Fun Facts About the Name Parnell
- More than 1 thousand babies named Parnell: U.S. records list 1,479 babies given the name Parnell from 1880 through 2025. Even 57 girls received the name Parnell - about 1 girl for every 25 boys.
What Does the Name Parnell Mean?
Parnell is an English name that comes from the medieval female given name Parnell, also written Pernel or Parnel, a form of the Latin Petronilla. Petronilla is a feminine diminutive of Petronius, an old Roman family name; the -illa ending marks the diminutive. The sense of Petronius itself is not settled. One long-standing suggestion links it to Latin petro, "rustic" or "yokel," and another to petra, "rock." Neither is secure, so Parnell is best described as coming from a Roman name of uncertain meaning.
A second, customary meaning grew up in the Middle Ages. Because Petronilla was popularly treated as a pet form of Peter - from Greek petros, "rock" - English speakers took Parnell to mean "little rock." That reading reflects how the name was used and explained, not the original Latin derivation.
Parnell Name History & Origins
The name rests on Saint Petronilla, a Roman martyr of the early centuries who was venerated as a daughter of Saint Peter in the sense of a spiritual child. Her cult spread through France and England, and her name took vernacular forms: Perronnelle and Pernelle in Old French, and Pernel, Parnel, and Parnell in Middle English. Parnel was a common woman's given name in medieval England.
After the Reformation, the female name Parnell fell out of use and survived mainly as an inherited surname. The surname is found in England and in Ireland, where the Parnell family was established in County Wicklow. It became widely known through Charles Stewart Parnell (1846 - 1891), the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party; Parnell Street and Parnell Square in Dublin commemorate him.
Parnell is also used, though far less often, as a male given name in English-speaking countries, particularly where Irish connections are present.
How Popular is the Name Parnell?
Parnell has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1963. Its best rank was #1,249 in 1963.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | #5,104 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1948 | #5,825 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1935 | #4,749 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1934 | #4,816 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #4,689 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1926 | #5,459 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1925 | #4,837 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #5,618 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1919 | #4,164 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1917 | #4,005 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | #9,468 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #13,677 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #11,763 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #13,801 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #12,184 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #8,562 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #8,132 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #10,971 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #7,677 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #11,996 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #10,202 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #7,356 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #6,482 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #6,362 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #6,274 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #4,040 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1993 | #4,627 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #4,050 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1991 | #4,169 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1990 | #3,424 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1989 | #3,177 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #2,571 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1987 | #2,379 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1986 | #3,094 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1985 | #3,545 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1984 | #2,599 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1983 | #2,882 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1982 | #2,793 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1981 | #3,791 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1980 | #4,831 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #3,122 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1978 | #2,890 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1977 | #3,775 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1976 | #4,306 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1975 | #2,723 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1974 | #1,965 | 23 | 0.0015% |
| 1973 | #2,191 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1972 | #2,222 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1971 | #2,189 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1970 | #2,478 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1969 | #2,031 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1968 | #1,883 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1967 | #1,563 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1966 | #1,712 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1965 | #1,374 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 1964 | #1,281 | 38 | 0.0019% |
| 1963 | #1,249 | 39 | 0.0019% |
| 1962 | #1,382 | 33 | 0.0016% |
| 1961 | #1,725 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 1960 | #2,287 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1959 | #3,218 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #1,878 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1957 | #2,964 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1956 | #1,873 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1955 | #2,201 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1954 | #2,026 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1953 | #1,876 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1952 | #2,634 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1951 | #2,619 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1950 | #1,603 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1949 | #1,863 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1948 | #2,093 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1947 | #2,050 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1946 | #3,106 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1945 | #2,214 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1944 | #1,862 | 15 | 0.0011% |
| 1943 | #2,370 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1942 | #2,666 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1941 | #2,827 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1940 | #2,060 | 13 | 0.0011% |
| 1939 | #2,028 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1938 | #1,957 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1937 | #2,438 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1936 | #1,945 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1935 | #3,559 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1934 | #2,521 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1933 | #1,690 | 18 | 0.0018% |
| 1932 | #2,286 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1931 | #1,820 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1930 | #1,489 | 25 | 0.0023% |
| 1929 | #1,909 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1928 | #1,809 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1927 | #1,737 | 21 | 0.0019% |
| 1926 | #2,860 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1925 | #2,291 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1924 | #2,969 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1923 | #2,098 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1922 | #2,952 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1921 | #1,693 | 22 | 0.0020% |
| 1920 | #1,867 | 19 | 0.0018% |
| 1919 | #2,354 | 13 | 0.0013% |
| 1918 | #2,838 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1917 | #1,571 | 22 | 0.0024% |
| 1916 | #2,366 | 12 | 0.0013% |
| 1915 | #2,268 | 12 | 0.0014% |
| 1914 | #3,623 | 5 | 0.0008% |
| 1913 | #2,054 | 9 | 0.0018% |
| 1912 | #2,011 | 8 | 0.0019% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with P
How the Name Parnell Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a power of expression, either in speaking or writing. You are in favor for studying and research. You are clever, clear-sighted and intellectual. You don't like to let others know your true feelings. You might be atheistic or agnostic. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Parnell's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Parnell's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.