Is Purnell a boy or girl name?

Purnell is a boy’s name. Of the 768 Americans recorded with the name since 1880, 0.8% were girls and 99.2% were boys.

Purnell

Recorded 1913–2010 · United States

Purnell was most popular in 1919, when 21 American babies were given the name — ranking #3,233 that year. It was not recorded in 2025. Across 1880–2025 the Social Security Administration has recorded 768 people named Purnell.

Purnell over time

Births per year. The dot marks Purnell’s peak in 1919. Gaps are years the SSA suppressed, which it does for any name given to fewer than five babies.

Is Purnell a boy’s or a girl’s name?

Across the whole record Purnell is a boy’s name — 0.8% of the 768 Americans given it were girls and 99.2% were boys.

Counted from every US birth the Social Security Administration recorded under this name, so it reflects use rather than opinion. A name given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year is withheld at source and is not counted.

Names that peaked alongside Purnell

Where Purnell is most concentrated

How much more common the name is in each state than across the country as a whole.

Maryland 48.8×

Explore further

See Purnell on the interactive charts

Source: U.S.A. Social Security Administration. Years 1880–2025. namelegacy.org