Epona f Gaulish MythologyDerived from Gaulish
epos meaning
"horse" with the divine or augmentative suffix
-on. This was the name of a Gaulish goddess of horses and fertility. She was worshipped not only in Gaul, but elsewhere in the Roman Empire.
Éponine f LiteratureFrench form of
Epponina. Victor Hugo used this name in his novel
Les Misérables (1862) for a daughter of the Thénardiers. Her mother got her name from a romance novel.
Epponina f Gaulish (Latinized)Probably related to the name of the goddess
Epona. Epponina was the virtuous wife of the 1st-century Gallo-Roman rebel Julius Sabinus.
Era f AlbanianDerived from Albanian
erë meaning
"wind".
Erasmus m Late Greek (Latinized)Derived from Greek
ἐράσμιος (erasmios) meaning
"beloved, desired". Saint Erasmus, also known as Saint
Elmo, was a 4th-century martyr who is the patron saint of sailors. Erasmus was also the name of a Dutch scholar of the Renaissance period.
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.
Erasyl m KazakhMeans
"noble hero" in Kazakh, from
ер (er) meaning "man, hero" and
асыл (asyl) meaning "precious, noble".
Erato f Greek MythologyMeans
"lovely" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the nine Muses, the muse of lyric poetry.
Eratosthenes m Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
ἐρατός (eratos) meaning "lovely" and
σθένος (sthenos) meaning "vigour, strength". A notable bearer was the Greek scientist Eratosthenes of Cyrene (3rd century BC), the first person to calculate the circumference of the Earth.
Ercan m TurkishFrom Turkish
er meaning "man, hero, brave" and
can meaning "soul, life".
Erdal m TurkishFrom Turkish
er meaning "man, hero, brave" and
dal meaning "branch".
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.
Erdoğan m TurkishFrom Turkish
er meaning "man, hero, brave" and
doğan meaning "falcon".
Erekle m GeorgianGeorgian form of
Herakleios (see
Heraclius). This name was borne by two Georgian kings of the Bagrationi dynasty.
Ereshkigal f Sumerian MythologyMeans
"lady of the great earth", from Sumerian
𒊩𒌆 (ereš) meaning "lady, queen" combined with
𒆠 (ki) meaning "earth" and
𒃲 (gal) meaning "great, big". In Sumerian mythology she was the goddess of death and the underworld.
Erhan m TurkishFrom Turkish
er meaning "man, hero, brave" and
han, which is from the title
khan meaning "leader".
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.
Eris f Greek MythologyMeans
"strife, discord" in Greek. In Greek mythology Eris was the goddess of discord. She was the sister and companion of
Ares.
Ériu f Irish MythologyFrom the name of an Irish goddess, who according to legend gave her name to Ireland (which is called
Éire in Irish). In reality, the goddess probably got her name from that of the island, which may mean something like "abundant land" in Old Irish.
Erkan m TurkishFrom Turkish
er "man, hero, brave" combined with either
kan "blood" or
han "khan, leader".
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.
Ermal m AlbanianMeans
"mountain wind", from Albanian
erë "wind" and
mal "mountain".
Ermelinde f GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
irmin "whole, great" and
lind "soft, flexible, tender". This was the name of a 6th-century Frankish saint from Meldert, Flanders.
Ermendrud f GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
irmin "whole, great" and
drud "strength". This was the name of the wife of the Frankish king Charles the Bald (9th century).
Ermengard f GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
irmin meaning "whole, great" and
gart meaning "enclosure, yard". This name was borne by the wife of the Frankish king Louis the Pious (9th century). This was also the name of one of her granddaughters, an abbess of Frauenwörth who is regarded as a saint.
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).
Eros m Greek MythologyMeans
"love" in Greek. In Greek mythology he was a young god, the son of
Aphrodite, who was armed with arrows that caused the victim to fall in love.
Errol m EnglishFrom a Scottish surname that was originally derived from village by this name in Perthshire. It was popularized as a given name by the Australian actor Errol Flynn (1909-1959).
Erskine m English (Rare)From a Scottish surname that was originally derived from the name of a town near Glasgow. The town's name possibly means
"projecting height" in Gaelic. A famous bearer was the Irish novelist and nationalist Erskine Childers (1870-1922).
Ertuğrul m TurkishFrom Turkish
er meaning "man, hero, brave" and
tuğrul, referring to a mythical bird of prey. This was the name of the father of
Osman, the founder of the Ottoman Empire.
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 (ʿEsaw), 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.
Eser f & m TurkishMeans
"product, achievement" in Turkish.
Esha f HindiMeans
"desire, wish" in Sanskrit.
