From the Anglo-Norman ‘pourcel’, ‘piglet’ — a Tipperary and Kilkenny family who never traded their Norman name for a Gaelic one.
The Purcell certificate.
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Norman Origin · From ‘pourcel’, ‘little pig’
Purcell comes from the Anglo-Norman pourcel, ‘piglet’ — most likely an ancestor's nickname rather than anything to do with farming. The family settled across Tipperary and Kilkenny after the invasion and rose to become Barons of Loughmoe.
An unglamorous nickname carried all the way to a barony — proof that a family's standing outgrew whatever their name first poked fun at.
Irish form: (no Gaelic form)
