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] Elo f EstonianShort form of names beginning with
El, such as
Eliisabet. It could also be from Estonian
elu meaning
"life".
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).
Elrond m LiteratureMeans
"star dome" in the fictional language Sindarin. In
The Lord of the Rings (1954) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Elrond was the elven ruler of Rivendell.
Elroy m EnglishAltered form of
Leroy, using the Spanish definite article
el as opposed to the French
le.
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] Ema 2 f JapaneseFrom Japanese
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" or
江 (e) meaning "bay, inlet" combined with
麻 (ma) meaning "flax". Other kanji combinations can also form this name.
Eman f Arabic (Egyptian)Alternate transcription of Arabic
إيمان (see
Iman). This corresponds more closely with the Egyptian Arabic pronunciation of the name.
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.
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".
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] Emirhan m TurkishDerived from Turkish
emir meaning "amir, prince" and
han meaning "khan, ruler, leader".
Emlyn m WelshFrom the name of an ancient region of southwestern Wales, its name meaning
"around the valley" from Welsh
am "around" and
glyn "valley". It has also been suggested that this name is a Welsh form of Latin
Aemilianus (see
Emiliano), though this appears to be unfounded.
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.
Enfys f WelshMeans
"rainbow" in Welsh. This name was first used in the 19th century.
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.
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).
Enki m Sumerian MythologyFrom Sumerian
𒂗 (en) meaning "lord" and
𒆠 (ki) meaning "earth, ground" (though maybe originally from
𒆳 (kur) meaning "underworld, mountain"). Enki, called
Ea by the Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians, was the Sumerian god of water and wisdom and the keeper of the Me, the divine laws.
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.
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.
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.
Enu m & f AkanMeans
"fifth born child" in Akan.
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] 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.
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.
Era f AlbanianDerived from Albanian
erë meaning
"wind".
Eran m BiblicalMeans
"watchful, vigilant" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is a grandson of Ephraim.
Ercan m TurkishFrom Turkish
er meaning "man, hero, brave" and
can meaning "soul, life".
Erdoğan m TurkishFrom Turkish
er "man, hero, brave" and
doğan "falcon".
Erhan m TurkishFrom Turkish
er meaning "man, hero, brave" and
han, which is from the title
khan meaning "leader".
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" and
kan "blood".
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.
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.
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.
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.
Esha f HindiMeans
"desire, wish" in Sanskrit.
Esi f AkanMeans
"born on Sunday" in Akan.
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.
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] 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.
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-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.
Eva f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, English, Czech, Slovak, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Estonian, Danish, Icelandic, Faroese, Romanian, Greek, Slovene, Bulgarian, Croatian, Russian, Georgian, Armenian, Biblical Latin, Old Church SlavicForm of
Eve used in various languages. This form is used in the Latin translation of the New Testament, while
Hava is used in the Latin Old Testament. A notable bearer was the Argentine first lady Eva Perón (1919-1952), the subject of the musical
Evita. The name also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel
Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) belonging to the character Little Eva, whose real name is in fact Evangeline.
... [more] Ewart m English (Rare)From an English and Scottish surname that was either based on a Norman form of
Edward, or else derived from a place name of unknown meaning.
Ezra m Biblical, English, HebrewMeans
"help" in Hebrew. Ezra is a prophet of the Old Testament and the author of the Book of Ezra. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the Protestant Reformation. The American poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972) was a famous bearer.
Fabius m Ancient RomanRoman family name that was derived from Latin
faba meaning
"bean". Quintus Fabius Maximus was the Roman general who used delaying tactics to halt the invasion of
Hannibal in the 3rd century BC.
Fabrice m FrenchFrench form of the Roman family name
Fabricius, which was derived from Latin
faber meaning
"craftsman". Gaius Fabricius Luscinus was a 3rd-century BC Roman general and statesman.
Facundo m Spanish (Latin American)From the Late Latin name
Facundus, which meant
"eloquent". This was the name of a few early saints, including a 3rd-century Spanish martyr.
Fadl m ArabicMeans
"grace, generosity" in Arabic. This was a name of both a cousin of
Muhammad and a son of
Abbas (the son of the fourth caliph
Ali).
Faith f EnglishSimply from the English word
faith, ultimately from Latin
fidere "to trust". This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Fang f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
芳 (fāng) meaning "fragrant, virtuous, beautiful" or other characters with a similar pronunciation.
Farid m Arabic, Persian, Urdu, BengaliMeans
"unique, precious", derived from Arabic
فرد (farada) meaning "to be unique". This was the name of a 13th-century Persian poet.
Faruq m ArabicMeans
"person who can tell right from wrong" in Arabic. This was the name of the last king of Egypt (1920-1965).
Fatih m Turkish, ArabicFrom Arabic
فاتح (fatih) meaning
"conqueror". The Ottoman sultan
Mehmed II the Conqueror is called
Fatih Sultan Mehmed in Turkish.
Faust m LiteratureFrom a German surname that was derived from the Latin name
Faustus. This is the name of a character in German legends about a man who makes a pact with the devil, via his representative
Mephistopheles. He is believed to be based on the character of Dr. Johann Faust (1480-1540). His story was adapted by writers such as Christopher Marlowe and Goethe.
