Biography

Griselda is a feminine given name from Germanic sources that is now used in English, Italian, and Spanish as well. According to the 1990 United States Census, the name was 1066th in popularity among females in the United States. It has been suggested that the name originated from Old English "gris hild", meaning "dark battle". The name likely specifically stems from the Proto-Germanic language elements *grīsaz, meaning both "grey" and "fearsome, terrible", and *haliþaz, meaning "warrior, hero", or alternately *hildiz, meaning "battle" (compare modern German grau and Held).The name can also be spelled "Griselde", "Grisselda", "Grieselda", "Grizelda", "Gricelda", and "Criselda". Common nicknames include, "Zelda", "Selda", "Grissy", "Gris", "Grisel", or "Grizel".