Names Deemed "serious"

This is a list of names in which the community's impression is serious.
gender
usage
impression
Édith f French
French form of Edith. A notable bearer was the French cabaret singer Édith Piaf (1915-1963).
Edith f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch
From 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.
Edmond m French, Albanian
French and Albanian form of Edmund. A notable bearer was the English astronomer Edmond Halley (1656-1742), for whom Halley's comet is named.
Edmonda f Italian (Rare)
Italian feminine form of Edmund.
Edmund m English, German, Polish
Means "rich protection", from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and mund "protection". This was the name of two Anglo-Saxon kings of England. It was also borne by two saints, including a 9th-century king of East Anglia who, according to tradition, was shot to death with arrows after refusing to divide his Christian kingdom with an invading pagan Danish leader. This Old English name remained in use after the Norman Conquest (even being used by King Henry III for one of his sons), though it became less common after the 15th century.... [more]
Edom m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
From Hebrew אָדֹם (ʾaḏom) meaning "red". According to the Old Testament, Esau, who is described as having red skin, was given this name because he traded his birthright for a helping of red broth. The bible goes on to tell that Esau was the founder of the ancient nation of Edom, located to the south of the kingdom of Judah.
Édouard m French
French form of Edward.
Edric m English (Rare)
From the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and ric "ruler, king". After the Norman Conquest this Old English name was not commonly used. It has occasionally been revived in modern times.
Eduardo m Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Edward.
Edurne f Basque
Means "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.
Edvárd m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Edward.
Edvard m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Slovene, Czech, Armenian
Form of Edward in several languages. Notable bearers include the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) and the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (1863-1944).
Edvin m Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian
Scandinavian, Finnish, Estonian and Hungarian form of Edwin.
Edward m English, Polish
Means "rich guard", derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and weard "guard". This was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings, the last being Saint Edward the Confessor shortly before the Norman Conquest in the 11th century. He was known as a just ruler, and because of his popularity his name remained in use after the conquest when most other Old English names were replaced by Norman ones. The 13th-century Plantagenet king Henry III named his son and successor after the saint, and seven subsequent kings of England were also named Edward.... [more]
Edwin m English, Dutch
Means "rich friend", from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and wine "friend". This was the name of a 7th-century Northumbrian king, regarded as a saint. After the Norman Conquest the name was not popular, but it was eventually revived in the 19th century. A notable bearer was the astronaut Edwin Aldrin (1930-), also known as Buzz, the second man to walk on the moon.
Edythe f English
Variant of Edith.
Efraín m Spanish
Spanish form of Ephraim.
'Efrayim m Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Ephraim.
Efthalia f Greek
Modern Greek form of Euthalia.
Egil m Norwegian
From the Old Norse name Egill, a diminutive of names that began with the element agi "awe, fear". This was the name of a semi-legendary 10th-century Viking, described in the Icelandic Egill's Saga.
Egilhard m Germanic
Old German name derived from the elements agil "edge, blade" and hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". Usually called Eilhart, this was a medieval German poet who wrote an early version of the Tristan and Iseult tale.
Egill m Old Norse, Icelandic
Old Norse and Icelandic form of Egil.
Egilmar m Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements agil "edge, blade" and mari "famous". Egilmar (or Elimar) was the name of two counts of Oldenburg in the 12th century.
Egon m German
From the Old German name Egino, derived from the element agin meaning "edge, blade" (from Proto-Germanic *agjō). Saint Egino was a 12th-century abbot from Augsburg.
Ehsan m Persian, Urdu
Persian form of Ihsan, as well as an alternate Urdu transcription.
Eidel f Yiddish (Rare)
Means "delicate" in Yiddish.
Eilionoir f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Eleanor.
Eilís f Irish
Irish Gaelic form of Elizabeth (or sometimes of Alice).
Eimhir f Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic form of Emer.
