Parnell Heritage?

Question:

Parnell Heritage?

Here's a question for you:

My mother's surname is Parnell and we've always been told our ancestors were Irish since many in our family have red hair, all very very fair skinned (red like a lobster in the sun), and have freckles all over. Yet someone else said Parnell is an English name, so which is it? I lived in England a while and I never heard of any Parnells are saw many English with freckles, am I missing something?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: The most prominent Irish Nationalist of the 19th century was Charles Parnell. Although born in Ireland he could trace his ancestry back to Cheshire in the early 17th century. The family moved to Ireland around the 1660s.