Jissel
A Spanish feminine name derived from the biblical name Jezebel, meaning "consecrated to God".
Name Census estimates that about 465 living Americans carry the first name Jissel. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jissel today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jissel births was 2003 (41 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jissel. 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
465
~ 1 in 737,106 Americans
Peak year
2003
41 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2021 SSA rank
#11,573
Tracked since 1989
Popularity
Jissel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jissel from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 264 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jissel 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 Jissel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jissels live
Origin
Meaning and history of Jissel
The name Jissel has its origins in the Dutch language, and is believed to have derived from the Germanic root "gisal," which means "hostage" or "pledge." This name first emerged in the Netherlands during the Middle Ages, around the 12th century.
In its earliest form, the name was spelled as "Gisela" or "Giselle," and was commonly used among the Dutch nobility and upper-class families. Over time, the spelling evolved to "Jissel," which became a more localized variation in certain regions of the Netherlands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jissel can be found in the annals of the Dutch city of Utrecht, where a noblewoman named Jissel van Utrecht was mentioned in historical records from the year 1237. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support of the local church.
Another notable figure bearing this name was Jissel van Brederode, a Dutch noblewoman who lived in the late 15th century. She played a significant role in the political affairs of the time and was known for her strong leadership and diplomatic skills.
In the realm of literature, the name Jissel appears in the works of the renowned Dutch writer Joost van den Vondel, who wrote a play titled "Gijsbrecht van Aemstel" in 1637. One of the characters in the play was named Jissel, which helped popularize the name among the Dutch literary circles of the time.
Moving forward in history, we encounter Jissel van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch scientist and pioneer of microscopy, who was born in 1632. He made significant contributions to the field of microbiology and is considered one of the most influential scientists of the 17th century.
Another notable figure was Jissel van Rensselaer, a Dutch-American landowner and politician, who lived from 1658 to 1724. He was a prominent figure in the early colonial history of New York and played a crucial role in the development of the region.
While the name Jissel is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the Dutch cultural heritage and serves as a reminder of the rich history and linguistic traditions of the Netherlands.
People
Jissel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jissel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jissel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jissel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 465 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jissel 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 737,106 US residents.
Is Jissel a common name?
We classify Jissel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 473 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jissel most popular?
The single biggest year for Jissel was 2003, when 41 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jissel is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jissel a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jissel 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.