This name derives from the Norman-French nickname “aux gernons”, meaning “with moustaches”. It is first heard of in reference to William de Percy, 1st Baron Percy, a Knight from Percy-en-Auge, who accompanied William the Conqueror to England in 1066, and ancestor of the Dukes, and Earls of Northumberland, many of whom bore the name. It was also used as a nickname for Eustace II, Count of Boulogne. Algernon Moncrieff, member of the wealthy class, is a funny character in the Oscar Wilde play "The importance of being Earnest".
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