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Name Lineage

    The first name Fenella

    A girl’s name from Scottish Gaelic.

    3 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    Scottish Gaelic origin

    From Scottish Gaelic Fionnaghal, from Fionnghuala.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 9 girls were named Fenella, making it the 2,788th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 26 births (#848).

    01530 1996200020052010201520202025
    432
    babies named Fenella, 1996–2025
    #2,788
    rank in 2025
    1996
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Fenella with other names.

    Famous people named Fenella

    2 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Fenella Fielding
      English actress (1927–2018)
    • Fenella Woolgar
      English actress, born 1969

    More Scottish Gaelic girls’ names

    All 54 names of Scottish Gaelic origin

    Questions

    What does the name Fenella mean?
    From Scottish Gaelic Fionnaghal, from Fionnghuala.
    What is the origin of the name Fenella?
    From Scottish Gaelic Fionnaghal, from Fionnghuala.
    How popular is the name Fenella?
    In 2025, 9 girls born in England and Wales were named Fenella, ranking 2,788th. Its peak was 1996, with 26 births.