Purnel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Purnel

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 Purnel family

Early History of the Purnel family

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

Purnel Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Purnel, Purnell, Pernel, Pernell and others.

Early Notables of the Purnel family

• Robert Purnell (died 1666), an English Baptist elder and author and was probably a native of Bristol...

Migration of the Purnel family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Purnel 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.