Where does “Fenella” come from?

Fenella is an English name derived from Scottish Gaelic Fionnaghal, itself from Scottish Gaelic Fionnghuala, of uncertain ultimate origin and meaning.

Ancestry of “Fenella”, step by step

Fenella traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Latin findicula

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinfindicula—
2Latinfindōto cleave, break up, separate, divide, split, part
3Proto-Italicfindōsplit, cleave
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeyd-to split
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰey-bee

via Scottish Gaelic Fionnaghal

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Scottish GaelicFionnaghal—
2Scottish GaelicFionnghuala—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰey- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd- →Every word from Proto-Italic findō →