Etymologically, the name is usually said to derive from the oblique case of a Proto-West Germanic root: *gīsl “hostage, pledge” (see Wiktionary:Ghislain). As such, it is cognate with modern German Geisel "hostage".
The name is typically attributed to a Proto-West Germanic root: *gīsl “hostage, pledge” (see Wiktionary:Ghislain). As such, it shares a cognates with modern German Geisel "hostage".