Favour m & f English (African)From the English word
favour, ultimately from Latin
faveo "to favour". This name is most common in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Fawn f EnglishFrom the English word
fawn for a young deer.
Fay f & m EnglishIn part from the English word
fay meaning
"fairy", derived from Middle English
faie meaning "magical, enchanted", ultimately (via Old French) from Latin
fata meaning "the Fates". It appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's chronicles in the name of
Morgan le Fay. In some cases it may be used as a short form of
Faith. It has been used as a feminine given name since the 19th century.
... [more] Fayruz f ArabicMeans
"turquoise (gemstone)" in Arabic, ultimately of Persian origin.
Fe f SpanishMeans
"faith" in Spanish, derived from Latin
fides.
Felix m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Romanian, Ancient Roman, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom a Roman cognomen meaning
"lucky, successful" in Latin. It was acquired as an agnomen, or nickname, by the 1st-century BC Roman general Sulla. It also appears in the New Testament belonging to the governor of Judea who imprisoned Saint
Paul.
... [more] Fen 1 f & m ChineseFrom Chinese
芬 (fēn) meaning "fragrance, aroma, perfume" (which is usually only feminine) or
奋 (fèn) meaning "strive, exert" (usually only masculine). Other Chinese characters are also possible.
Fen 2 m FrisianOriginally a Frisian short form of
Ferdinand (and other names starting with the Old German element
fridu "peace" and a second element beginning with
n).
Fergus m Irish, Scottish, Irish Mythology, Old IrishMeans
"man of vigour", derived from the Old Irish elements
fer "man" and
guss "vigour, strength, force". This was the name of several early rulers of Ireland and Dál Riata, as well as many characters from Irish legend. Notably it was borne by the hero Fergus mac Róich, who was tricked into giving up the kingship of Ulster to
Conchobar. However, he remained loyal to the new king until Conchobar betrayed
Deirdre and
Naoise, at which point he defected to Connacht in anger. The name was also borne by an 8th-century saint, a missionary to Scotland.
... [more] Fern f EnglishFrom the English word for the plant, ultimately from Old English
fearn. It has been used as a given name since the late 19th century.
Fernão m Portuguese (Archaic)Portuguese form of
Ferdinand. This name was borne by the Portuguese explorer Fernão de Magalhães (1480-1521), better known in English as Ferdinand Magellan.
Fiadh f Irish (Modern)Means
"wild, wild animal, deer" (modern Irish
fia) or
"respect" in Irish.
Fidel m SpanishFrom the Late Latin name
Fidelis meaning
"faithful", a derivative of
fides "faith". A famous bearer was the revolutionary leader and Cuban president Fidel Castro (1926-2016).
Fido m & f PetFrom Latin
fidus meaning
"faithful". This a stereotypical name for dogs.
Filbert m Eastern AfricanPossibly a form of
Philibert. It is particularly used in Tanzania due to track star Filbert Bayi (1953-), who set a world record running the 1500 meter in 1974.
Fina f Italian, SpanishShort form of
Serafina. Saint Fina, also known as Saint Serafina, was a 13th-century girl from the town of San Gimignano in Italy.
Finbar m IrishAnglicized form of Irish
Fionnbharr, Old Irish
Finnbarr, derived from
finn "white, blessed" and
barr "top, head". Saint Finbar of Cork was a 6th-century bishop who supposedly performed miraculous cures. The Isle of Barra off Scotland was (probably) named for him.
Finley m & f EnglishVariant of
Finlay. This is by far the preferred spelling in the United States, where it has lately been more common as a feminine name.
Fiona f Scottish, EnglishFeminine form of
Fionn. This name was (first?) used by the Scottish poet James Macpherson in his poem
Fingal (1761), in which it is spelled as
Fióna.
Fiore f & m ItalianMeans
"flower" in Italian. It can also be considered an Italian form of the Latin names
Flora and
Florus.
Fırat m TurkishFrom the Turkish name of the Euphrates River, which was derived (via Persian and Arabic) from Elamite or Sumerian.
Firouz m PersianFrom Persian
پیروز (piruz) or
فیروز (firuz) meaning "victorious". This name was borne by Firuz Shah Tughlaq, a 14th-century sultan of Delhi who did much to build the city's infrastructure.
Firouzeh f PersianMeans
"turquoise (gemstone)" in Persian. Alternatively, it may be a feminine form of
Firouz.
Fishel m YiddishMeans
"little fish" in Yiddish, a diminutive of
פֿיש (fish) meaning "fish".
Fitz m English (Rare)Short form of various given names that are derived from surnames beginning with Norman French
fitz meaning
"son of" (for example
Fitzroy).
Fitzroy m English (Rare)From an English surname meaning
"son of the king" in Old French, originally given to illegitimate sons of monarchs.
Flavius m Ancient Roman, RomanianRoman family name meaning
"golden" or
"yellow-haired" from Latin
flavus "yellow, golden". Flavius was the family name of the 1st-century Roman emperors Vespasian, Titus and Domitian. It was used as a personal name by several later emperors, notably by
Constantine.
Fleur f French, Dutch, English (British)Means
"flower" in French. Saint Fleur of Issendolus (
Flor in Gascon) was a 14th-century nun from Maurs, France. This was also the name of a character in John Galsworthy's novels
The Forsyte Saga (1922).
Flint m EnglishFrom the English vocabulary word, from Old English
flint.