Frequency: (399)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
1. Americanized spelling of German Jelle, from a short form of a personal name beginning with the element geld ‘to be worth’, for example Gelderich or Geldolf.
2. Possibly a respelling of Norwegian Hjelle.
GIVEN NAMES: French 10%. Armand (2), Sylvain (2), Adrien, Andre, Gaston, Gisele, Henri, Normand, Pierre.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
