indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Gender Feminine
Usage French (Archaic), French (African, Rare), French (Quebec, Archaic), English (Rare), Dutch (Rare)
Pronounced Pron. AN-SEL(French, Quebec French) an-SEL(African French) ahn-SEL-lə(Dutch) ahn-SEL(Dutch) [key]
Other Forms FormsAncel, Ancelia, Ancélie, Ancella, Anchella, Anchelle, Anselia, Ansella, Anselle
Meaning & History
French variant of Ancille, which has also been used in non-francophone countries over time. Note that in the English-speaking world, there are very likely cases where this name is a feminization of Ansel.The name has always been extremely rare in the French-speaking world, which is probably because the association with the French word ancelle "female servant" is too close. It appears that (where the francophone world is concerned) the name is no longer in use in France itself these days, but predominantly in African countries where French is one of the official national languages, such as Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo.