Purcell Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Purcell last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Purcell last name
Meaning of the Purcell last name: piglet, swineherd. Purcell is an Irish and English surname from Old French pourcel, "piglet", a nickname or a name for a swineherd. Norman Purcells settled in Tipperary and Kilkenny after the twelfth century. The last name is still common there. Curiously, the composer Henry Purcell, born in 1659, is called the greatest English composer of his age.
Arms associated with the Purcell name
Coats of arms associated with the Purcell surname follow Irish heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Purcell family history
This is only a glimpse of the Purcell story. The full Purcell history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Purcell coat of arms. Get the full Purcell report.
Purcell name FAQ
What does the Purcell name mean?
Piglet, swineherd. Common variants include Pursell, Purshell.
Where does the Purcell surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Purcell coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Purcell coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).