Donna f EnglishFrom Italian
donna meaning
"lady". It is also used as a feminine form of
Donald.
Doris f English, German, Swedish, Danish, Croatian, Spanish, Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyFrom the Greek name
Δωρίς (Doris), which meant
"Dorian woman". The Dorians were a Greek tribe who occupied the Peloponnese starting in the 12th century BC. In Greek mythology Doris was a sea nymph, one of the many children of Oceanus and Tethys. It began to be used as an English name in the 19th century. A famous bearer is the American actress Doris Day (1924-2019).
Dorothea f German, Dutch, English, Ancient GreekFeminine form of the Greek name
Δωρόθεος (Dorotheos), which meant
"gift of god" from Greek
δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift" and
θεός (theos) meaning "god". The name
Theodore is composed of the same elements in reverse order. Dorothea was the name of two early saints, notably the 4th-century martyr Dorothea of Caesarea. It was also borne by the 14th-century Saint Dorothea of Montau, who was the patron saint of Prussia.
Dorothy f EnglishUsual English form of
Dorothea. It has been in use since the 16th century. The author L. Frank Baum used it for the central character, Dorothy Gale, in his fantasy novel
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and several of its sequels.
Dove f EnglishFrom the English word for the variety of bird, seen as a symbol of peace.
Dulcibella f English (Archaic)From Latin
dulcis "sweet" and
bella "beautiful". The usual medieval spelling of this name was
Dowsabel, and the Latinized form
Dulcibella was revived in the 18th century.
Dulcie f EnglishFrom Latin
dulcis meaning
"sweet". It was used in the Middle Ages in the spellings
Dowse and
Duce, and was recoined in the 19th century.
Dulcinea f LiteratureDerived from Spanish
dulce meaning
"sweet". This name was (first?) used by Miguel de Cervantes in his novel
Don Quixote (1605), where it belongs to the love interest of the main character, though she never actually appears in the story.
Durga f & m Hinduism, Hindi, Nepali, TeluguMeans
"unattainable, unassailable" in Sanskrit. Durga is a Hindu warrior goddess, usually depicted with multiple arms and riding on the back of a lion or tiger. The Puranas relate that she came into being to combat the buffalo demon Mahishasura. She is sometimes considered a fierce aspect of
Parvati the wife of
Shiva. In Shaktism she is viewed as a principal aspect of the supreme goddess
Mahadevi.
Dymphna f History (Ecclesiastical), IrishForm of
Damhnait. According to legend, Saint Dymphna was a young 7th-century woman from Ireland who was martyred by her father in the Belgian town of Geel. She is the patron saint of the mentally ill.
Eartha f EnglishCombination 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).
Easter f EnglishFrom 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.
Ebba 2 f English (Rare)From 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.
Ebony f African AmericanFrom the English word
ebony for the black wood that comes from the ebony tree. It is ultimately from the Egyptian word
hbnj. In America this name is most often used in the black community.
Ece f TurkishMeans
"queen" or
"beautiful woman" in Turkish.
Echo f Greek MythologyFrom the Greek word
ἠχώ (echo) meaning
"echo, reflected sound", related to
ἠχή (eche) meaning "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.
Edda 2 f Icelandic, Old NorsePossibly 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.
Edelgard f GermanFrom an Old German name, which was derived from the elements
adal "noble" and
gart "enclosure, yard".
Eden f & m Hebrew, English (Modern), French (Modern)From the biblical place name, itself possibly from Hebrew
עֵדֶן (ʿeḏen) meaning "pleasure, delight", or perhaps derived from Sumerian
𒂔 (edin) meaning "plain". According to the Old Testament the Garden of Eden was the place where the first people,
Adam and
Eve, lived before they were expelled.
Edina f HungarianPossibly a diminutive of names beginning with the Old German element
adal meaning
"noble".
Édith f FrenchFrench form of
Edith. A notable bearer was the French cabaret singer Édith Piaf (1915-1963).
Edith f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, DutchFrom the Old English name
Eadgyð, derived from the elements
ead "wealth, fortune" and
guð "battle". It was popular among Anglo-Saxon royalty, being borne for example by Saint Eadgyeth;, the daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful. It was also borne by the Anglo-Saxon wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. The name remained common after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 15th century, but was revived in the 19th century.
Edna f English, Hebrew, BiblicalMeans
"pleasure" in Hebrew, a derivative of
עָדַן (ʿaḏan) meaning "to delight". This name appears in the Old Testament Apocrypha, for instance in the Book of Tobit belonging to the wife of
Raguel. It was borne by the American poet Edna Dean Proctor (1829-1923). It did not become popular until the second half of the 19th century, after it was used for the heroine in the successful 1866 novel
St. Elmo by Augusta Jane Evans. It peaked around the turn of the century and has declined steadily since then, falling off the American top 1000 list in 1992.
Edurne f BasqueMeans
"snow" in Basque, from
edur, a variant of
elur "snow". It is an equivalent of
Nieves, proposed by the writer Sabino Arana in his 1910 list of Basque saints names.
Eglantine f English (Rare)From the English word for the flower also known as sweetbrier. It is derived via Old French from Vulgar Latin *
aquilentum meaning "prickly". It was early used as a given name (in the form
Eglentyne) in Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th-century story
The Prioress's Tale (one of
The Canterbury Tales).
Eglė f LithuanianMeans
"spruce tree" in Lithuanian. In a Lithuanian folktale Eglė is a young woman who marries a grass snake. At the end of the tale she turns herself into a spruce.
Eija f FinnishPossibly from the Finnish happy exclamation
eijaa.
Eileen f Irish, 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.
