Herndon is an uncommon given name of American origin. It was likely inspired by the town of Herndon, Virginia, which was named after William Lewis Herndon, a Union naval officer during the American Civil War who later became a U.S. congressman from Louisiana. The name Herndon is believed to be derived from the Old English elements "here" meaning army or force, and "denu" meaning valley. However, there is no definitive evidence supporting this etymology. Today, Herndon is rarely used as a first name, with most occurrences found in the United States. It has not ranked among the top 1000 names for boys since at least the 1950s. Notable individuals named Herndon include American actor Herndon Haynes and American football player Herndon Mohr.
"Over the span of 36 years, from 1915 to 1951, there were a total of 194 births named Herndon."