Einar m Norwegian, Icelandic, Swedish, Danish, Estonian
From the Old Norse name Einarr, derived from the elements einn "one, alone" and herr "army, warrior". This name shares the same roots as einherjar, the word for the slain warriors in Valhalla.
Einrí m Irish
Irish form of Henry.
Eir f Norse Mythology, Icelandic (Rare), Norwegian (Rare)
Means "mercy" in Old Norse. This was the name of a Norse goddess of healing and medicine.
Eira 1 f Welsh
Means "snow" in Welsh. This is a recently created name.
Eira 2 f Swedish, Norwegian
Modern form of Eir.
Eirene f Greek Mythology, Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Irene.
Eirian f & m Welsh
Means "bright, beautiful" in Welsh.
Eirik m Norwegian
Norwegian form of Eiríkr (see Eric).
Eiríkr m Old Norse
Old Norse form of Eric.
Eiríkur m Icelandic
Icelandic form of Eiríkr (see Eric).
Eirlys f Welsh
Means "snowdrop (flower)" in Welsh, a compound of eira "snow" and llys "plant".
Eirwen f Welsh
Means "white snow" from the Welsh elements eira "snow" and gwen "white, blessed". This name was created in the early 20th century.
Eitan m Hebrew
Modern Hebrew form of Ethan.
Ekaitz m Basque
Means "storm" in Basque.
Ekaterine f Georgian
Georgian form of Katherine.
Ekaterini f Greek
Modern Greek form of Katherine.
Ekene m & f Igbo
Means "thanks, gratitude" in Igbo.
Ekenedilichukwu m & f Igbo
Means "gratitude belongs to God" in Igbo.
Ekrem m Turkish
Turkish form of Akram.
Ekwueme m Igbo
Means "one says, one does" in Igbo, indicating a person who is truthful about his behaviour.
Elah m Biblical
Means "terebinth tree" in Hebrew. This was the name of the fourth king of Israel, as told in the Old Testament. He was murdered by Zimri, who succeeded him.
Elain f Welsh
Means "fawn" in Welsh. This name was created in the 19th century.
Elaine f English, Arthurian Cycle
From 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).
Elam m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew
Possibly means either "hidden" or "eternity" in Hebrew. This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, including a son of Shem who was the ancestor of the Elamite peoples.
Elanor f Literature
Means "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 Mythology
Possibly 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.
Elbert m Dutch
Dutch variant of Adelbert.
Elda f Italian
Italian form of Hilda.
Eldar m Azerbaijani, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Georgian
From Turkic el meaning "country, society" combined with the Persian suffix دار (dār) meaning "possessor".
Eldon m English
From a surname that was from a place name meaning "Ella's hill" in Old English.
Eldred m English
From an English surname that was derived from Ealdræd.
Eleanor f English
From 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]
Eleanora f English
Latinate form of Eleanor.
Eleanore f English
Variant of Eleanor.
Eleazar m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name אֶלְעָזָר (ʾElʿazar) meaning "God has helped", derived from אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and עָזַר (ʿazar) meaning "to help". In the Old Testament this is the name of one of the sons of Aaron. The name also appears in the New Testament belonging to one of the ancestors of Jesus in the genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew.
Eleftheria f Greek
Feminine form of Eleftherios.
Eleftherios m Greek
Modern Greek form of Eleutherios (see Eleutherius).
Elena f Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Slovak, Czech, Lithuanian, Estonian, Finnish, Russian, Greek, German, English
Form of Helen used in various languages, as well as an alternate transcription of Russian Елена (see Yelena).
Elene f Georgian, Sardinian, Basque
Georgian, Sardinian and Basque form of Helen.
Elenora f English
Variant of Eleanor.
Eleonor f Swedish
Swedish variant of Eleanor.
Eléonore f French
French form of Eleanor.
Eleonore f German
German form of Eleanor.
Elettra f Italian
Italian form of Electra.
Eleuterio m Spanish, Italian
Spanish and Italian form of Eleutherius.
