At a Glance
- Meaning
- From Old High German brun ('brown') plus a diminutive ending, naming the self-heal herb -- not actually related to 'plum' despite the resemblance
- Origin
- Medieval Latin (from Old High German)
- Gender
- Girl
- Pronunciation
- proo-NEL-ə
Prunella is a Medieval Latin (from Old High German) girl's name meaning “from Old High German brun ('brown') plus a diminutive ending, naming the self-heal herb -- not actually related to 'plum' despite the resemblance”. It appears in 2 of our baby name lists.
Meaning & Origin of Prunella
Meaning: From Old High German brun ('brown') plus a diminutive ending, naming the self-heal herb -- not actually related to 'plum' despite the resemblance.
Origin: Medieval Latin (from Old High German).
A common claim: Prunella is often said to mean 'little plum,' from Latin prunus Actually: This is a folk-etymology; the more detailed source traces it instead to Old High German brun ('brown') plus a diminutive ending, referring to the self-heal herb, not to plums.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Prunella
proo-NEL-əIPA /pruːˈnɛlə/
Popularity of Prunella
Prunella doesn’t appear in U.S. Social Security birth records, which include every name given to at least five babies in a year — so it’s rare in the U.S.
Lists That Include Prunella
- 200+ Botanical Baby Names for Nature-Loving Parents
- 175+ Herb and Garden Plant Baby Names for Earthy Parents
Similar Names
Nettle · Hawthorn · Calendula · Clary · Woad · Senna
