Grisel
A feminine name of French origin meaning "gray-haired" or "curly-haired".
Name Census estimates that about 1,552 living Americans carry the first name Grisel. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Grisel today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Grisel births was 1984 (211 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Grisel. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.6K
~ 1 in 220,847 Americans
Peak year
1984
211 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
1984 SSA rank
#5,171
Tracked since 1954
Gender
Gender distribution for Grisel
Out of the 1,672 babies given the name Grisel since 1880, 99.6% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Grisel as a male name
- Ranked #5,171 in 1984
- 7 male births in 1984
- Peak: 1984 (7 births)
Grisel as a female name
- Ranked #12,582 in 2024
- 7 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1984 (204 births)
Popularity
Grisel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Grisel from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 493 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Grisel by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Grisel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Grisels live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. New York, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Grisel, while Massachusetts, Florida, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 136 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Grisel
The name Grisel finds its origins in the Old French language, derived from the Germanic word "gris," meaning "gray" or "gray-haired." It emerged during the Middle Ages in France and surrounding regions, often given to individuals with grayish hair or a grayish complexion.
The earliest known recorded use of the name Grisel can be traced back to the 13th century French literary work "Le Roman de la Rose," where a character named Griselda appears. This character became a symbol of patient wifely obedience and was later adapted into various other literary works, including Chaucer's "The Clerk's Tale" and Petrarch's "De Obedientia et Fide Uxoria Mythologia."
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Grisel was Griselda Poliziano (c. 1450-1508), an Italian Renaissance poet and writer. She was renowned for her poetic works and her correspondence with prominent figures of the time, including Angelo Poliziano and Marsilio Ficino.
Another notable Grisel was Grisel Brinsley Sheridan (1804-1867), an English novelist and playwright. She was the daughter of the renowned playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan and is best known for her novel "The Contrast," which explored the social and cultural differences between England and America.
In the 16th century, Grisel Dalier (c. 1560-1635) was a French Protestant noblewoman and writer. She is remembered for her memoir, "Mémoires de Madame Dalier," which recounted her experiences during the French Wars of Religion and her imprisonment for her Protestant faith.
During the 17th century, Grisel Hay (c. 1625-1692) was a Scottish aristocrat and courtier. She served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Mary of Modena, the second wife of King James II of England, and played a significant role in the court intrigues of the time.
Another notable figure was Grisel Viardot-García (1823-1910), a French mezzo-soprano and composer. She was the daughter of the renowned Spanish singer Manuel García and achieved great success as an operatic performer, particularly in the works of Gluck, Meyerbeer, and Berlioz.
People
Grisel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Grisel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Grisel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Grisel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,552 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Grisel going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 220,847 US residents.
Is Grisel a common name?
We classify Grisel as "Rare". It ranks above 92.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,672 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Grisel most popular?
The single biggest year for Grisel was 1984, when 211 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Grisel is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Grisel a female name?
Yes, 99.6% of people registered as Grisel in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.