Giselle

Giselle: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “pledge; hostage”
Origin: French
Say it: jiz-EL · 2 syllables
Used for: Girls

French form of Gisèle, from a Germanic element gisil meaning 'pledge' or 'hostage'. The name is well known from the romantic ballet Giselle.

French names English names Classic names International names Literary names

How popular is Giselle?

2024262 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Giselle in 2024871

2024 rank#356 girls

Peak year2007

Total US babies since 188049,421

Giselle is fading: recent use is about 54% of its level ten years before.

Names like Giselle

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Gissellepledge, hostage · French
Charlottefree man · French
Eleanormeaning uncertain · French
Eloisehealthy; wide · French
Claireclear, bright · French
Nataliebirthday of the Lord · French
Madelineof Magdala · French
Carolinefree woman · French

Giselle questions

What does the name Giselle mean?

Giselle means "pledge; hostage". It comes from French. French form of Gisèle, from a Germanic element gisil meaning 'pledge' or 'hostage'. The name is well known from the romantic ballet Giselle.

Is Giselle a boy or girl name?

Giselle is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Giselle?

871 US babies were named Giselle in 2024. Its peak year was 2007.

How do you pronounce Giselle?

Giselle is usually pronounced jiz-EL.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.