Fennell
A surname with more than one likely origin, often explained as coming from a small lane or passage, though some branches may be linked to other local place-names or occupational forms.
The #3,163 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 27,059 Americans shares it.
Etymology
English sources most often connect Fennell with Middle English and regional forms meaning a small lane, alley, or passage, from words like 'vennel' or 'venell.' Some 19th-century writers also linked it to place-names such as Fenn, Fen, or Fennemere, and to French forms such as 'venelle' or 'feneur,' so the surname may have arisen independently in more than one way. In Ireland, however, Fennell can also represent Anglicized Irish names such as Ó Fionnghail or related forms, which means not every Fennell family shares the same root.
History
The name appears in English records in several spellings, including Vennell and Fennell, and was treated by older surname writers as a local or topographical surname. Irish bearers of Fennell are also well attested, and modern usage therefore reflects both English and Irish origins rather than a single family line. The surname is now found in Britain, Ireland, North America, and other English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname books sometimes grouped Fennell with words for a narrow lane or passage, which is why it was classed as a local surname rather than a vegetable name.
From the historical record
“to Fenner, FENNELL. See Veunell. FENNER. Fenn Place in the parish of Worth, CO. Sussex, had owners for several generations, called from it Atte Fenne, but in the time of Henry YI. the name was changed to Fenner, while a Kentish branch wrote themselves Fenour. Camden con- siders the name a corruption of Veiieur…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Fennell
- Emerald Fennell (b. 1985)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.