EA (1)mSemitic MythologyMeaning unknown, perhaps from Sumerian meaning "house of water", or perhaps of Akkadian or Hurrian origin. This was the Akkadian, Assyrian, Hurrian and Babylonian name of the Sumerian water god
Enki.
EADBERHTmAnglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
beorht "bright". This was the name of an 8th-century king of Northumbria and three kings of Kent.
EADWIGmAnglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
wig "war". This was the name of a Saxon king of England in the 10th century. The name fell out of use after the Norman conquest.
EADWULFmAnglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
wulf "wolf". This name fell out of use after the Norman conquest.
EALDRÆDmAnglo-SaxonFrom the Old English elements
eald "old" and
ræd "counsel". This name was rarely used after the Norman conquest.
ÉAMONmIrishVariant of
ÉAMONN. This name was borne by American-born Irish president Éamon de Valera (1882-1975), whose birth name was Edward.
EARLmEnglishFrom the aristocratic title, which derives from Old English
eorl "nobleman, warrior". It has been used as a given name since the 19th century.
EARTHAfEnglishCombination of the English word
earth with the feminine name suffix
a. It has been used in honour of African-American philanthropist Eartha M. M. White (1876-1974). Another famous bearer was American singer and actress Eartha Kitt (1927-2008).
EASTERfEnglishFrom the English name of the Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of
Jesus. It was ultimately named for the Germanic spring goddess Eostre. It was traditionally given to children born on Easter, though it is rare in modern times.
EASTONmEnglish (Modern)From an English surname which was derived from place names meaning "east town" in Old English.
EBBA (2)fEnglishFrom the Old English name
Æbbe, meaning unknown, perhaps a contracted form of a longer name. Saint Ebba was a 7th-century daughter of King Æthelfrith of Bernicia and the founder of monasteries in Scotland. Another saint named Ebba was a 9th-century abbess and martyr who mutilated her own face so that she would not be raped by the invading Danes.
EBENEZERmBiblicalMeans "stone of help" in Hebrew. This was the name of a monument erected by
Samuel in the Old Testament. Charles Dickens used it for the miserly character Ebenezer Scrooge in his novel 'A Christmas Carol' (1843).
EBONYfEnglishFrom the English word
ebony for the black wood which comes from the ebony tree. It is ultimately from the Egyptian word
hbnj. In America this name is most often used by black parents.
EBRUfTurkishMeans "paper marbling" in Turkish. Paper marbling is the art of creating colourful patterns on paper.
ECHOfGreek MythologyMeans "echo" from the word for the repeating reflected sound, which derives from Greek
ηχη (eche) "sound". In Greek mythology Echo was a nymph given a speech impediment by
Hera, so that she could only repeat what others said. She fell in love with
Narcissus, but her love was not returned, and she pined away until nothing remained of her except her voice.
ECRİNfTurkishMeaning unknown, possibly from an Arabic word meaning "reward".
EDDA (2)fIcelandic, Ancient ScandinavianPossibly from Old Norse meaning "great-grandmother". This was the name of two 13th-century Icelandic literary works: the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. This is also the name of a character in the Poetic Edda, though it is unclear if her name is connected to the name of the collection.
EDENf & mHebrew, English (Modern)Means "place of pleasure" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people,
Adam and
Eve, lived before they were expelled.
EDER (1)mBiblicalMeans "flock" in Hebrew. This was the name of a son of Beriah in the Old Testament.
EDGARmEnglish, FrenchDerived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
gar "spear". This was the name of a 10th-century English king, Edgar the Peaceful. The name did not survive long after the Norman conquest, but it was revived in the 18th century, in part due to a character by this name in Sir Walter Scott's novel 'The Bride of Lammermoor' (1819), which tells of the tragic love between Edgar Ravenswood and Lucy Ashton. Famous bearers include author and poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), French impressionist painter Edgar Degas (1834-1917), and author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950).
EDISONmEnglishFrom an English surname which meant either "son of
EDA (2)" or "son of
ADAM". A famous bearer of the surname was the inventor Thomas Edison (1847-1931).
