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Meaning & History
Dutchization of the French name Gilles. In the past, it was also used as a short form of the related name Gielis (now archaic).Giel is also a short form of various other names. Most commonly of Machiel and Michiel, which basically makes the name a variant of Chiel. In addition to these, Giel is also used as a short form of the French name Guillaume and its dutchizations (such as Giliam), as well as of names that contain the Germanic element gisal meaning "pledge, hostage" (such as Gilbert and its variant Gielbert).Notable bearers of this name include the Dutch radio DJ Giel Beelen (b. 1977) and the soccer player Giel Haenen (1934-2024).