📖 About Fenella
Fenella is the Anglicised form of the Scottish Gaelic Fionnuala, meaning 'white-shouldered.' It is steeped in Celtic mythology — Fionnuala was the daughter of Lir, transformed into a swan for 900 years in one of Ireland's most beloved legends. Sir Walter Scott gave the English spelling wider currency through his 1823 novel 'Peveril of the Peak.' Rare and distinctly Celtic, Fenella appeals to those who value literary heritage and ancient myth. In the US it ranked around 7,200 in the 2020s.
📍 Details
- OriginScottish
- Gender♀ Female
- MeaningWhite-shouldered one
🔀 Variants & Related Names
⭐ Famous People
- Fenella Fielding — British actress (1927–2018) celebrated for her distinctive husky voice and comic roles in the Carry On films and Hammer Horror productions.
- Fenella Woolgar — British stage and screen actress known for her roles in 'Bright Young Things' (2003) and numerous theatre productions in the West End and National Theatre.
- Fenella (Walter Scott character) — Mysterious mute young woman in Sir Walter Scott's 1823 novel 'Peveril of the Peak,' one of the earliest prominent uses of the anglicised name in English literature.