Skip to main content

Updated June 9, 2019

Family name origins & meanings

  • Possibly an altered spelling of South German Penzel, Penzl, or Pensel, short forms of the personal name Berthold or sometimes Bernhard. This name occurs chiefly in PA.
  • (also Pensel, Pinsel) a metonymic occupational name for a painter or whitewasher, from Middle High German pensel, pinsel ‘brush’.

Join the Family

Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.

Subscribe