Pernel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture.

"Petronilla, a feminine diminutive of the Latin Petronius, was the name of a saint much invoked against fevers and regarded as a daughter of St Peter. The name was accordingly considered to be a derivative of Peter and became one of the most popular of girls' names, the vernacular Parnell being still used as a christian name as late as the 18th century in Cornwall." 1

"This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Petronilla.' This was abbreviated to Paronel, and then to Parnel or Pernel." 2

"Pernel, the pimpernel, a flower that always shuts up its blossoms before rain." 3

Early Origins of the Pernel family

The surname Pernel was first found in Devon and Cornwall. "In this county the Parnells have their home in the Totnes district. William Parnell was a well - to - do Barnstaple townsman, in the reign of Charles I. (G.). The Parnells are now principally seated in Devon and Cornwall, but there are a few in Cambridgeshire." 4

Early English rolls provide us a glimpse of the spelling variations used through Medieval times. Today we typically need to look beyond the spellings of these entries and concentrate on a phonetic appreciation of the names. Purnelle, Petronille, Peronelle Kepeherme were listed in 1249, 1250, 1253 at Oseney in Oxfordshire; Pernel was found in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1268 and later Parnell in the Assize Rolls for 1280. Johanna Peronele was listed in Cambridgeshire in 1250, Agnes Peronell in Yorkshire in 1274, Roger Pernel in Cambridgeshire in 1295, Edith Purnele in Wiltshire in 1297 and Robert Parnel in the Subsidy Rolls for Staffordshire in 1332. 1

Early History of the Pernel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pernel research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1653 and 1666 are included under the topic Early Pernel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pernel Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Purnel, Purnell, Pernel, Pernell and others.

Early Notables of the Pernel family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pernel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pernel Ranking

In France, the name Pernel is the 8,617^th most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Pernel family

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Pernel or a variant listed above: John, Marg, and Richard Purnell who settled in Virginia in 1652; Thomas Purnell settled in Virginia in 1635; William Purnell settled in Barbados in 1685.

Contemporary Notables of the name Pernel (post 1700) +

Florence Pernel (b. 1966), French César Award nominated actress, known for her roles in Three Colors: Blue (1993), The Conquest (2011) and Mes amis, mes amours, mes emmerdes (2009)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Halliwell, James Orchard. A Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial WordsLondon: John Russel Smith, Old Compton Street, Soho, 1848, Digital, 2 Vols
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/