Petronella as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Petronella

What is the meaning of the name Petronella ?

The baby name Petronella is a Female name , 4 syllables long and is pronounced peh-troh-NEL-ah (IPA: /ˌpɛtrəˈnɛlə/).

Petronella is German, Latin, Scandinavian in Origin.

Petronella is the Dutch-Scandinavian form of Latin Petronilla, a diminutive of Petronia, the feminine of the Roman family name Petronius. The name’s meaning is uncertain; by association with the apostle Peter (Greek Petros, "rock"), it’s commonly glossed as "little rock," though this is a later folk etymology.

Veneration of Saint Petronilla, traditionally linked to St Peter, helped the name spread in medieval Europe, with lasting use in the Low Countries and Scandinavia and frequent appearances in Dutch registers from the 17th to 19th centuries. The name long served as a baptismal favorite in Catholic regions and occasionally resurfaces with vintage revivals in the Netherlands and Scandinavia. Variants include Petronilla (Latin/Italian), Petronila (Spanish), Petronelle (French), and Petronela (Romanian/Slavic); Scandinavian offshoots Pernilla and Pernille, and nicknames Nel, Nelly, Nella, and Nell, are common. Today Petronella feels vintage yet distinctive.