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Burnell
How to Pronounce Burnell
Pronounced bur-NEL /bərˈnɛl/Medium
Meaning: Burnell is chiefly an English surname, a diminutive of 'brun', brown, describing brown hair or complexion, and it saw use as a boy's given name. The girl's use recorded here is rarer, and likely arose alongside the feminine names Bernell and Burnice in early-1900s America. As a girl's name its meaning leans on that 'brown' surname root.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Burnell is an English surname from Old French brun, 'brown', with a small -el ending, first a nickname for a brown-haired person. Used mostly for boys, it also appeared for girls in early-1900s America, near the feminine forms Bernell and Burnice.
As a girl's name Burnell was always very rare, cresting near 1943 with only a few dozen a year and slipping from the rolls by the mid nineteen-sixties.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Burnell mean?
Burnell is a surname from Old French 'brun', meaning brown; here it is used as a girl's name alongside Bernell and Burnice.
How do you pronounce Burnell?
It's said bur-NEL /bərˈnɛl/, two syllables.
Is Burnell a boy or girl name?
Burnell is a girl's name.
Is Burnell a popular name?
No, Burnell was always very rare as a girl's name, peaking modestly around the early nineteen-forties.