Parnel as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Parnel

What is the meaning of the name Parnel ?

The baby name Parnel is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced IPA: /ˈpɑr.nəl/ (approx. "PAR-nel").

Parnel is Irish in Origin.

Parnel is the Middle English vernacular form of Pernel/Perenelle, ultimately from Latin Petronilla, a diminutive of the Roman family name Petronius; in medieval usage it was linked with Petrus (Peter), lending the sense “little rock” or “stone.” The name entered English through Anglo-Norman French, where forms such as Pernel, Peronel, and Perenelle were current.

In 13th–15th-century England it was a widely used female given name; later “parnel” became a stock name for a serving girl and, unfortunately, a slang term for a wanton woman, which sped its decline. The medieval personal name produced the surname Parnell, now more familiar; as a modern given name, Parnel/Parnell appears occasionally for boys via the surname while remaining historically feminine. Variants include Parnell, Pernel, Pernell, Perenelle, Peronel, and Petronella; related forms include French Perronnelle and Dutch Petronella. Overall meaning: “rock; little rock.”

⚙ Parnel barely registers. Across 7 countries, we found just 11 recorded uses of it.