Eilonwy f LiteratureFrom Welsh
eilon meaning
"deer, stag" or
"song, melody". This name was used by Lloyd Alexander in his book series
The Chronicles of Prydain (1964-1968) as well as the Disney film adaptation
The Black Cauldron (1985).
Eilwen f WelshPerhaps means
"white brow", derived from Welsh
ael "brow" and
gwen "white, blessed". This is a recently created Welsh name.
Eira 1 f WelshMeans
"snow" in Welsh. This is a recently created name.
Éireann f Irish (Rare)From
Éireann, the genitive case of Irish Gaelic
Éire, meaning "Ireland". It is commonly Anglicized as
Erin.
Eirwen f WelshMeans
"white snow" from the Welsh elements
eira "snow" and
gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the early 20th century.
Eithne f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishPossibly from Old Irish
etne meaning
"kernel, grain". In Irish mythology Eithne or Ethniu was a Fomorian and the mother of
Lugh Lámfada. It was borne by several other legendary and historical figures, including a few early saints.
Elain f WelshMeans
"fawn" in Welsh. This name was created in the 19th century.
Elaine f English, Arthurian CycleFrom 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
Pelles, the lover of
Lancelot, and the mother of
Galahad. It was not commonly used as an English given name until after the publication of Alfred Tennyson's Arthurian epic
Idylls of the King (1859).
Elanor f LiteratureMeans
"star sun" in the fictional language 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.
Elara f Greek MythologyPossibly derived from Greek
ἄλαρα (alara) meaning
"hazelnut, spear-shaft". In Greek mythology Elara was one of
Zeus's mortal lovers and by him the mother of the giant Tityos. A moon of Jupiter bears this name in her honour.
Eleanor f EnglishFrom the Old French form of the Occitan name
Alienòr. 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] Elen f Welsh, Armenian, CzechWelsh and modern Armenian form of
Helen, as well as a Czech variant form. This was the name of a 4th-century Welsh saint, traditionally said to be the wife of the Roman emperor Magnus Maximus. According to the Welsh legend
The Dream of Macsen Wledig (
Macsen Wledig being the Welsh form of
Magnus Maximus), she convinced her husband to build the roads in Wales.
Eleonora f Italian, German, Swedish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Dutch, Polish, Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, GreekForm of
Eleanor in several languages.
Eleri f WelshFrom the name of a Welsh river, also called the Leri, of unknown meaning. This was also the name of a 7th-century Welsh saint (masculine).
Elfleda f English (Archaic)Middle English form of both the Old English names
Æðelflæd and
Ælfflæd. These names became rare after the Norman Conquest, but
Elfleda was briefly revived in the 19th century.
Elfreda f EnglishMiddle English form of the Old English name
Ælfþryð meaning
"elf strength", derived from the element
ælf "elf" combined with
þryþ "strength".
Ælfþryð was common amongst Anglo-Saxon nobility, being borne for example by the mother of King
Æðelræd the Unready. This name was rare after the Norman Conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.
Éliane f FrenchProbably from
Aeliana, the feminine form of the Roman name
Aelianus, which was derived from the Roman family name
Aelius. This was the name of an obscure early saint and martyr from Amasea.
Elidi f Various (Rare)Meaning uncertain. It may have been inspired by the name of the
Ήλιδα (Ilida) region and ancient city in western Greece (
Elis in English).
Elif f TurkishTurkish form of
Alif, the name of the first letter of the Arabic alphabet,
ا. It also means
"slender", from the Turkish phrase
elif gibi, literally "shaped like elif".
Eline f Norwegian, Dutch, DanishNorwegian and Dutch variant form of
Helen. This is the name of the title character in the novel
Eline Vere (1889) by the Dutch writer Louis Couperus.
Elissa 1 f Roman MythologyMeaning unknown, possibly Phoenician in origin. This is another name of
Dido, the legendary queen of Carthage.
Elizabeth f English, BiblicalFrom
Ἐλισάβετ (Elisabet), the Greek form of the Hebrew name
אֱלִישֶׁבַע (ʾElishevaʿ) meaning
"my God is an oath", derived from the roots
אֵל (ʾel) referring to the Hebrew God and
שָׁבַע (shavaʿ) 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).
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] 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.
Elowen f CornishMeans
"elm tree" in Cornish. This is a recently coined Cornish name.
Eluned f WelshDerived from Welsh
eilun meaning
"image, likeness, idol". This was the name of a legendary 5th-century Welsh saint, also known as Eiliwedd, one of the supposed daughters of
Brychan Brycheiniog.
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).
Elysia f VariousFrom
Elysium, the name of the realm of the dead in Greek and Roman mythology.
Emer f Irish MythologyMeaning unknown. In Irish legend she was the wife of
Cúchulainn. She was said to possess the six gifts of womanhood: beauty, voice, speech, needlework, wisdom and chastity.
Emerald f English (Modern)From the word for the green precious stone, which is the traditional birthstone of May. The emerald supposedly imparts love to the bearer. The word is ultimately from Greek
σμάραγδος (smaragdos).
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.
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] 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.
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).
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.
Enid f Welsh, English, Arthurian CycleProbably 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.
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).
Énna m Old IrishPossibly from Old Irish
én meaning
"bird". This was the name of several Irish kings and heroes. It was also borne by a 6th-century saint who built the monastery of Killeany on Aran.
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.
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.
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.
Era f AlbanianDerived from Albanian
erë meaning
"wind".
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.
Erma f EnglishVariant of
Irma. It began to be used in the English-speaking world in the 19th century, along with
Irma.
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.
Esha f HindiMeans
"desire, wish" in Sanskrit.
Esi f AkanMeans
"born on Sunday" in Akan.