Elisha m Biblical, Biblical HebrewFrom the Hebrew name
אֱלִישַׁע ('Elisha'), a contracted form of
אֱלִישׁוּעַ ('Elishu'a) meaning
"my God is salvation". According to the Old Testament, Elisha was a prophet and miracle worker. He was the attendant of
Elijah and succeeded him after his ascension to heaven.
Elizabeth f English, BiblicalFrom
Ἐλισάβετ (Elisabet), the Greek form of the Hebrew name
אֱלִישֶׁבַע ('Elisheva') meaning
"my God is an oath", derived from the roots
אֵל ('el) referring to the Hebrew God and
שָׁבַע (shava') meaning "oath". The Hebrew form appears in the Old Testament where Elisheba is the wife of
Aaron, while the Greek form appears in the New Testament where Elizabeth is the mother of
John the Baptist.
... [more] Ella 1 f EnglishNorman name, originally a short form of Germanic names containing the element
alles meaning
"other" (Proto-Germanic *
aljaz). It was introduced to England by the Normans and used until the 14th century, and it was later revived in the 19th century. A famous bearer was the American singer Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996).
Elmo m Italian, English, Finnish, EstonianOriginally a short form of names ending with the Old German element
helm meaning
"helmet, protection", such as
Guglielmo or
Anselmo. It is also a derivative of
Erasmus, via the old Italian short form
Ermo. Saint Elmo, also known as Saint Erasmus, was a 4th-century martyr who is the patron of sailors. Saint Elmo's fire is said to be a sign of his protection.
... [more] Elnathan m BiblicalFrom Hebrew
אֶלְנָתָן ('Elnatan) meaning
"God has given". In the Old Testament this is the name of both a grandfather of King Jehoiachin and a son of Akbor.
Elof m SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Eileifr, which was derived from the elements
ei "ever, always" and
leif "inheritance, legacy".
Eloise f EnglishFrom the Old French name
Héloïse, which was probably from the Germanic name
Helewidis, composed of the elements
heil meaning "healthy, whole" and
wit meaning "wide". It is sometimes associated with the Greek word
ἥλιος (helios) meaning "sun" or the name
Louise, though there is no etymological connection. This name was borne by the 12th-century French scholar and philosopher Héloïse. Secretly marrying the theologian Peter Abelard at a young age, she became a nun (and eventually an abbess) after Abelard was violently castrated by order of her uncle Fulbert.
... [more] Elon m Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical HebrewMeans
"oak tree" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament this was the name of one of the ruling judges of the Israelites. A notable modern bearer is the entrepreneur Elon Musk (1971-), who was born in South Africa and also holds Canadian and American citizenship (he is not Jewish).
Elora f Popular Culture, English (Modern)Probably an invented name. This is the name of an infant girl in the fantasy movie
Willow (1988). Since the release of the movie the name has been steadily used, finally breaking into the top 1000 in the United States in 2015.
Elouan m Breton, FrenchPossibly from a Breton word meaning
"light". This name was borne by an obscure 6th-century saint who is now venerated mainly in Brittany and Cornwall.
Elsa f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Finnish, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, EnglishShort form of
Elisabeth, typically used independently. Elsa von Brabant is the lover of
Lohengrin in medieval German tales, and her story was expanded by Richard Wagner for his opera
Lohengrin (1850). The name had a little spike in popularity after the 2013 release of the animated Disney movie
Frozen, which featured a magical princess by this name.
Elton m English, Portuguese (Brazilian), Albanian, Swedish (Modern)From an English surname that was originally from a place name meaning
"Ella's town". A famous bearer of this name is British musician Elton John (1947-), born Reginald Dwight, who adopted his stage name in honour of his former bandmate Elton Dean (1945-2006).
Elvira f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Hungarian, RussianSpanish form of a Visigothic name, recorded from the 10th century in forms such as
Geloyra or
Giluira. It is of uncertain meaning, possibly composed of the Gothic element
gails "happy" or
gails "spear" combined with
wers "friendly, agreeable, true". The name was borne by members of the royal families of León and Castille. This is also the name of a character in Mozart's opera
Don Giovanni (1787).
Elvis m EnglishMeaning unknown. It could possibly be a derivative of
Alvis or
Elwin. More likely, it is from the rare surname
Elvis, a variant of
Elwes, which is ultimately derived from the given name
Eloise. The name was brought to public attention by the singer Elvis Presley (1935-1977), whose name came from his father's middle name.
