Pernel is a feminine given name of English origin, considered a variant of Parnel. The name arose in medieval England as a contracted form of Petronel, itself a medieval English form of Petronilla. Petronilla derives from the Latin Petronia, a diminutive of the Roman family name Petronius. The ultimate root is the Latin word petra meaning 'rock', though the name also echoes the saintly tradition of Saint Petronilla, who according to Christian legend was the daughter of Saint Peter.In the later Middle Ages, the variant Parnel acquired a derogatory connotation as a slang term for a promiscuous woman, a development that likely contributed to a decline in its use. This negative association is recorded in literary sources from the period, which may have caused parents to abandon the name for their daughters.Notable BearersThis name's path through English onomastics—from Petronel to Parnel to Pernel—reflects typical medieval tendencies of contraction and vernacular adaptation. No widely known historical figures bear the exact form Pernel, but the underlying name saw various uses in literature and alongside related forms across Europe, such as Pernille in Norway, Petronella in Sweden, and étronille in France.Key FactsMeaning: 'rock' (feminine diminutive of Petronius)Origin: Latin, through medieval EnglishType: Variant form (Pernet/Parnel)Usage Regions: Historically English; now rare