Purnell
A masculine name of Old English origin meaning "someone who dwells by the stream".
Name Census estimates that about 472 living Americans carry the first name Purnell. It is a predominantly male name (99.2% of registrations). The average person named Purnell today is around 59 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Purnell births was 1919 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Purnell. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
472
~ 1 in 726,174 Americans
Peak year
1919
21 babies that year
Average age
59
years old
2010 SSA rank
#4,702
Tracked since 1913
Gender
Gender distribution for Purnell
Out of the 768 babies given the name Purnell since 1880, 99.2% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Purnell as a male name
- Ranked #11,831 in 2010
- 6 male births in 2010
- Peak: 1964 (19 births)
Purnell as a female name
- Ranked #4,702 in 1919
- 6 female births in 1919
- Peak: 1919 (6 births)
Popularity
Purnell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Purnell from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 126 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Purnell by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Purnell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Purnells live
Origin
Meaning and history of Purnell
The name Purnell is believed to have originated from the Old English word "purnan," which means "to turn or wind." This name was likely given to individuals who lived near a winding stream or river.
In the early medieval period, the name was more commonly spelled as "Purnell" or "Purnelle." It was particularly popular in the regions of Shropshire and Staffordshire in England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Purnell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as a surname. This suggests that the name had already been in use for some time before the Norman Conquest.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Purnell. One such person was Thomas Purnell (1608-1658), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Rector of Stowe in Staffordshire.
Another prominent figure was Samuel Purnell (1682-1744), an English Quaker and philanthropist who founded the Purnell School for poor children in Shropshire.
In the 19th century, Frederick Purnell (1817-1896) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Purnell Dickenson (1867-1945) was an American businessman and politician who served as the Governor of Nevada from 1923 to 1927.
More recently, Robert Purnell (1925-2011) was a British actor and writer best known for his roles in television series such as "The Avengers" and "Doctor Who."
While the name Purnell is not as common today as it once was, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.
People
Purnell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Purnell as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Purnell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Purnell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 472 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Purnell going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 726,174 US residents.
Is Purnell a common name?
We classify Purnell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 768 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Purnell most popular?
The single biggest year for Purnell was 1919, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Purnell is about 59 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Purnell a male name?
Yes, 99.2% of people registered as Purnell in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.