Date
Meaning & History
Of debated origin and meaning. Even though folk etymology likes to derive this name from Italian giglio "lily" (Latin lilium), a plant considered to symbolize the qualities of candor and purity, it is more likely derived from Giglio or Gilio. It was borne by 14th-century Italian noblewomen Gigliola Gonzaga, also known as Egidiola, and Gigliola da Carrara (1379-1416), a marchioness of Ferrara.