... [more] Emery m & f EnglishNorman French form of
Emmerich. The Normans introduced it to England, and though it was never popular, it survived until the end of the Middle Ages. As a modern given name, now typically feminine, it is likely inspired by the surname
Emery, which was itself derived from the medieval given name. It can also be given in reference to the hard black substance called emery.
Emidio m ItalianFrom the Late Latin name
Emygdius, which was possibly a Latinized form of a Gaulish name (of unknown meaning). Saint Emygdius was a 3rd-century bishop and martyr, the patron saint against earthquakes.
Emil m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Romanian, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Russian, Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Hungarian, Icelandic, EnglishFrom the Roman family name
Aemilius, which was derived from Latin
aemulus meaning
"rival".
Émile m FrenchFrench form of
Aemilius (see
Emil). This name was borne by the author Émile Zola (1840-1902) and the sociologist Émile Durkheim (1858-1917).
Emilia f Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Finnish, Polish, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Greek, BulgarianFeminine form of
Aemilius (see
Emily). In Shakespeare's tragedy
Othello (1603) this is the name of the wife of
Iago.
Emiliano m Spanish, Italian, PortugueseSpanish, Italian and Portuguese form of the Roman cognomen
Aemilianus, which was itself derived from the family name
Aemilius (see
Emil). This was the name of a 6th-century Spanish saint.
Emily f EnglishEnglish feminine form of
Aemilius (see
Emil). In the English-speaking world it was not common until after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century; the princess Amelia Sophia (1711-1786) was commonly known as
Emily in English, even though
Amelia is an unrelated name.
... [more] Emma f English, French, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Latvian, Dutch, German, Hungarian, GermanicOriginally a short form of Germanic names that began with the element
irmin meaning
"whole" or
"great" (Proto-Germanic *
ermunaz). It was introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, who was the wife both of King Ethelred II (and by him the mother of Edward the Confessor) and later of King Canute. It was also borne by an 11th-century Austrian saint, who is sometimes called
Hemma.
... [more] Emmanuel m Biblical, French, EnglishFrom the Hebrew name
עִמָּנוּאֵל ('Immanu'el) meaning
"God is with us", from the roots
עִם ('im) meaning "with" and
אֵל ('el) meaning "God". This was the foretold name of the Messiah in the Old Testament. It has been used in England since the 16th century in the spellings
Emmanuel and
Immanuel, though it has not been widespread. The name has been more common in continental Europe, especially in Spain and Portugal (in the spellings
Manuel and
Manoel).
Emmeline f EnglishFrom Old French
Emeline, a diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element
amal meaning
"unceasing, vigorous, brave". The Normans introduced this name to England.
Emmerich m German, GermanicGermanic name, in which the second element is
rih "ruler, king". The first element may be
irmin "whole, great" (making it a relative of
Ermenrich),
amal "unceasing, vigorous, brave" (making it a relative of
Amalric) or
heim "home" (making it a relative of
Henry). It is likely that several forms merged into a single name.
Emrys m WelshWelsh form of
Ambrose. Emrys Wledig (or Ambrosius Aurelianus) was a Romano-British military leader who fought against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century. Tales of his life were used by the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth to help shape the early character of
Merlin, whom he called Merlinus Ambrosius in Latin.
Endre 1 m HungarianPossibly a Hungarian form of
Andrew, though it may in fact originate from a pre-Christian source.
Engelbert m German, GermanicOld German name composed of either the element
angil, from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Angles, or
engil meaning "angel" combined with
beraht meaning "bright". Saint Engelbert was a 13th-century archbishop of Cologne murdered by assassins.
Enid f Welsh, English, Arthurian RomanceProbably derived from Welsh
enaid meaning
"soul, spirit, life". In Arthurian tales she first appears in the 12th-century French poem
Erec and Enide by Chrétien de Troyes, where she is the wife of Erec. In later adaptations she is typically the wife of
Geraint. The name became more commonly used after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian poem
Enid in 1859, and it was fairly popular in Britain in the first half of the 20th century.
Enkidu m Sumerian Mythology, Semitic MythologyProbably means
"lord of the good place", from Sumerian
𒂗 (en) meaning "lord",
𒆠 (ki) meaning "place" and
𒄭 (du) meaning "good". This was the name of a wild man who became a companion of the Sumerian hero
Gilgamesh, notably appearing in the Akkadian poem the
Epic of Gilgamesh.
Enlil m Sumerian Mythology, Semitic MythologyFrom Sumerian
𒂗 (en) meaning "lord" and possibly
𒆤 (lil) meaning "wind". Enlil was the Sumerian god of the wind and storms, the son of
An and
Ki. He was later worshipped by the Akkadians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and other Mesopotamian peoples.