Esi f AkanMeans
"born on Sunday" in Akan.
Esmail m Persian, ArabicUsual Persian form of
Ishmael, as well as an alternate Arabic transcription. 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
عصمت (see
Ismat), as well as the usual Persian transcription (typically feminine).
Esmé f & m EnglishMeans
"esteemed" or
"loved" in Old French. It was first recorded in Scotland, being borne by the first Duke of Lennox in the 16th century. It is now more common as a feminine name.
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.
Esmond m English (Rare)Derived from the Old English elements
est "grace" and
mund "protection". This Old English name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest. It was occasionally revived in the 19th century.
Esperanza f SpanishSpanish form of the Late Latin name
Sperantia, which was derived from
spero "to hope".
Essence f English (Modern)From the English word
essence, which means either
"odour, scent" or else
"fundamental quality". Ultimately it derives from Latin
esse "to be".
Estee f JewishDiminutive of
Esther. A famous bearer was the American businesswoman Estée Lauder (1908-2004), founder of the cosmetics company that bears her name. Her birth name was Josephine Esther Mentzer. Apparently she added the accent to her name
Estee in order to make it appear French.
Estella f EnglishLatinate form of
Estelle. This is the name of the heroine, Estella Havisham, in Charles Dickens' novel
Great Expectations (1860).
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 GreekFrom the Hebrew name
אֶסְתֵר (ʾEsṯer), which possibly 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] Estíbaliz f SpanishFrom a Spanish title of the Virgin
Mary,
Nuestra Señora de Estíbaliz, meaning "Our Lady of Estíbaliz". Estíbaliz is a sanctuary in Álava, Spain. It may be derived from Latin
aestivalis "pertaining to the summer", a derivative of
aestas "summer". Folk etymology connects it to Basque
ezti "honey" and
balitz "as if it were".
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] Étan f Irish MythologyPossibly a variant of
Étaín. In Irish mythology she was the daughter of Dian Cécht, the god of healing.
Etelka f HungarianFeminine form of
Etele created by the Hungarian writer András Dugonics for the main character in his novel
Etelka (1788).
Eter f GeorgianMeans
"ether, air" in Georgian. This name features in the opera
Abesalom and Eteri (1918), which was based on a medieval Georgian folktale.
Eteri f GeorgianForm of
Eter with the nominative suffix, used when the name is written stand-alone.
Ethan m English, French, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
אֵיתָן (ʾEṯan) 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] Ethel f EnglishShort form of names beginning with the Old English element
æðele meaning
"noble". It was coined in the 19th century, when many Old English names were revived. It was popularized by the novels
The Newcomes (1855) by William Makepeace Thackeray and
The Daisy Chain (1856) by C. M. Yonge. A famous bearer was American actress and singer Ethel Merman (1908-1984).
Etna f VariousFrom the name of an active volcano on the island of Sicily, Italy.
Etsuko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
悦 (etsu) meaning "joy, pleased" and
子 (ko) meaning "child", as well as other kanji combinations.
Etta f EnglishShort form of
Henrietta and other names that end with
etta. A famous bearer was the American singer Etta James (1938-2012), who took her stage name from her real given name Jamesetta.
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
Ḥawwa (see
Eve) used in the Greek Bible.
Ḥawwa is also translated as
Zoe in the Greek Old Testament.
Euboia f Greek MythologyMeans
"good ox" in Greek, from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
βοῦς (bous) meaning "ox, cow". This is the name of several minor characters in Greek mythology, including a naiad who is said to have given her name to the island of Euboia.
Eudocia f Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Εὐδοκία (Eudokia), derived from the word
εὐδοκέω (eudokeo) meaning
"to be well pleased, to be satisfied", itself derived from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
δοκέω (dokeo) meaning "to think, to imagine, to suppose". This name was common among Byzantine royalty. Saint Eudocia was the wife of the 5th-century emperor Theodosius II.
Eudora f Greek MythologyMeans
"good gift" in Greek, from the elements
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". This was the name of a nymph, one of the Hyades, in Greek mythology.
Eudoxos m Ancient GreekFrom Greek
εὔδοξος (eudoxos) meaning
"of good repute, honoured", itself from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
δόξα (doxa) meaning "notion, reputation, honour". This was the name of a 4th-century BC Greek mathematician and astronomer.
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] Eugraphios m Ancient GreekFrom Greek
εὐγραφής (eugraphes) meaning
"well-drawn" or
"well-written", itself from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
γραφή (graphe) meaning "drawing, writing". Saint Eugraphios or Eugraphos was a 3rd or 4th-century martyr from Alexandria.