Eleutherius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Ἐλευθέριος (Eleutherios), which meant "free". This was the name of a 2nd-century pope, as well as several saints.
Elfreda f English
Middle 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.
Elfriede f German
German form of Elfreda.
Elham f Persian
Persian form of Ilham.
Eliakim m Biblical
Means "God raises" in Hebrew, from the roots אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and קוּם (qum) meaning "to raise". In the Old Testament this is the name of the master of Hezekiah's household.
Elías m Spanish, Icelandic
Spanish and Icelandic form of Elijah.
Elias m Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, English, Dutch, Greek, Amharic, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Form of Elijah used in several languages. This is also the form used in the Greek New Testament, as well as some English translations.
Eliel m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Greek, Finnish, Portuguese (Brazilian)
Means "my God is God" in Hebrew. This name is borne by a number of characters in the Old Testament.
Eliezer m Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name אֱלִיעֶזֶר (ʾEliʿezer) meaning "my God is help", derived from אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and עֵזֶר (ʿezer) meaning "help". This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament, including a servant of Abraham and one of the sons of Moses (see Exodus 18:4 for an explanation of the significance of the name). It also appears in the New Testament belonging to an ancestor of Jesus in the genealogy in the Gospel of Luke.
Eligiusz m Polish
Polish form of Eligius.
Elihu m Biblical, Biblical Hebrew, English (Archaic)
Means "my God is he" in Hebrew, from אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and הוּא (hu) meaning "he". This is the name of several characters in the Old Testament including one of the friends of Job.
Eline f Norwegian, Dutch, Danish
Norwegian 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.
Elinor f English
Variant of Eleanor.
Elioenai m Biblical
Means "my eyes look to Yahweh" in Hebrew, derived from אֶל (ʾel) meaning "towards", יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God, and עַיִן (ʿayin) meaning "eye". This is the name of several minor characters in the Old Testament.
Elior m Hebrew
Means "my God is my light" in Hebrew.
Eliora f Hebrew
Feminine form of Elior.
Eliot m English
From a surname that was a variant of Elliott. A famous bearer of the surname was T. S. Eliot (1888-1965), an Anglo-American poet and dramatist, the writer of The Waste Land. As a given name, it was borne by the American mob-buster Eliot Ness (1903-1957).
Elis m Swedish, Medieval English
Swedish variant of Elias, as well as a medieval English form.
Elisabet f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Catalan, Spanish, Biblical Greek
Scandinavian and Finnish form of Elizabeth. It is also used in Spain alongside the traditional form Isabel.
Elisabeta f Romanian
Romanian form of Elizabeth.
Elisabeth f German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Biblical, Biblical Latin
German and Dutch form of Elizabeth. It is also a variant English form, reflecting the spelling used in the Authorized Version of the New Testament.
Elisabetĭ f Old Church Slavic
Old Church Slavic form of Elizabeth.
Elisabetta f Italian
Italian form of Elizabeth.
Elisaveta f Bulgarian, Macedonian
Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Elizabeth.
Elisedd m Old Welsh
Derived from Welsh elus meaning "kind, benevolent". This was the name of two kings of Powys in Wales.
Eliseo m Italian, Spanish
Italian and Spanish form of Elisha.
Elisheba f Biblical
Form of Elizabeth used in many versions of the Old Testament, where it belongs to the wife of Aaron.
Eliud m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Eastern African
From a Greek form of a Hebrew name meaning "God is grandeur". The Gospel of Matthew lists him as an ancestor of Jesus. This name is popular in Kenya.
Elizabeta f Slovene, Croatian
Slovene and Croatian form of Elizabeth.
Elizabeth f English, Biblical
From 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]
Elizaveta f Russian
Alternate transcription of Russian Елизавета (see Yelizaveta).
Ellar m Scottish
Anglicized form of Ealar.
Ellington f & m English (Rare)
Derived from the English surname Ellington.
Ellinor f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian form of Eleanor.
