Emese f HungarianPossibly derived from Finno-Ugric
eme meaning
"mother". In Hungarian legend this was the name of the grandmother of Árpád, founder of the Hungarian state.
Emi f JapaneseFrom Japanese
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" or
絵 (e) meaning "picture, painting" combined with
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Emiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
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.
Emőke f HungarianDerived from Hungarian
emő meaning
"suckling (baby)".
Encarnación f SpanishMeans
"incarnation" in Spanish. This is given in reference to the Incarnation of
Jesus in the womb of the Virgin
Mary.
Endellion f History (Ecclesiastical)Anglicized form of
Endelienta, the Latin form of a Welsh or Cornish name. It was borne by a 5th or 6th-century Cornish saint whose birth name is lost. According to some traditions she was a daughter of
Brychan Brycheiniog (identifying her with Cynheiddon).
Endla f EstonianFrom the name of an Estonian lake, which often appears in folk poetry. The lake's name is ultimately derived from the medieval personal name
Ent or
Endo.
Enfys f WelshMeans
"rainbow" in Welsh. This name was first used in the 19th century.
Engel m & f Germanic, German (Rare)Originally this may have been a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
angil, referring to the Germanic tribe known in English as the Angles. However, from early times it has been strongly associated with the Old German word
engil meaning
"angel" (of Latin and Greek origin).
Enheduanna f SumerianFrom Sumerian
En-hedu-anna, derived from
𒂗 (en) meaning "lady, high priestess" combined with
𒃶𒌌 (hedu) meaning "ornament" and the god's name
An 2. This was the Sumerian title of a 23rd-century BC priestess and poet, identified as a daughter of
Sargon of Akkad. Presumably she had an Akkadian birth name, but it is unrecorded. She is regarded as one of the earliest known poets.
Enikő f HungarianCreated by the Hungarian poet Mihály Vörösmarty in the 19th century. He based it on the name of the legendary mother of the Hungarian people,
Enéh, of Turkic origin meaning
"young hind" (modern Hungarian
ünő).
Enitan m & f YorubaMeans
"person with a story, storied person" in Yoruba.
Enola f EnglishMeaning unknown. This name first appeared in the late 19th century. It is the name of the main character in the novel
Enola; or, her Fatal Mistake (1886) by Mary Young Ridenbaugh. The aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was named
Enola Gay after the mother of the pilot, who was herself named for the book character.
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.
Enu m & f AkanMeans
"fifth born child" in Akan.
Enzokuhle m & f Zulu, XhosaMeans
"to do good" in Zulu and Xhosa, from the roots
enza "to do" and
hle "beautiful, good".
Eoforhild f Anglo-SaxonDerived from the Old English elements
eofor "boar" and
hild "battle". This name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest.
Eormenhild f Anglo-SaxonFrom the Old English elements
eormen "whole, great" and
hild "battle". This was the name of a 7th-century saint, a daughter of King Eorcenberht of Kent.
Eos f Greek MythologyMeans
"dawn" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the dawn.
Éowyn f LiteratureMeans
"horse joy" in Old English. This name was invented by J. R. R. Tolkien who used Old English to represent the Rohirric language. In his novel
The Lord of the Rings (1954) Eowyn is the niece of King Theoden of Rohan. She slays the Lord of the Nazgul in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
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.
Epiphany f English (Rare)From the name of the Christian festival (January 6) that commemorates the visit of the Magi to the infant
Jesus. It is also an English word meaning "sudden appearance" or "sudden perception", ultimately deriving from Greek
ἐπιφάνεια (epiphaneia) meaning "manifestation".
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".
Erato f Greek MythologyMeans
"lovely" in Greek. In Greek mythology she was one of the nine Muses, the muse of lyric poetry.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Eser f & m TurkishMeans
"product, achievement" in Turkish.
Esha f HindiMeans
"desire, wish" in Sanskrit.
Esi f AkanMeans
"born on Sunday" in Akan.
