ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1884 First Year 1949 Last Year 1916 Peak Year #1805 Peak Rank 335 Total Count 34 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Petronella What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Petronilla is a Late Latin feminine given name. The name is a diminutive form of Petronia, itself the feminine form of Petronius, a Roman family name. Saint Petronilla is an early Roman saint, later interpreted as the daughter of Saint Peter. She became the patron saint of the Frankish kings, and her chapel became the burial place for French kings. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronella) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronella) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * Dutch * Swedish * Hungarian [![Wikipedia thumbnail for Petronella](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Petronella_Ekroth_%2817118546621%29.jpg/330px-Petronella_Ekroth_%2817118546621%29.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronella) 📖 ## The Story of Petronella Petronella first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1884, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1916: 19 births, good for #1,805 nationwide. The 1910s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 42% of all recorded Petronellas. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 1949 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 335 Petronellas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time ## Popularity by State ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🔗 ## Variants & Related Forms of Petronella Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Petronella. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Ella](/ella) * [Nel](/nel) * Pernilla * Pietronella 🎶 ## Names that sound like Petronella Phonetically similar names — useful when Petronella is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * Petrocelli * [Petronia](/petronia) * Petrella * Petrucelli * Paternally * Petronas * Petrone * Citronella * [Petrina](/petrina) * Prunella * Petrelli * Petronius Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Petronella What does the name Petronella mean? Petronilla is a Late Latin feminine given name. The name is a diminutive form of Petronia, itself the feminine form of Petronius, a Roman family name. Saint Petronilla is an early Roman saint, later interpreted as the daughter of Saint Peter. She became the patron saint of the Frankish kings, and her chapel became the burial place for French kings. What is the origin of the name Petronella? Petronella has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Dutch, Swedish, Hungarian. How popular is Petronella in 2026? In 2026, Petronella ranks #4,673 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year. When was Petronella most popular? Petronella reached its peak popularity in 1916, ranking #1,805 that year with 19 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Petronella most popular? Petronella has historically been most popular in Illinois, Pennsylvania. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Petronella. Is Petronella a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Petronella is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name. What names go well with Petronella? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Petronella include Lesta, Wessie, Luceal. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. What are nicknames or variants of Petronella? Common variants and related forms of Petronella include Ella, Nel, Pernilla, Pietronella. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms. ## Similar Names [👧LestaPeak #1805](/lesta)[👧WessiePeak #1805](/wessie)[👧LucealPeak #1805](/luceal)[👧EnnisPeak #1805](/ennis)[👧OdealPeak #1805](/odeal)[👧MiltonPeak #1805](/milton)[👧FlorabellePeak #1805](/florabelle)[👧ElmoPeak #1805](/elmo) ## About the name Petronella Petronella is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 335 births in the dataset. Petronella's peak popularity came in 1916 when it ranked #1,805\. Use the chart and map above to compare Petronella's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 1916 → ](/year/1916) * [ Names of the 1910s → ](/decade/1910s) * [ Names starting with "P" → ](/letter/p) * [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships. * Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.