diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 21e0631..04b27e7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Changes
 
+* 2.7.next in progress
+  * Drop support for Clojure 1.9 [#561](https://github.com/seancorfield/honeysql/issues/561).
+
 * 2.6.1281 -- 2025-03-06
   * Address [#568](https://github.com/seancorfield/honeysql/issues/568) by adding `honey.sql/semicolon` to merge multiple SQL+params vectors into one (with semicolons separating the SQL statements).
   * Address [#567](https://github.com/seancorfield/honeysql/issues/567) by adding support for `ASSERT` clause.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 139c754..724e6d3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ This project follows the version scheme MAJOR.MINOR.COMMITS where MAJOR and MINO
 
 > Note: every commit to the **develop** branch runs CI (GitHub Actions) and successful runs push a MAJOR.MINOR.9999-SNAPSHOT build to Clojars so the very latest version of HoneySQL is always available either via that [snapshot on Clojars](https://clojars.org/com.github.seancorfield/honeysql) or via a git dependency on the latest SHA.
 
-HoneySQL 2.x requires Clojure 1.9 or later.
+HoneySQL 2.7.x requires Clojure 1.10.3 or later.
+Earlier versions of HoneySQL support Clojure 1.9.0.
 It also supports recent versions of ClojureScript and Babashka.
 
 Compared to the [legacy 1.x version](#1.x), HoneySQL 2.x provides a streamlined codebase and a simpler method for extending the DSL. It also supports SQL dialects out-of-the-box and will be extended to support vendor-specific language features over time (unlike 1.x).
diff --git a/build.clj b/build.clj
index c8c6f89..3546b3a 100644
--- a/build.clj
+++ b/build.clj
@@ -47,8 +47,7 @@
   "Generate and run doc tests.
 
   Optionally specify :aliases vector:
-  [:1.9] -- test against Clojure 1.9 (the default)
-  [:1.10] -- test against Clojure 1.10.3
+  [:1.10] -- test against Clojure 1.10.3 (the default)
   [:1.11] -- test against Clojure 1.11.0
   [:1.12] -- test against Clojure 1.12.0
   [:cljs] -- test against ClojureScript"
@@ -99,7 +98,7 @@
 (defn ci
   "Run the CI pipeline of tests (and build the JAR).
 
-  Default Clojure version is 1.9.0 (:1.9) so :elide
+  Default Clojure version is 1.10.3 (:1.10) so :elide
   tests for #409 on that version."
   [opts]
   (let [aliases [:cljs :elide :1.10 :1.11 :1.12]
diff --git a/deps.edn b/deps.edn
index b8d2cf4..d384356 100644
--- a/deps.edn
+++ b/deps.edn
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {:mvn/repos {"sonatype" {:url "https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots/"}}
  :paths ["src"]
- :deps {org.clojure/clojure {:mvn/version "1.9.0"}}
+ :deps {org.clojure/clojure {:mvn/version "1.10.3"}}
  :aliases
  {;; for help: clojure -A:deps -T:build help/doc
   :build {:deps {io.github.clojure/tools.build {:mvn/version "0.10.6"}
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
           :ns-default build}
 
   ;; versions to test against:
-  :1.9 {:override-deps {org.clojure/clojure {:mvn/version "1.9.0"}}}
   :1.10 {:override-deps {org.clojure/clojure {:mvn/version "1.10.3"}}}
   :1.11 {:override-deps {org.clojure/clojure {:mvn/version "1.11.4"}}}
   :1.12 {:override-deps {org.clojure/clojure {:mvn/version "1.12.0"}}}
diff --git a/doc/differences-from-1-x.md b/doc/differences-from-1-x.md
index edb9daa..246fe00 100644
--- a/doc/differences-from-1-x.md
+++ b/doc/differences-from-1-x.md
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ The DSL itself -- the data structures that both versions convert to SQL and para
 If you are using Clojure 1.11, you can invoke `format` with a mixture of named arguments and a trailing hash
 map of additional options, if you wish.
 
-HoneySQL 1.x supported Clojure 1.7 and later. HoneySQL 2.x requires Clojure 1.9 or later.
+HoneySQL 1.x supported Clojure 1.7 and later. HoneySQL 2.7.x requires Clojure 1.10.3 or later. Earlier versions of HoneySQL 2.x support Clojure 1.9.0.
 
 ## Group, Artifact, and Namespaces
 
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ The new namespaces are:
 * `honey.sql` -- the primary API (just `format` now),
 * `honey.sql.helpers` -- helper functions to build the DSL.
 
-Supported Clojure versions: 1.9 and later.
+Supported Clojure versions: 1.10.3 and later.
 
 ## API Changes
 
diff --git a/src/honey/sql.cljc b/src/honey/sql.cljc
index 4bcf9f8..44fe883 100644
--- a/src/honey/sql.cljc
+++ b/src/honey/sql.cljc
@@ -436,9 +436,7 @@
 (defn- format-simple-var
   ([x]
    (let [c (if (keyword? x)
-             #?(:bb  (str (symbol x))
-                :clj (str (.sym ^clojure.lang.Keyword x)) ;; Omits leading colon
-                :default (subs (str x) 1))
+             (str (symbol x))
              (str x))]
      (format-simple-var x c {})))
   ([x c opts]
@@ -455,9 +453,7 @@
    ;; for multiple / in the %fun.call case so that
    ;; qualified column names can be used:
    (let [c (if (keyword? x)
-             #?(:bb  (str (symbol x))
-                :clj (str (.sym ^clojure.lang.Keyword x)) ;; Omits leading colon
-                :default (subs (str x) 1))
+             (str (symbol x))
              (str x))]
      (cond (str/starts-with? c "%")
            (let [[f & args] (split-by-separator (subs c 1) ".")]
@@ -1737,10 +1733,7 @@
   (if (keyword? k)
     (if-let [n (namespace k)]
       (symbol n (name k))
-      ;; In CLJ runtime, reuse symbol that's already present in the keyword.
-      #?(:bb (symbol (name k))
-         :clj (.sym ^clojure.lang.Keyword k)
-         :default (symbol (name k))))
+      (symbol (name k)))
     k))
 
 (defn format-dsl