Surname Pourcel - Meaning and Origin
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Pourcel: What does the surname Pourcel mean?
The last name Pourcel is a French surname, and it is thought to derive from the Latin word 'porcellus', meaning "little pig" or "piglet". Although this meaning of the name is largely speculation, it is possible that it was used as a nickname for someone with traits associated with that of a pig. Additionally, the form of the surname also suggests an animal origin, as it closely resembles the French terms 'porc' for "pig" and 'pourceau' for "piglet."
Other interpretations of the name Pourcel include its use as a toponymic name, meaning that it originated as a localization of a person from a specific place, and its use as an occupational name for someone employed as a pork butcher or a pig breeder.
The name Pourcel is most commonly found in France, but has also been found in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United States. In total, it is estimated that the Pourcel family has been present in Europe for more than five hundred years.
The modern Pourcel family is comprised of a variety of people with a range of occupations, including academics, entrepreneurs, politicians, and military personnel. Some of the most notable members of the Pourcel family include French tennis player Philippe Pourcel, cartoonist François Pourcel, and pastor Philippe Pourcel.
Order DNA origin analysisPourcel: Where does the name Pourcel come from?
The last name Pourcel is most commonly found in France today. Records from the late 1800s show that the Pourcel name is found mostly in the southwest part of the country, including the departments of Hérault, Tarn-et-Garonne, and, to a lesser extent, the departments of Lot-et-Garonne, Aveyron, Aude, and Haute-Garonne.
The Pourcel name could be a form of the French word “pourceau,” meaning pigsty, which would suggest that the family had ancestral roots experiencing humble beginnings. Alternatively, the name might also have been derived from Latin “pars caelliculi,” which translates to the edge of the sky.
Today, the name is uncommon outside of France although there are a few Pourcel families living in the United States, as well as in Belgium, Italy, and other parts of Europe.
In recent decades, several prominent Frenchmen have borne the Pourcel name and have been involved in various fields such as politics, sports, media, and the law. Notable French Pourcels include Raymond Pourcel, a politician in the early 20th century, Christian Pourcel, a professional motorcycle racer, and Jean-Francois Pourcel, a French lawyer and professor.
Given the relatively small number of Pourcels living in France and abroad today, the Pourcel name will likely remain a rare one in the future.
Variations of the surname Pourcel
The surname Pourcel is a French patronymic, derived from the Latin word 'puer', meaning 'boy' or 'son'. It is therefore commonly associated with variations of its Latin root, such as 'Puercell', 'Purcell', 'Purcel', 'Pursal', 'Pursall', 'Pussal', 'Pussall' and 'Porcel'.
The variations of this surname primarily originate from France and Ireland, with the 'Purcell' spelling having been adopted for use in Ireland. In France, the initial, singularized 'Puercell' spelling was used, eventually morphing into 'Pourcel' due to a common French linguistic phenomenon of elision (dropping of an unstressed phoneme).
Pourcel is further commonly found as 'Porcel', a variant of the original spelling that evolved through the mistranslation of French by Spanish-speaking peoples inhabiting the area.
In contemporary France, the Pourcel variants are primarily found in the Limousin, Auvergne and Languedoc-Roussillon regions. In Ireland, the surname is typically found in the counties of Kilkenny, Waterford, Cork and Wexford.
Overall, Pourcel and its many variants are firmly entrenched in the culture and history of both France and Ireland, with the surname and its various spellings having endured the test of time.
Famous people with the name Pourcel
- Jacky Pourcel: French composer and orchestra director
- Sebastien Pourcel: French professional motorcycle racer and 1986 FIM 50cc Motocross World Champion
- Yves Pourcel: French composer, arranger and producer
- Francis Pourcel: French composer and orchestra conductor
- Patrick Pourcel: French professional motocross rider
- Franck Pourcel: French composer, arranger and conductor of popular music
- Pierre-Yves Pourcel: French composer and record producer
- Christian Pourcel: French former professional motocross racer and enduro rider
- Francis Pourcel: French artist
- André Pourcel: Swiss former professional footballer