Ennio m ItalianItalian form of the Roman family name
Ennius, which is of unknown meaning. Quintus Ennius was an early Roman poet.
Enora f Breton, FrenchBreton form of
Honoria, or directly from Breton
enor "honour" (a word of Latin origin). This was the name of a 6th-century saint, the wife of Saint Efflamm.
Enrico m ItalianItalian form of
Heinrich (see
Henry). Enrico Fermi (1901-1954) was an Italian physicist who did work on the development of the nuclear bomb.
Enzo m Italian, FrenchThe meaning of this name is uncertain. In some cases it seems to be an old Italian form of
Heinz, though in other cases it could be a variant of the Germanic name
Anzo. In modern times it is also used as a short form of names ending in
enzo, such as
Vincenzo or
Lorenzo.
... [more] Ephraim m Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
אֶפְרָיִם ('Efrayim) meaning
"fruitful". In the Old Testament Ephraim is a son of
Joseph and
Asenath and the founder of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. This name was also borne by two early saints: Ephraim or Ephrem the Syrian, a 4th-century theologian, and Ephraim of Antioch, a 6th-century patriarch of Antioch.
Ephrath f Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekMeans
"fruitful place" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name was borne by one of the wives of Caleb. Also in the Bible, it is the name of the place where Rachel was buried.
Epifanio m Spanish, ItalianFrom the Latin name
Epiphanius, which was from the Greek name
Ἐπιφάνιος (Epiphanios), itself derived from the Greek word
ἐπιφάνεια (epiphaneia) meaning
"appearance, manifestation". This name was borne by a few early saints. It is associated with the event known in English as the Epiphany (Spanish
Epifanía, Italian
Epifania, Latin
Epiphania), the coming of the three Magi to visit the infant
Jesus.
Eran m BiblicalMeans
"watchful, vigilant" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is a grandson of Ephraim.
Erastus m Biblical, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Ἔραστος (Erastos) meaning
"beloved, lovely". This was the name of an assistant of
Paul mentioned in Acts and two epistles in the New Testament.
Erdmann m German (Archaic)Variant of
Hartmann. It can also be interpreted as meaning "earth man" from German
Erde "earth", and thus was sometimes used as a translation of
Adam.
Erekle m GeorgianGeorgian form of
Herakleios (see
Heraclius). This name was borne by two Georgian kings of the Bagrationi dynasty.
Erhard m German, GermanicDerived from the Old German element
era "honour, respect" combined with
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". Saint Erhard was a 7th-century bishop of Regensburg in Bavaria.
Eric m English, Swedish, German, SpanishMeans
"ever ruler", from the Old Norse name
Eiríkr, derived from the elements
ei "ever, always" and
ríkr "ruler, king". A notable bearer was Eiríkr inn Rauda (Eric the Red in English), a 10th-century navigator and explorer who discovered Greenland. This was also the name of several early kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
... [more] Erich m GermanGerman form of
Eric. The German novelist Erich Maria Remarque (1898-1970) was the author of
All Quiet on the Western Front.
Erik m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian, German, Dutch, English, SpanishScandinavian form of
Eric. This was the name of kings of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. King Erik IX of Sweden (12th century) is the patron saint of that country.
Erika f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, German, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, Croatian, English, ItalianFeminine form of
Erik. It also coincides with the word for
"heather" in some languages.
Erin f English, IrishAnglicized form of
Éireann. It was initially used by people of Irish heritage in America, Canada and Australia. It was rare until the mid-1950s.
Erling m Norwegian, Danish, SwedishMeans
"descendant of the jarl", a derivative of the Old Norse word
jarl meaning "chieftain, nobleman, earl".
Erma f EnglishVariant of
Irma. It began to be used in the English-speaking world in the 19th century, along with
Irma.
Ermenrich m GermanicFrom the Gothic name *
Airmanareiks, from the elements
airmans "great, immense" and
reiks "ruler, king". Ermenrich (also often called Ermanaric) was a 4th-century Gothic king.
Ermete m ItalianDerived from
Hermetis, the Latin genitive form of
Hermes, the name of the Greek messenger god.
Ernest m English, French, Catalan, Polish, Slovak, SloveneDerived from Old High German
ernust meaning
"serious, earnest". It was introduced to England by the German House of Hanover when they inherited the British throne in the 18th century, though it did not become common until the following century. The American author and adventurer Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) was a famous bearer of the name. It was also used by Oscar Wilde for a character in his comedy
The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).