Esmat f & m Persian, ArabicAlternate transcription of Arabic
عصمة (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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Eun m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" or
銀 (eun) meaning "silver, money", as well as other hanja characters that are pronounced in the same way. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
Eun-Gyeong f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" or
銀 (eun) meaning "silver" combined with
敬 (gyeong) meaning "respect, honour" or
景 (gyeong) meaning "scenery, view". Other hanja character combinations can also form this name.
Eun-Jeong f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" or
慇 (eun) meaning "careful, anxious, attentive" combined with
廷 (jeong) meaning "courtyard" or
婷 (jeong) meaning "pretty, graceful". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Eun-Ji f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" combined with
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
地 (ji) meaning "earth, soil, ground". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Eunomia f Greek MythologyMeans
"good order" in Greek, ultimately from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
νόμος (nomos) meaning "law, custom". Eunomia was a Greek goddess, one of the
Ὥραι (Horai), presiding over law.
Eun-U m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" combined with
宇 (u) meaning "house, eaves, universe" or
祐 (u) meaning "divine intervention, protection". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Eun-Yeong f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" and
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Euphrosyne f Greek MythologyMeans
"mirth, merriment, cheerfulness" in Greek, a derivative of
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
φρήν (phren) meaning "mind, heart". She was one of the three Graces or
Χάριτες (Charites) in Greek mythology.
Europa f Greek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek
Εὐρώπη (Europe), which meant
"wide face" from
εὐρύς (eurys) meaning "wide" and
ὄψ (ops) meaning "face, eye". In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician princess who was abducted and taken to Crete by
Zeus in the guise of a bull. She became the first queen of Crete, and later fathered
Minos by Zeus. The continent of Europe said to be named for her, though it is more likely her name is from that of the continent. This is also the name of a moon of Jupiter.
Eurydice f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek
Εὐρυδίκη (Eurydike) meaning
"wide justice", derived from
εὐρύς (eurys) meaning "wide" and
δίκη (dike) meaning "justice, custom, order". In Greek myth she was the wife of Orpheus. Her husband tried to rescue her from Hades, but he failed when he disobeyed the condition that he not look back upon her on their way out.
Euterpe f Greek MythologyMeans
"delight" in Greek, ultimately from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and
τέρπω (terpo) meaning "to satisfy, to cheer". In Greek mythology she was one of the nine Muses, the muse of music and joy. She was said to have invented the double flute.
Evadne f Greek Mythology (Latinized)From Greek
Εὐάδνη (Euadne), from
εὖ (eu) meaning "good" possibly combined with Cretan Greek
ἀδνός (adnos) meaning "holy". This name was borne by several characters in Greek legend, including the wife of Capaneus. After Capaneus was killed by a lightning bolt sent from
Zeus she committed suicide by throwing herself onto his burning body.
Evangelista m & f Italian, Spanish, PortugueseMeans
"evangelist, preacher" in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, derived from Latin, ultimately from Greek
εὐάγγελος (euangelos) meaning "bringing good news". It is often used in honour of the Four Evangelists (the authors of the gospels in the New Testament:
Matthew,
Mark,
Luke and
John). It is traditionally masculine, though occasionally given to girls. A famous bearer was the Italian physicist and mathematician Evangelista Torricelli (1608-1647), who invented the barometer.
Evanthia f GreekModern Greek feminine form of
Εὐανθία (Euanthia), a variant of
Euanthe. This was the name of a 1st-century martyr from Skepsis who is considered a saint in the Orthodox Church.
Everest m & f English (Modern)From the English name for the world's highest mountain, itself named after the British surveyor George
Everest (1790-1866).
Everly f English (Modern)From an English surname that was from a place name, itself derived from Old English
eofor "boar" and
leah "woodland, clearing". Notable bearers of the surname were the musical duo the Everly Brothers, Don (1937-2021) and Phil (1939-2014).
... [more] Evren m & f TurkishMeans
"cosmos, the universe" in Turkish. In Turkic mythology the Evren is a gigantic snake-like dragon.
Fadzai f ShonaFrom Shona
fadza meaning
"please, make happy".