Notes: |
Scottish and English variant of Griselda, from Old German, possibly meaning "grey battle-maiden".
Several spelling variants occur occasionally in the 1841 Census of Aberdeenshire, e.g. Gresel, Gressel, Grizal and Grissel. These should be retrieved by Soundex search on Grisel/Grizel and Girsel/Girzel.
Old documents written in Latin used the original form, Griselda, with appropriate case endings.
The derivation of Grace, via the diminutive Gris, is particularly Scottish. |