Erwin m German, Dutch, Polish, GermanicDerived from the Old German name
Hariwini, composed of the elements
heri "army" and
wini "friend". It may have merged somewhat with the name
Eberwin. A notable bearer was Erwin Schrödinger (1887-1961), an Austrian physicist who made contributions to quantum theory.
Erzsébet f HungarianHungarian form of
Elizabeth. This is the native name of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. It was also borne by the infamous Erzsébet Báthory (1560-1614), a countess and alleged murderer.
Esau m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekFrom the Hebrew name
עֵשָׂו ('Esaw), which possibly meant
"hairy". In the Old Testament Esau is the elder of the twin sons of
Isaac and
Rebecca. Once when he was very hungry he sold his birthright to his twin
Jacob for a bowl of stew. Later Jacob disguised himself as Esau and received the elder son's blessing from the blind Isaac. Esau, also called
Edom, was the ancestor of the Edomites.
Esmail m Persian, ArabicPersian form of
Ishmael. It is also an alternate transcription of Arabic
إسماعيل (see
Isma'il). This was the name of the founder of the Safavid Empire in Iran in the early 16th century.
Esmat f & m Persian, ArabicAlternate transcription of Arabic
عصمة (see
'Ismat), as well as the usual Persian transcription (typically feminine).
Esmeralda f Spanish, Portuguese, English, Albanian, LiteratureMeans
"emerald" in Spanish and Portuguese. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831), in which Esmeralda is the Romani girl who is loved by Quasimodo. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since that time.
Esperanza f SpanishSpanish form of the Late Latin name
Sperantia, which was derived from
sperare "to hope".
Estelle f English, FrenchFrom an Old French name meaning
"star", ultimately derived from Latin
stella. It was rare in the English-speaking world in the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, perhaps due to the character Estella Havisham in Charles Dickens' novel
Great Expectations (1860).
Ester f Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Italian, Czech, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, Estonian, HebrewForm of
Esther used in several languages.
Esther f English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical GreekPossibly means
"star" in Persian. Alternatively it could be a derivative of the name of the Near Eastern goddess
Ishtar. The Book of Esther in the Old Testament tells the story of Queen Esther, the Jewish wife of the king of Persia. The king's advisor
Haman persuaded the king to exterminate all the Jews in the realm. Warned of this plot by her cousin
Mordecai, Esther revealed her Jewish ancestry and convinced the king to execute Haman instead. Her original Hebrew name was
Hadassah.
... [more] Étaín f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishPossibly derived from Old Irish
ét meaning
"jealousy, passion". In Irish legend she is the subject of the 9th-century tale
The Wooing of Étaín. She was the wife of Midir, but his jealous first wife Fuamnach transformed her into a fly. She was accidentally swallowed, and then reborn to the woman who swallowed her. After she grew again to adulthood she married the Irish high king Eochaid Airem, having no memory of Midir. Midir and Étaín were eventually reunited after Midir defeated Eochaid in a game of chess.
... [more] Ethan m English, French, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
אֵיתָן ('Eitan) meaning
"solid, enduring, firm". In the Old Testament this name is borne by a few minor characters, including the wise man Ethan the Ezrahite, supposedly the author of Psalm 89.
... [more] Etzel m Germanic MythologyForm of
Attila used in the medieval German saga the
Nibelungenlied. In the story Etzel is a fictional version of Attila the Hun.
Eua f Biblical GreekForm of
Chawwah (see
Eve) used in the Greek translation of Old Testament.
Chawwah is also translated as
Zoe in the Greek Old Testament.
Eugène m FrenchFrench form of
Eugenius (see
Eugene). A notable bearer was the French painter Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863).
Eugene m EnglishEnglish form of
Eugenius, the Latin form of the Greek name
Εὐγένιος (Eugenios), which was derived from the Greek word
εὐγενής (eugenes) meaning
"well born". It is composed of the elements
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
γενής (genes) meaning "born". This was the name of several saints and four popes.
... [more] Eulalia f Spanish, Italian, Polish, English, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
εὔλαλος (eulalos) meaning
"sweetly-speaking", itself from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
λαλέω (laleo) meaning "to talk". This was the name of an early 4th-century saint and martyr from Mérida in Spain. Another martyr by this name, living at the same time, is a patron saint of Barcelona. These two saints might be the same person.
Eunice f Biblical, English, Biblical LatinLatinized form of the Greek name
Εὐνίκη (Eunike) meaning
"good victory", derived from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
νίκη (nike) meaning "victory". The New Testament mentions her as the mother of
Timothy. As an English name, it was first used after the Protestant Reformation.