Burnell

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A family name of English origin that is also occasionally used as a first name for a person
2. An English surname, derived from Norman roots, that is also sometimes given to people as a forename
3. A surname of English origin carried by many families, and occasionally used as a personal given name

Etymology: "Burnell" is chiefly a surname, and its most likely origin is a nickname. It probably derives from the Old French "brunel," a diminutive of "brun," meaning "brown." A name like this was often given to a man with dark hair or a dark complexion, and the diminutive ending made it a affectionate or familiar form of that description. Surnames of this kind were fixed in families over time, so the same name could be passed down through generations regardless of how the original nickname sounded. The name is also a useful reminder that many English family names began as ordinary descriptions of a person's appearance or trade.