[Facts] Mayzl and Mizella
What are the origins of Mayzl and Mizella? I found Mizella in a "new age" baby name book from the 70's. The meaning given was "Used by the English Gypsies. The exact meaning of this name could not be determined." In searching for the meaning, I found it might possibly be linked to Mayzl, a Yiddish name. Is there a link, and what does Mayzl mean? Thanks.
This message was edited 1/18/2010, 12:09 PM
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Just guessing: MAYZL could well be the Yiddish word for "little mouse."
I can confirm that Mizella has been used very infrequently by Romanichal (British Romanies) as far back as 1862, but I've no idea what it means. I suspect it's an invention based on -ella, possibly related to the English term 'mizzle', which means a light misty rain - which seems more plausible than a Yiddish connection.