What was the name of John Lennon's aunt who raised him?

John Lennon’s aunt who raised him was Mimi Smith, whose full name was Mary Elizabeth “Mimi” Smith. She was his mother Julia Lennon’s older sister and became his principal parental guardian during his childhood.

After Julia separated from Lennon’s father, Alfred Lennon, she lived with her partner John “Bobby” Dykins. Mimi objected to the young John sleeping in the same bed as the adults and contacted Liverpool’s Social Services. Julia eventually agreed that John should live with Mimi and her husband, George Smith, at their home in Woolton, Liverpool, known as Mendips.

Mimi was strict and often skeptical of John’s musical ambitions, famously warning him that a guitar would never provide a living. Yet she supported his education and helped him gain admission to the Liverpool College of Art. Lennon remained close to her throughout his life, telephoning her regularly and buying her a bungalow in Dorset in 1965. The nickname “Aunt Mimi” is the form most often associated with her.