Gisela: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,932

among girls · ↑386 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Gisela · +12% vs 2024

How common

1 in 43,440

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1995

160 babies

All-time total

4,246

#2,869 all-time among girls

First recorded

1915

in Social Security records

Gisela popularity over time

4,246 babies have been named Gisela since 1915, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	15	2	–	#4,547
1920s	47	5	+213%	#3,010
1930s	32	3	-32%	#3,329
1940s	21	2	-34%	#3,541
1950s	140	14	+567%	#1,931
1960s	332	33	+137%	#1,924
1970s	646	65	+95%	#1,178
1980s	511	51	-21%	#1,606
1990s	901	90	+76%	#1,109
2000s	909	91	+1%	#1,631
2010s	480	48	-47%	#2,652
2020s (to 2025)	212	35	-26%	#3,795

Where Gisela is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	37	0.02	outside top 500
2027	37	0.02	outside top 500
2028	37	0.02	outside top 500
2029	37	0.02	outside top 500
2030	37	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Gisela

Gisela is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #3,932 in 2025 with 37 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1915, 4,246 American babies have been named Gisela. Its peak came in 1995, when 160 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Gisela stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Gisela?

The median living Gisela is about 30 years old; half are between 20 and 46. An estimated 4,000 people named Gisela are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Gisela year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	37	#3,932
2024	33	#4,318
2023	40	#3,795
2022	34	#4,238
2021	30	#4,546
2020	38	#3,803
2019	33	#4,287
2018	41	#3,701
2017	41	#3,720
2016	46	#3,430
2015	51	#3,229
2014	41	#3,739
2013	42	#3,661
2012	56	#3,024
2011	61	#2,850
2010	68	#2,652
2009	56	#3,062
2008	83	#2,341
2007	81	#2,356
2006	102	#1,965
2005	114	#1,734
2004	115	#1,690
2003	118	#1,631
2002	81	#2,104
2001	85	#2,002
2000	74	#2,161
1995	160	#1,109
1990	87	#1,692
1985	56	#1,953
1980	62	#1,772
1975	98	#1,178
1970	29	#2,538
1965	35	#1,959
1960	33	#1,994
1955	15	#3,018
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	8	#3,465
1925	6	#4,637
1920	–	–
1915	5	#4,547
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Gisela

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Gisela, daughter of Louis the Pious Frankish noble, daughter of Louis the Pious 820–874 · Medieval
2 Gisela Dulko Argentine tennis player b. 1985 · Contemporary
3 Gisela of Swabia Holy Roman Empress from 1027 to 1039 990–1043 · Medieval
4 Gisela of Hungary Queen of Hungary from 1000/1001 to 1038; Catholic saint 980–1065 · Medieval
5 Gisela, Abbess of Chelles Roman Catholic nun and abbess 757–810 · Medieval
6 Gisela of Burgundy Duchess consort of Bavaria 950–1006 · Medieval
7 Gisela Spanish singer (born 1979) Contemporary
8 Gisela Mauermayer German discus thrower 1913–1995 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Gisela, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Gisela?

The median living Gisela is about 30 years old. Half of all living Giselas are between 20 and 46 years old.

How many people named Gisela are alive today?

An estimated 4,000 people named Gisela are alive in the United States, based on 4,246 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Gisela mean?

Gisela is a female given name of Germanic origin.

How popular is the name Gisela in 2025?

Gisela ranked #3,932 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 37 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Gisela?

4,246 babies have been named Gisela in the United States since 1915, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Gisela most popular?

Gisela peaked in 1995, when 160 newborns received the name.

Is Gisela a boy or girl name?

Gisela is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Gisela rising or falling?

Gisela has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Gisela become more popular?

Gisela looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 37 girls named Gisela in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Gisela?

Well-known people named Gisela include Gisela, daughter of Louis the Pious (religious figure), Gisela Dulko (tennis player), Gisela of Swabia (politician).

Names like Gisela

Names that sound and feel close to Gisela: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Gisela with similar names → More names starting with G →