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Home › Baby Names Directory › Griselda

Griselda

♀ Girl

Pronounced gri-ZEL-dah /ɡrɪˈzɛl.dɑ/High

Meaning: Gray battle; from Germanic gris, 'gray', and hild, 'battle' — the patient Griselda of Boccaccio and ChaucerHigh

In 30 seconds: A name of fierce patience and gray steel: Griselda — 'gray battle' — was medieval literature's model of endurance, and lately a Netflix drug-empress. Vintage, dramatic, and Zelda-equipped.
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Origin HighGermanic
MeaningGray battle; from Germanic gris, 'gray', and hild, 'battle' — the patient Griselda of Boccaccio and Chaucer
U.S. rank (2025)#3309 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births47 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1993
Total births (all-time)≈ 9,122

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199319062025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Griselda joins Germanic gris, 'gray', and hild, 'battle' — 'gray battle'. Medieval literature made her the patient, long-suffering heroine of Boccaccio's Decameron and Chaucer's Clerk's Tale; Spanish and Italian families kept the name. The 2024 series about Griselda Blanco gave it a fierce modern jolt.

In the U.S. it appears in Latino families and reads deeply vintage with Zelda hiding inside. Rare, dramatic, and steel-rooted.

Did you know? Patient Griselda — the wife who endures her husband's cruel tests in Boccaccio and Chaucer — became the medieval byword for forbearance, the opposite of the modern Griselda Blanco's cartel notoriety.
Overall data confidence 90%
Behind the Name — Griselda — etymology

Variations

GriselGriselleZelda

Nicknames

ZeldaGriselGris

Famous Bearers

  • ★Griselda Blanco (1943-2012)
    Colombian drug lord of the Medellín Cartel
  • ★Griselda Pollock (1949-)
    British art historian and feminist theorist
  • ★Griselda Gambaro (1928-)
    Argentine playwright and novelist

If you like Griselda…

Zelda— the nickname nested inside it
Gretchen— the companion vintage German pick
Imelda— another dramatic Latina vintage name
Hilda— shares Griselda's Germanic roots
Adela— a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Griselda

By themevintagegermanicliterary
By meaningWarrior

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Griselda mean?

Griselda comes from Germanic gris, 'gray', and hild, 'battle' — 'gray battle'.

How do you pronounce Griselda?

It's said gri-ZEL-dah /ɡrɪˈzɛl.dɑ/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Griselda a boy or girl name?

Griselda is a girl's name.

How popular is Griselda?

Griselda is a rare vintage name in the U.S., used in Latino families.

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