Gisela
Gisela is a female given name of Germanic origin. The name derives from the Old High German word gīsal, "pledge".
Meaning & Origin of Gisela
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Gisela is a female given name of Germanic origin. The name derives from the Old High German word gīsal, "pledge".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Gisela
Gisela first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1915, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1995, when 160 Giselas were born — ranking #1,107 that year. As of 2026, Gisela ranks #4,086 for baby girls with 35 births, holding steady (-3%). In total, more than 4K Giselas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Gisela
Phonetically similar names — useful when Gisela is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gisela
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About the name Gisela
Gisela is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Gisela's peak popularity came in 1995 when it ranked #1,107. Use the chart and map above to compare Gisela's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1995 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.