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Griselda has been running through my head lately.

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It means, "gray haired battle maiden." !!! I'll type that again. It means, "gray haired battle maiden."

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I've wondered how this came to be. Obviously naming styles change over time and what we consider a plus doesn't necessarily hold for parents in days gone by. I completely get that naming a child some sort of battle maiden was normal. (Imelda = all embracing battle maiden. Brunhilda = battle armour.) It's the gray haired part. Was the first Griselda named after a famous mother / grandmother known for her strength in old age? If so, that would be extrememly cool. Or was it the hope of the parents that their little girl should one day grow up to be a famous warrior, and live to old age? The Irish have a beautiful name Liadan, meaning gray lady. The same musings go through my brain about that one too.

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Another reason I love the name Griselda: nn Zelda is neat-o-kean-o. Zellie too.

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So. Does anyone else see the attraction of Griselda? I'm not planning on naming a child this, so it's purely a name-nerdy question I'm asking. Dare I ask for some combinations? Be as free as you like with it.

This message was edited 3/18/2010, 10:40 AM