# Petronella

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For other uses, see [Petronella (disambiguation)](/source/Petronella_(disambiguation)).

**Petronilla** is a Late Latin feminine given name. The name is a diminutive form of Petronia, itself the feminine form of Petronius, a [Roman family name](/source/Roman_naming_conventions#Nomen). [Saint Petronilla](/source/Saint_Petronilla) is an early Roman saint, later interpreted as the daughter of [Saint Peter](/source/Saint_Peter). She became the patron saint of the Frankish kings, and her chapel became the burial place for French kings.

The derived form **Petronella**, later changed to **Pieternella**, has been popular in the Netherlands since the [Middle Ages](/source/Middle_Ages), perhaps due to [Gertrude, Countess of Holland](/source/Petronilla_of_Lorraine), adopting this name around 1100.[1] In daily life, many people with this given name use a short form, like Pella, Petra, Nel, Nella, Nelleke, [Nelly](/source/Nelly_(given_name)), *Ella*, *Ellen*, and *Elly*.

## People called Petronilla

- [Saint Petronilla](/source/Saint_Petronilla), venerated by the 4th century
- Petronilla (9th century), daughter of [Hugh, son of Charlemagne](/source/Hugh,_son_of_Charlemagne), and purported mother of [Ingelger of Anjou](/source/Ingelger)
- [Petronilla of Lorraine](/source/Petronilla_of_Lorraine) (c. 1082 – 1144), Countess of Holland
- [Petronilla of Aragon](/source/Petronilla_of_Aragon) (1136 – 1173)
- [Petronilla of Aquitaine](/source/Petronilla_of_Aquitaine) (died before 1152)
- [Petronilla, Countess of Bigorre](/source/Petronilla,_Countess_of_Bigorre) (c. 1184 – 1251)
- [Petronilla de Meath](/source/Petronilla_de_Meath) (died 1324), Irish maidservant executed for heresy

## People called Petronella

- [Petronella of Coutrai](/source/Petronella_of_Coutrai) ([fl.](/source/Floruit) 1200–1214), regent of Flanders
- [Petronella Barker (actress, born 1942)](/source/Petronella_Barker_(actress,_born_1942)), British actress
- [Petronella Barker (actress, born 1965)](/source/Petronella_Barker_(actress,_born_1965)), British-born Norwegian actress
- [Petronella J.M.G. "Elly" Blanksma-van den Heuvel](/source/Elly_Blanksma-van_den_Heuvel) (born 1959), Dutch politician and banker
- [Petronella T.M. "Ellen" Bontje](/source/Ellen_Bontje) (born 1958), Dutch equestrian
- [Petronella Bos](/source/Petronella_Bos) (born 1947), Dutch swimmer
- [Petronella Breinburg](/source/Petronella_Breinburg) (1927–2019), Surinamese British author, playwright and professor
- [Petronella "Nel" Büch](/source/Nel_B%C3%BCch) (1931–2013), Dutch sprinter
- [Petronella Burgerhof](/source/Petronella_Burgerhof) (1908–1991), Dutch gymnast and Olympic gold medallist
- [Petronella de la Court](/source/Petronella_de_la_Court) (1624–1707), Dutch art collector
- [Auguste van Pels](/source/Auguste_van_Pels) (1900–1945), called Petronella van Daan in Anne Frank's diary
- [Petronella Duncan](/source/Petronella_Duncan), South African politician and Member of Parliament with the Democratic Alliance
- [Petronella Dunois](/source/Petronella_Dunois) (1650–1695), Dutch art collector
- [Petronella Ekroth](/source/Petronella_Ekroth) (born 1989), Swedish footballer
- [Petronella F.C. "Nel" Garritsen](/source/Nel_Garritsen) (1933–2014), Dutch swimmer
- [Petronella Huybrechtse](/source/Petronella_Huybrechtse) (born 1972), Dutch sprinter
- [Petronella de Jong](/source/Petronella_de_Jong) (born 1970), Dutch Olympic sailor
- [Petronella Kagonye](/source/Petronella_Kagonye), Zimbabwean politician
- [Petronella Moens](/source/Petronella_Moens) (1762–1843), Dutch writer, editor and feminist
- [Petronella Muns](/source/Petronella_Muns) (1794–1842), Dutch servant, one of the first Western women in Japan
- [Petronella Oortman](/source/Petronella_Oortman) (1656–1716), Dutch art collector
- [Petronella W.C. "Nelleke" Penninx](/source/Nelleke_Penninx) (born 1971), Dutch rower
- [Pieternella C. "Elly" Plooij-van Gorsel](/source/Elly_Plooij-van_Gorsel) (born 1947), Dutch Member of the European Parliament
- [Petronella van Randwijk](/source/Petronella_van_Randwijk) (1905–1978), Dutch gymnast
- [Petronella J. "Nelly" de Rooij](/source/Nelly_de_Rooij) (1883–1964), Dutch zoologist and herpetologist
- [Petronella G. "Nel" Roos-Lodder](/source/Nel_Roos-Lodder) (1914–1996), Dutch discus thrower
- [Petronella Melusine von der Schulenburg](/source/Petronella_Melusine_von_der_Schulenburg) (1693–1778), Countess of Walsingham
- [Petra van Staveren](/source/Petra_van_Staveren) (born 1966), Dutch swimmer
- [Petronella Johanna de Timmerman](/source/Petronella_Johanna_de_Timmerman) (1723–1786), Dutch poet and scientist
- [Petronella Tshuma](/source/Petronella_Tshuma) (born 1990), South African actress
- [Petronella van Vliet](/source/Petronella_van_Vliet) (1926–2006), Dutch swimmer
- [Petronella van Woensel](/source/Petronella_van_Woensel) (1785–1839), Dutch painter
- [Petronella Wyatt](/source/Petronella_Wyatt) (born 1968), British journalist and author
- [Petronella Zwier](/source/Petronella_Zwier) (1936–2001), Dutch high jumper

**Fictional characters**

- [Petronella Osgood](/source/Petronella_Osgood), a *[Doctor Who](/source/Doctor_Who)* character

## References

1. [popularity](https://www.meertens.knaw.nl/nvb/populariteit/naam/Petronella) and [explanation](https://www.meertens.knaw.nl/nvb/verklaring/naam/Petronella) at the [Meertens Institute](/source/Meertens_Institute)'s database of given names in the Netherlands.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Petronella](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronella) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronella?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.