Petronilla

Roman and Italian feminine variation of Petronius
"yokel"

Petronilla Origin and Meaning

The name Petronilla is a girl's name of Italian, Latin origin meaning "yokel".

Petronilla is an ancient saint's name that relates to the Roman family name Petronius, thought to mean yokel, though some connect it with Petra or Peter, meaning stone. With the resurgence of so many ancient Roman names, the elaborate and pretty Petronilla or its French form Petronille seem more usable these days than they have in centuries.

Famous People Named Petronilla

  • Petronilla12th,century queen of Aragon
  • Petronilla Melusina von der Schulenburg1693,1778, illegitimate daughter of King George I of Great Britain
  • Petronilla TovoItalian painter
  • Petronilla de Meaththe first person in Ireland to get the death penalty for heresy

Petronilla in Pop Culture

  • Miss Petronilla Strikercharacter in Henry James's 1875 novel "Roderick Hudson" (daughter of Barnaby Striker, an attorney)
  • Petranillacharacter in Ken Follett's "World Without End"
  • Diminutive of Petronia. Variation: Petronella