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Fenella

Quick answerFenella means "white shoulder" or "fair-shouldered," derived from the Irish Gaelic name Fionnuala (from *fionn* "white, fair" and *guala* "shoulder").

Scottish · Girl · 3 syllables

F
Top 5,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderGirl
US Rank#2,772
TrendStable
Peak year2001
Syllables3
OriginScottish
LanguageScottish
CultureScottish
Letters7
Numerology1 Chaldean 3
Global rank#793

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Fenella

Fenella means "white shoulder" or "fair-shouldered," derived from the Irish Gaelic name Fionnuala (from *fionn* "white, fair" and *guala* "shoulder").

Cross-referenced with Behind the Name. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

Fenella means "white shoulder" or "fair-shouldered," derived from the Irish Gaelic name Fionnuala (from *fionn* "white, fair" and *guala* "shoulder"). It is primarily used in Irish and Scottish cultures, notably in Irish mythology as the name of the daughter of the sea god Lir, who was turned into a swan.

Fenella currently ranks #2,772 in the United States as a girl's name. It reached its peak popularity around 2001.

Variants & nicknames

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Sibling name ideas

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Phonetic match, not just spelling
Finlay
Unisex Scottish

"Finlay derives from the Scottish Gaelic name Fionnlagh, composed of "fionn" (fair/white) and "laogh" (warrior/hero), meaning "fair warrior" or "white…"

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Finley
Unisex English

"Finley derives from the Scottish Gaelic name Fionnlagh, combining "fionn" (fair/white) and "laogh" (warrior), meaning "fair warrior" or "white warrior."…"

Global rank #18 View name
Finnula
Girl Irish

"Finnula is an Irish feminine name derived from the Irish name Fionnuala, which combines "fionn" (fair/white) and "uala" (noble), meaning…"

Global rank #325 View name
Finnley
Unisex English (Modern)

"The name Finnley means "fair warrior" or "white champion," derived from the Irish Gaelic elements *fionn* ("fair, white") and *laoch*…"

Global rank #374 View name
Finuala
Girl Irish Gaelic

"Finuala (also spelled Fionnuala or Fineola) means "white shoulder" or "fair-shouldered," derived from the Irish Gaelic elements "fionn" (white/fair) and…"

Global rank #383 View name
Finnola
Girl Irish

"Finnola is an Irish feminine name derived from the Irish "Fionnuala," combining "fionn" (fair/white) and "uala" (shoulder), meaning "fair-shouldered" or…"

Global rank #385 View name
Fionuala
Girl Ireland

"The name Fionuala means "white-shouldered" or "fair-shouldered," derived from the Old Irish elements *fionn* ("white, fair") and *guala* ("shoulder")."

Global rank #428 View name
Fionnuala
Girl Irish

"Fionnuala derives from the Irish Gaelic "Fionn" (fair/white) and "guala" (shoulder), literally meaning "fair-shouldered." The name is predominantly used in…"

Global rank #434 View name
Finula
Girl Ireland

"Finula is an anglicized form of the Irish name Fionnuala, meaning "fair shoulder" or "white shoulder," derived from the Old…"

Global rank #443 View name
Fionula
Girl Ireland

"The name Fionula means "white shoulder" or "fair-shouldered," derived from the Old Irish elements *fionn* ("white, fair") and *guala* ("shoulder")."

Global rank #508 View name
Finnuala
Girl Irish

"The name Finnuala means "white shoulder" or "fair-shouldered," deriving from the Old Irish elements *fionn* ("white, fair") and *guala* ("shoulder")."

Global rank #518 View name
Fionnula
Girl Ireland

"The name Fionnula means "white shoulder" or "fair-shouldered," derived from the Old Irish elements *fionn* ("white, fair") and *guala* ("shoulder")."

Global rank #542 View name
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