Grissell

German

"grey battle"

Grissell Origin and Meaning

The name Grissell is a girl's name.

Grissell is an uncommon feminine name with medieval origins. It's a variant of Griselda, which derived from the Germanic elements 'gris' meaning 'gray' and 'hild' meaning 'battle' or 'warrior'. The name gained some recognition through the character Griselda in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Boccaccio's Decameron, who became the epitome of wifely patience and obedience. Grissell was more frequently used in the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in England and Scotland. Today, it remains quite rare, giving it a distinctive historical charm that appeals to parents seeking a unique name with ancient roots and literary connections.

The name Grissell in Pop Culture

• Grizzle Trunnion (nee Pickle) wife of Commodore Hawser Trunnion ("commanding local garrison") and aunt to the eponymous Peregrine in Tobias Smollett's 1751 novel Peregrine Pickle