EDITHfEnglish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchFrom the Old English name
Eadgyð, derived from the elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
gyð "war". It was popular among Anglo-Saxon royalty, being borne for example by Saint Eadgyeth;, the daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful. The name remained common after the Norman conquest. It became rare after the 15th century, but was revived in the 19th century.
EDMAOmLimburgishLimburgish form of
EDMUND. Its spelling has been influenced by the French pronunciation of Edmond.
EDMONDmFrenchFrench form of
EDMUND. A notable bearer was the English astronomer Edmond Halley (1656-1742), for whom Halley's comet is named.
EDMUNDmEnglish, German, PolishFrom the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
mund "protection". This was the name of two Anglo-Saxon kings of England. It was also borne by two saints, including a 9th-century king of East Anglia who, according to tradition, was shot to death with arrows after refusing to divide his Christian kingdom with an invading pagan Danish leader. This Old English name remained in use after the Norman conquest (even being used by King Henry III for one of his sons), though it became less common after the 15th century.
... [more] EDNA (2)fBiblicalMeans "pleasure" in Hebrew. This name appears in the Old Testament Apocrypha in the Book of Tobit.
EDOMmBiblicalMeans "red" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament,
Esau was given this name because he traded his birthright for a helping of red broth. The bible goes on to tell that Esau was the founder of the ancient nation of Edom, located to the south of the kingdom of Judah.
EDRICmEnglish (Rare)From the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
ric "rule". After the Norman conquest this Old English name was not commonly used. It has occasionally been revived in modern times.
EDSELmVariousVariant of
ETZEL notably borne by Edsel Ford (1893-1943), the son of the American industrialist Henry Ford.
EDUARDmGerman, Russian, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Catalan, Dutch, Estonian, Romanian, Georgian, ArmenianForm of
EDWARD.
EDWARDmEnglish, PolishMeans "rich guard", derived from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
weard "guard". This was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings, the last being Saint Edward the Confessor shortly before the Norman conquest in the 11th century. He was known as a just ruler, and because of his popularity his name remained in use after the conquest when most other Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. The 13th-century Plantagenet king Henry III named his son and successor after the saint, and seven subsequent kings of England were also named Edward.
... [more] EDWINmEnglish, DutchMeans "rich friend" from the Old English elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
wine "friend". This was the name of a 7th-century Northumbrian king, regarded as a saint. After the Norman conquest the name was not popular, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century. A notable bearer was the astronaut Edwin Aldrin (1930-), also known as Buzz, the second man to walk on the moon.
EEROmFinnishFinnish form of
ERIC. A famous bearer was the architect Eero Saarinen (1910-1961).
EFISIOmItalianFrom the Latin byname
Ephesius, which originally belonged to a person who was from the city of Ephesus in Ionia. This was the name of a saint martyred on Sardinia in the 4th century.
EGBERTmEnglish, DutchMeans "bright edge" from the Old English elements
ecg "edge of a sword" and
beorht "bright". This was the name of kings of Kent and Wessex as well as two English saints. The name was rarely used after the Norman conquest but was revived in the 19th century.
EGILmNorwegian, Swedish, DanishFrom the Old Norse name
Egill, a diminutive of names that began with the element
agi "awe, terror". This was the name of a semi-legendary Icelandic warrior.
EGLANTINEfEnglish (Rare)From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It was first used as a given name (in the form
Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story 'The Prioress's Tale'.
EGLĖfLithuanianMeans "spruce tree" in Lithuanian. In a Lithuanian legend Eglė was a young woman who married a sea snake.
EGONmGermanDerived from the Germanic element
ag, which means "edge of a sword".
EHUDmBiblical, Hebrew, Biblical HebrewMeaning unknown, possibly related to Hebrew
אֶחָד ('echad) meaning "one". In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the biblical judges. He killed Eglon, the king of Moab, and freed the city of Jericho from Moabite rule.
ÉIBHEARmIrish, Irish MythologyMeaning unknown. According to Irish legend this name belonged to two of the sons of Míl, Éibhear Dunn and Éibhear Finn, the first of the Gaels to conquer Ireland.
EIFIONmWelshMeaning unknown. This was an old Welsh name that was revived in the 19th century.
EIJAfFinnishPossibly from the Finnish happy exclamation
eijaa.
