Hi Jennifer,
My grandmother’s middle name is Permilla, as was her grandmother’s middle name that died three months before my grandmother’s birth. I love the name and I wouldn’t mind having one of my future children’s middle name as Permilla (if I have a daughter), but I would like to know what it means. I have searched for the meaning many times but I have never been able to find the name or meaning on any website.  My guess is that it’s German because my great great grandmother’s father was from Germany, but I’m not sure.
Sincerely,
Brandon
Hi Brandon,
The name Permilla is an old English name. It very well could be a variation of Pamela or another old English name, Permelia. Some sources say Permelia is derived from the Latin phrase “per melia” which means “by” or “from” sweetness.
Hope that helps!
Sincerely,
Jennifer

Jennifer Moss (she/her) is the founder of BabyNames.com, author of The Baby Names Workbook, and Producer of The Baby Names Podcast. Jennifer is widely regarded as the leading expert on popular baby name trends and the naming process, serving as the authoritative source on the subject for national and international media.

Jennifer entered the tech arena in the 80s as a software developer and database architect, and became a pioneer in the Internet industry. In addition to operating BabyNames.com, Jennifer owns a web development agency in central California.