Gisele or Giselle

[DreamReverie]

Both are valid options, but which one do you prefer, Gisele or Giselle? No accents. Giselle is spelling of the ballet and one I prefer. Name means hostage and dates from medieval times and it could mean promise in metaphorical way.

I would go for Giselle like the ballet.

Giselle. I think that’s how most would spell it.

I grew up speaking German as a second language and had a Gisele in my family. So to me, even as an American in England, that reads as Gee-sel-uh, with a hard G. I don't know if others see it that way, to be fair.
If you want the Jiss-elle pronunciation, go with Giselle. I think, wherever you are in the world, people will pronounce her name as intended.

Giselle

I would read Gisele as Gee-ze-la but I would ask. I love the soft French sound of Giselle.

I wouldn't use it as it has several pronunciations and although the Zhees-el one is nice she'll probably get called Jizz-elle

The he German version is Gisela

Pronounced Gee (hard G) se lah 3 syllables

Ghislaine?

Both Gisela and Ghislaine are pretty, but both of you are kind of off topic. Question is Gisele or Giselle. Ghislaine is tainted, while Gisela isn't ultimate no-confusion name. There's also Spanish Gisela and German Gisele, both which can be tricky to pin pronunciation down.

I've never heard of a German name Gisele. It's Gisela normally.

@Blubells

I've never heard of a German name Gisele. It's Gisela normally.

so, do you prefer Giselle or Gisele?

I think it looks over with the double L. One of DD's teachers is Gisele though pronounced Jis - el it's also nice.

*looks nicer

Much prefer Giselle. It's the version I'd assume if I heard it before seeing it written down.

I've never heard of a German name Gisele. It's Gisela normally.

In German -e at the end of a name is pronounced a bit like -uh-. Hard for me to describe.
But my niece is Analiese, which is Ana-leez-uh or more like -eh.
Gisele = Gee-sel-uh/eh (hard G).
Inge = Ing-eh

I'd be concerned it would be shortened to Jizz

@HidingFromDD

I'd be concerned it would be shortened to Jizz

Exactly 😬

In German -e at the end of a name is pronounced a bit like -uh-. Hard for me to describe.

Thanks but I actually know how it's pronounced. My point was that Gisela is the German version of the name, not Gisele.

I prefer Gisele

@Blubells

In German -e at the end of a name is pronounced a bit like -uh-. Hard for me to describe.

Thanks but I actually know how it's pronounced. My point was that Gisela is the German version of the name, not Gisele.

so, why would I care about Gisela?

Giselle is lovely, classy & timeless girls name, surprised it isn’t more popular.

Depends on pronunciation.

I'd pronounce Gisele as Ghee-zeh-luh but Giselle as Jhee-zell