Giselle is the French form of the Germanic name Gisela, from gisil, meaning "pledge" or "hostage", a reference to noble children sent to foreign courts as a guarantee of treaties. The romantic ballet Giselle, first staged in Paris in 1841, gave the name its graceful image. In the United States Giselle peaked at number 134 in 2007 and has eased down since to number 382 in 2025.