ‘sweetheart’ — or, in an alternate surname line, descendant of a ‘little blackbird’. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Lennon)
How do you pronounce Lennon?
Lennon is pronounced LEN-un (IPA: /ˈlɛnən/).
Is Lennon a popular name right now?
Lennon is near its all-time peak (#228 in 2022), ranked #237 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1913–2024.)
📊 How popular is Lennon? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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