Elliott m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of the medieval name
Elias.
Ellis m & f English, WelshFrom an English surname that was derived from the given name
Elis, a medieval vernacular form of
Elias. This name has also functioned as an Anglicized form of Welsh
Elisedd.
Elmer m EnglishFrom a surname that was derived from the Old English name
Æðelmær. In the United States it is sometimes given in honour of brothers Jonathan (1745-1817) and Ebenezer Elmer (1752-1843), who were active in early American politics.
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.
Elnur m AzerbaijaniMeans
"light of the people" in Azerbaijani, ultimately derived from Turkic
el meaning "country, society" and Arabic
نور (nur) meaning "light".
Elof m SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Eileifr, which was derived from the elements
ei "ever, always" and
leif "inheritance, legacy".
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).
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.
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.
Elşad m AzerbaijaniFrom Azerbaijani
el meaning "country, society" combined with
şad meaning "happy, glad" (from Persian
شاد).
Elşən m AzerbaijaniFrom Azerbaijani
el meaning "country, society" and
şən meaning "happy, cheerful" (of Armenian origin).
Elsdon m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"Elli's valley" in Old English.
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).
Elvin 2 m AzerbaijaniMeaning uncertain, possibly in part from Azerbaijani
el meaning
"country, society".
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] Elwood m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"elder tree forest" in Old English.
Emerson m & f EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of Emery". The surname was borne by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), an American writer and philosopher who wrote about transcendentalism.
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).
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.
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.
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).
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.
Emmet m EnglishVariant of
Emmett. It is used in Ireland in honour of the nationalist and rebel Robert Emmet (1778-1803).
Emmett m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a diminutive of the feminine given name
Emma.
Emmitt m EnglishVariant of
Emmett. The American football player Emmitt Smith (1969-) is a famous bearer.
Emre m TurkishMeans
"friend, brother" in Turkish. This name was borne by the 13th-century Turkish poet Yunus Emre.
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.
Endymion m Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
ἐνδύω (endyo) meaning
"to dive into, to enter". In Greek mythology he was an Aeolian mortal loved by the moon goddess
Selene, who asked
Zeus to grant him eternal life. Zeus complied by putting him into an eternal sleep in a cave on Mount Latmos.
Eneko m BasquePossibly derived from Basque
ene "my" and
ko, a diminutive suffix. This was the name of the first king of Pamplona or Navarre (9th century), whose name is usually rendered as
Íñigo.
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).
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.
Enitan m & f YorubaMeans
"person with a story, storied person" in Yoruba.
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.
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.
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.
Ennio m ItalianItalian form of the Roman family name
Ennius, which is of unknown meaning. Quintus Ennius was an early Roman poet.
Ennis m EnglishFrom an Irish surname that was derived from
inis meaning
"island".
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] Enzokuhle m & f Zulu, XhosaMeans
"to do good" in Zulu and Xhosa, from the roots
enza "to do" and
hle "beautiful, good".
Eochaidh m Medieval IrishFrom the Old Irish name
Eochaid meaning
"horseman", derived from
ech "horse". This name was borne by many historical and legendary Irish kings.
Eoghan m Irish, Irish MythologyPossibly means
"born from the yew tree", from Old Irish
eó "yew" and the suffix
gan "born". Alternatively, it might be derived from the Latin name
Eugenius. It was borne by several legendary or semi-legendary Irish figures, including a son of the king
Niall of the Nine Hostages.
Epaphroditos m Ancient Greek, Biblical GreekMeans
"lovely, charming", derived from Greek
ἐπί (epi) meaning "on" combined with the name of the Greek love goddess
Aphrodite. It appears in the epistle to the Philippians in the New Testament (as
Epaphroditus, the Latinized form, in the English version).
Epaphus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)Derived from Greek
ἐπαφή (epaphe) meaning
"touch". According to Greek mythology this was the name of a king of Egypt. He was the son of
Zeus and
Io, who became pregnant when Zeus touched her with his hand.
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.
Epicurus m Ancient Greek (Latinized)Latinized form of the Greek name
Ἐπίκουρος (Epikouros), derived from a word meaning
"helper, ally". Epicurus was a 3rd-century BC Greek philosopher who founded the school of philosophy called Epicureanism.
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.
Epiktetos m Ancient GreekAncient Greek name meaning
"newly acquired". This was the name of a 1st-century Greek stoic philosopher.
Epiphanes m Ancient GreekMeans
"appearing, manifesting" in Greek. This was an epithet of two 2nd-century BC Hellenistic rulers: the Seleucid king Antiochus IV and the Ptolemaic king Ptolemy V.
Eran m BiblicalMeans
"watchful, vigilant" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is a grandson of Ephraim.
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".
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".
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 "man, hero, brave" and
doğan "falcon".
Erekle m GeorgianGeorgian form of
Herakleios (see
Heraclius). This name was borne by two Georgian kings of the Bagrationi dynasty.
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.
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".
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.
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.
Eser f & m TurkishMeans
"product, achievement" in Turkish.
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).
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.
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] 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.
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.