Giselle
2 syllables
♀ Female ◎ English / French / German / Germanic ◈ 2 syllables
"Oath"

From English / French / German / Germanic

Giselle means pledge or hostage — a Germanic origin that belies the name's extraordinary grace. The ballet Giselle (1841) is the most famous Romantic ballet ever created: a peasant girl who dies of heartbreak and saves her faithless lover from beyond the grave. Gisele Bündchen, the most successful supermodel in history, gave the name Brazilian-German glamour. It sounds like a curtain rising.

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Giselle at a glance
MeaningOath
OriginEnglish / French / German / Germanic
GenderFemale
Syllables2
NumerologyLife Path 6
US Rank (today)#309
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Why parents love Giselle
  • The ballet Giselle is the greatest Romantic ballet ever choreographed.
  • Gisele Bündchen is the highest-earning supermodel in history.
  • Two syllables with a French, balletic sound: zhih-ZEL.
  • The -elle ending is inherently elegant.
  • It connects to ballet, fashion, and French romance simultaneously.
The vibe of Giselle
balletFrenchpledginggracefulsupermodelromanticcurtain-risingelegant
Origin & history of Giselle
Germanic gisil (pledge/hostage) French Giselle
1
English / French / German / Germanic roots
Giselle comes from the Germanic gisil, meaning pledge or hostage — in the medieval context, a noble hostage given as a guarantee of peace. The ballet Giselle (1841) is considered the epitome of Romantic ballet: a peasant girl deceived by a nobleman dies of grief, then saves him from vengeful spirits through the power of love. Gisele Bündchen (born 1980) became the world's highest-earning model for 14 consecutive years. The Enchanted (2007) character Princess Giselle added a Disney dimension.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: The ballet Giselle premiered in 1841; the name has been used in France for centuries.
3
Today
Giselle remains a beloved choice, ranking #309 in the US. 49,421 babies have been named Giselle since 1949.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, SSA data
How popular is Giselle?
2007 peak year
Giselle reached its widest reach during the early 2000s. In 2007, 2,596 babies received the name (ranked #134). In the present decade it sits around #309, with about 1,066 babies given the name annually. Giselle has been declining in recent years. The all-time total comes to roughly 49,421 registrations.
Year-by-year registrations 1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
2,596 Babies named in peak year
(ranked #134)
1,066 Avg. per year
(last decade)
10,660 Total registrations
last 10 years
49,421 All-time total
(since 1880)
Popularity in the US today (rank #309) Popular
↓ Declining in recent years
📊 Check all names registered in the United States →
Numerology of Giselle
6
Life path number
The Nurturer
Nurturing, love and responsibility.

Giselle's Life Path 9 is the humanitarian's number — pledging herself to others. People named Giselle tend to be graceful, generous, and capable of transcendent beauty in everything they do.

Transcendent grace
Generous pledge
Beautiful in everything
Beyond earthly limits
Saves through love
G7
I9
S1
E5
L3
L3
E5
Sum: 33 → Life path 6
Personality of Giselle
❤️
Nurturing heart
They notice when someone is struggling before anyone else.
🏡
Creates warmth
Their circle is warmer for their presence.
⚖️
Strong morals
They know what's right and stand by it.
🌸
Quietly selfless
They give and give, often without realising how much.
Names that sound like Giselle

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Names that combine with Giselle

Sibling pairings that share the timeless, classic energy of Giselle.

Middle names for Giselle

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Numerology life path calculator

Enter any full name and date of birth to discover the life path number — a core numerological indicator of personality, purpose and destiny.

First name
Middle name (optional)
Last name
Date of birth
7
Life path number

How we calculated this
Giselle is a beautiful choice.
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