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Girl · Latin, through Old French
Parnell
Say it: PAR-nul
Meaning
The medieval English vernacular form of Petronilla, from the Roman family name Petronius.
Certainscholars agree on this meaning.
Once so common that 'Parnel' became slang for a priest's concubine; it survives in surnames.
Its wave through time
Rare in the records
In the United States
- 1,479 babies given this name since 1912
- At its height in 1917, about 1 in 42,100 boys
- Fewer than 5 babies a year in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Pernel, Pernelle, Purnell
| Latin | Petronilla |
|---|---|
| French | Pernelle |
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- English poll taxes and lay subsidy rolls (13th and 14th centuries)
- Parish baptism registers
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.