Explore the Family Name Parnell

The meaning of Parnell

English: from the Middle English female personal name Pernel, Parnell (Old French Peronel(le)) from Latin Petronilla, a feminine pet form of the Latin personal name Petronius. Petronilla was the name of a supposed early Christian saint and martyr. This surname was also brought to Ireland from Cheshire in the 17th century, by a family who had been supporters of Cromwell’s Parliamentarians during the English Civil War. Charles Stewart Parnell, who founded the Irish Parliamentary Party in 1882, was a descendant of this family. See also Pennell.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Parnell in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Parnell has seen some fluctuations between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Parnell was ranked 2358th in terms of popularity, with about 14,069 individuals carrying this name. By 2010, the rank had fallen slightly to 2475th, yet the count of individuals with this surname rose to approximately 14,560, indicating a 3.49% increase over the decade. The proportion of people named Parnell per 100,000 decreased by 5.36% from 5.22 to 4.94.

20002010Change
Rank#2,358#2,475-4.96%
Count14,06914,5603.49%
Proportion per 100k5.224.94-5.36%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Parnell

In reference to the Decennial U.S. Census information regarding the ethnicity of individuals with the surname Parnell, there have been various changes from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the majority of those with the Parnell name identified as White (79.21%), followed by Black (16.94%). By 2010, while the majority still identified as White, the percentage had decreased slightly to 76.94%. There was a slight increase in those identifying as Black to 17.32%. There were also notable increases in the percentages of Parnells who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.30% to 0.45%), Hispanic (from 1.26% to 2.00%), American Indian and Alaskan Native (from 0.82% to 1.28%), and those reporting two or more races (from 1.47% to 2.01%).

20002010Change
White79.21%76.94%-2.87%
Black16.94%17.32%2.24%
Two or More Races1.47%2.01%36.73%
Hispanic1.26%2%58.73%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.82%1.28%56.1%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.3%0.45%50%

Parnell ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Parnell is British & Irish, which comprises 60.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.5%) and Scandinavian (3.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish60.3%
French & German18.5%
Scandinavian3.6%
Other17.6%
Parnell

Possible origins of the surname Parnell

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Parnell have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Glasgow City, United Kingdom87.70%
Merseyside, United Kingdom87.70%
Greater London, United Kingdom87.70%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom87.30%
West Midlands, United Kingdom87.30%

What Parnell haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Parnell is T-CTS8512, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup T-CTS8512 is descended from haplogroup T-M184. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-L20, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Morris, Kent, Thompson, Phillips, Morgan, Greene, Lloyd, Woods, Taylor, Allen.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Parnell surname are: H1, H, H1a. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

parnellPaternal Haplogroup Origins T-M184

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Parnell have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Parnell

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Parnell" Surname 40.3%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Parnell

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Parnell" Surname 33.3%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Parnell

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Parnell" Surname 15.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Parnell

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Parnell" Surname 19.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Parnell?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Parnell are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%