Parnell as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Parnell

What is the meaning of the name Parnell ?

The baby name Parnell is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced par-NEL (IPA: /pɑrˈnɛl/).

Parnell is in Origin.

Parnell comes from Middle English Parnel/Parnell, via Old French Pernel/Pernelle, the vernacular of Petronilla, a diminutive of the Roman Petronia (from the family name Petronius). Cult of Saint Petronilla spread the name in medieval Europe. Many modern sources interpret it as “little rock” by association with Peter (Greek Petros), though Petronius is probably of Etruscan origin and its exact meaning is uncertain.

In England it was a favored female name, but by the late Middle Ages parnel could also mean a wanton woman, hastening its fall as a forename. The surname Parnell arose as a matronymic and later fueled a given‑name revival - especially for boys - spurred by Irish statesman Charles Stewart Parnell in the 19th century and the wider surname‑as‑first‑name trend. Today Parnell is rare and largely unisex. Variants and related forms include Parnel, Pernel, Pernell, Pernelle, Parnelle, and Parnall.