EIKEmGermanShort form of names beginning with the Germanic element
ag "edge".
EILEENfIrish, EnglishAnglicized form of
EIBHLÍN. It is also sometimes considered an Irish form of
HELEN. It first became popular in the English-speaking world outside of Ireland near the end of the 19th century.
EILWENfWelshPerhaps means "white brow" from Welsh
ael "brow" and
gwen "white, fair, blessed".
ÉIMHÍNmIrishPossibly means "swift, prompt" in Irish Gaelic.
EINARmNorwegian, Icelandic, Swedish, DanishFrom the Old Norse name
Einarr, derived from the elements
ein "one, alone" and
arr "warrior". This name shares the same roots as
einherjar, the word for the slain warriors in Valhalla.
EINDRIDEmNorwegianDerived from the Old Norse name
Eindriði, possibly from the elements
ein "one, alone" and
ríða "to ride".
EINIONmWelshProbably from the Latin name
Ennianus, a derivative of
Ennius (see
ENNIO). It is also a modern Welsh word meaning "anvil". This was the name of a 5th-century Welsh king who is considered a saint in some Christian traditions.
EINOmFinnishMeaning unknown, possibly a Finnish form of a Scandinavian name.
EIRWENfWelshMeans "white snow" from the Welsh elements
eira "snow" and
gwen "white, blessed".
ELmSemitic MythologyFrom a Semitic root meaning "god". This was a title applied to several Semitic gods. The Canaanites used it as the name of their chief deity, the father of the gods and mankind. The Hebrews used it to refer to
Yahweh.
ELAHf & mHebrew, Biblical, Biblical HebrewMeans "oak tree" or "terebinth tree" in Hebrew. This was the name of the fourth king of Israel, as told in the Old Testament. He was murdered by
Zimri, who succeeded him. In modern Hebrew this is typically a feminine name.
ELAINEfEnglish, Arthurian RomanceFrom an Old French form of
HELEN. It appears in Arthurian legend; in Thomas Malory's 15th-century compilation 'Le Morte d'Arthur' Elaine was the daughter of Pelleas, the lover of
Lancelot, and the mother of
Galahad. It was not commonly used as an English given name until after the appearance of Tennyson's Arthurian epic 'Idylls of the King' (1859).
ELAMmBiblicalPossibly means either "hidden" or "eternity" in Hebrew. This was the name of several characters in the Old Testament, including a son of
Shem who was the ancestor of the Elamite peoples.
ELANORfLiteratureMeans "star sun" in Sindarin. In 'The Lord of the Rings' (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien this is Sam's eldest daughter, named after a type of flower.
ELDADmBiblicalMeans "God has loved" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is one of the two elders who prophesizes in the Israelite camp.
ELDARmAzerbaijaniFrom Turkic
el meaning "country, society" combined with the Persian suffix
دار (dar) meaning "possessor".
ELDONmEnglishFrom a surname which was from a place name meaning "Ella's hill" in Old English.
ELEAfEnglishShort form of
ELEANOR. This was also the name of an ancient Italian town (modern Velia) which is well known for being the home of the philosopher Parmenides and his student Zeno of Elea, who was famous for his paradoxes.
ELEANORfEnglishFrom the Old French form of the Occitan name
Aliénor. Among the name's earliest bearers was the influential Eleanor of Aquitaine (12th century), who was the queen of Louis VII, the king of France, and later Henry II, the king of England. She was named
Aenor after her mother, and was called by the Occitan phrase
alia Aenor "the other
AENOR" in order to distinguish her from her mother. However, there appear to be examples of bearers prior to Eleanor of Aquitaine. It is not clear whether they were in fact Aenors who were retroactively recorded as having the name Eleanor, or whether there is an alternative explanation for the name's origin.
... [more] ELECTRAfGreek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Ηλεκτρα (Elektra), derived from
ηλεκτρον (elektron) meaning "amber". In Greek myth she was the daughter of
Agamemnon and
Clytemnestra and the sister of
Orestes. She helped her brother kill their mother and her lover Aegisthus in vengeance for Agamemnon's murder. Also in Greek mythology, this name was borne by one of the Pleiades, who were the daughters of
Atlas and Pleione.