girl's name
Ghislaine
gee-LEN
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Letters 9
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 64,537
Ghislaine means a pledge, and the pledge was a person — the Germanic word named a hostage handed over as security for a treaty, which is how the name entered European royalty. The word marked status rather than shame.
- Ghislaine is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1956, when 3,135 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 117,911 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
Ghislaine over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 175 |
| 1910s | 405 |
| 1920s | 1,985 |
| 1930s | 4,135 |
| 1940s | 10,415 |
| 1950s | 26,445 |
| 1960s | 15,875 |
| 1970s | 3,750 |
| 1980s | 775 |
| 1990s | 240 |
| 2000s | 80 |
| 2010s | 30 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 20 |
What Ghislaine means
Ghislaine means a pledge, or hostage. The Germanic gisil named someone given as security for an agreement, so the name records a legal practice rather than a quality.
Where Ghislaine comes from
Ghislaine is a French feminine built on the Germanic gisil — a pledge or hostage — the same element behind Gisèle and Giselle. The practice was ordinary diplomacy: royal children were exchanged as living guarantees that treaties would be kept, and were raised at the other court, so the word carried status rather than shame. The gh spelling is Flemish and Walloon, from Saint Ghislain, a seventh-century hermit whose monastery gave its name to a Belgian town.
Ghislaine in use
Ghislaine peaked in France in 1956, when 3,135 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track, at 5770th in France on 5 births, across 64,537 lifetime births. Gisèle, built on the same element, is written up separately and our data marks that one reviving.
How popular is Ghislaine?
In 2025, Ghislaine was given to 5 babies in France. It is a rare choice.
Where Ghislaine is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Ghislaine
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ghislaine also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ghislaine over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Ghislaine in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Ghislaine
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ghislaine — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ghislaine
What does the name Ghislaine mean?
A pledge — specifically a hostage given as security for a treaty.
How is Ghislaine pronounced?
gee-LEN in French — the s is silent.
Why would a hostage be an honor?
Royal children were exchanged as living guarantees and raised at the other court. It marked status.
Is it related to Gisèle?
Yes — both are built on the Germanic gisil.
How popular is the name Ghislaine?
In 2025, Ghislaine was given to 5 babies in France. It is a rare choice.
Is Ghislaine a girl's or a boy's name?
Ghislaine is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
When was Ghislaine most popular?
Ghislaine peaked in 1956, when 3,135 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Ghislaine a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ghislaine currently ranks #5,770 in France. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.