Prunella as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Prunella

What is the meaning of the name Prunella ?

The baby name Prunella is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /pruˈnɛlə/ (proo-NEL-ə).

Prunella is Latin in Origin.

Prunella is a Latinate feminine name derived from Latin prunum “plum,” with the diminutive suffix -ella, yielding the sense “little plum.” In Romance languages it aligns with French prunelle, “sloe” (the wild plum) and, by figurative extension, “pupil of the eye,” a term of endearment. The root ultimately traces to Greek proumnon. As a given name in English, Prunella has a gently botanical, fruit-name flavor.

In Britain it appears from the 18th century and enjoyed sporadic use during the 19th‑century fashion for nature and literary names; Andrew Lang’s retelling of the Italian folk tale “Prunella” also aided familiarity. The name remains rare but recognizable through bearers such as British actresses Prunella Scales and Prunella Gee. Variants include French Prunelle and modern French Prune; related forms and nicknames are Pru, Prue, Nella, Nell, and Ella. Meaning: “little plum; sloe.”