Elmira 1 f Literature
Possibly a shortened form of Edelmira. It appears in the play Tartuffe (1664) by the French playwright Molière (often spelled in the French style Elmire).
Elna f Swedish, Norwegian, Danish
Scandinavian short form of Helena.
Elnathan m Biblical
From the Hebrew name אֶלְנָתָן (ʾElnaṯan) meaning "God has given", derived from אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and נָתַן (naṯan) meaning "to give". In the Old Testament this is the name of both a grandfather of King Jehoiachin and a son of Akbor.
Elodia f Spanish
Spanish form of Alodia.
Elodie f English
English form of Élodie.
Eloísa f Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish and Portuguese form of Eloise.
Elouan m Breton, French
Possibly 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.
Elowen f Cornish
Means "elm tree" in Cornish. This is a recently coined Cornish name.
Elpida f Greek
Modern Greek form of Elpis.
Elpidius m Late Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Ἐλπίδιος (Elpidios), which was derived from ἐλπίς (elpis) meaning "hope". This was the name of a 4th-century saint who spent twenty years in a cave in Cappadocia.
Elpis f Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Means "hope" in Greek. In Greek mythology Elpis was the personification of hope. She was the last spirit to remain in the jar after Pandora unleashed the evils that were in it.
Elric m Medieval English
Middle English form of either of the Old English names Ælfric or Æðelric. Both were rarely used after the Norman Conquest.
Elrond m Literature
Means "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.
Elsa f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Finnish, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English
Short form of Elisabeth, typically used independently. In medieval German tales Elsa von Brabant was the lover of the hero Lohengrin. 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.
Elsdon m English (Rare)
From a surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "Elli's valley" in Old English.
Elspeth f Scottish
Scottish form of Elizabeth.
Eluned f Welsh
Derived 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.
Elva 1 f Irish
Anglicized form of Ailbhe.
Elvan f & m Turkish
Means "colours" in Turkish.
Elvina f English
Variant of Alvina.
Elvira f Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Hungarian, Russian
Spanish 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).
Elvire f French
French form of Elvira.
Elwyn m English
Variant of Alvin.
Elžbieta f Lithuanian
Lithuanian form of Elizabeth.
Elżbieta f Polish
Polish form of Elizabeth.
Eman f Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic إيمان (see Iman).
Emánuel m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Emmanuel.
Emanuela f Italian, Portuguese, Romanian
Italian, Portuguese and Romanian feminine form of Emmanuel.
Emanuele m Italian
Italian form of Emmanuel.
Embla f Norse Mythology, Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian
Meaning uncertain, perhaps related to Old Norse almr "elm". In Norse mythology Embla and her husband Ask were the first humans. They were created by three of the gods from two trees.
Émeric m French
French form of Emmerich.
Emilian m Romanian, Polish
Romanian and Polish form of Aemilianus (see Emiliano).
Emiliano m Spanish, Italian, Portuguese
Spanish, 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.
Émilien m French
French form of Aemilianus (see Emiliano).
Émilienne f French
French feminine form of Aemilianus (see Emiliano).
Emir m Turkish, Bosnian
Turkish form and Bosnian variant of Amir 1.
Emmanouel m Biblical Greek
Form of Immanuel used in the Greek Bible.
Emmanuel m Biblical, French, English
From the Hebrew name עִמָּנוּאֵל (ʿImmanuʾel) meaning "God is with us", from the roots עִם (ʿim) meaning "with" and אֵל (ʾel) 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).
Emmanuelle f French
French feminine form of Emmanuel.
Emmeline f English
From Old French Emeline, a diminutive of Germanic names beginning with the element amal meaning "unceasing, vigorous, brave". The Normans introduced this name to England.
Emmerich m German, Germanic
Germanic 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.
Emrys m Welsh
Welsh 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.
Emyr m Welsh
Means "king, lord" in Welsh.
Enara f Basque
Means "swallow (bird)" in Basque.
Encarnación f Spanish
Means "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).
Ender m Turkish
Means "very rare" in Turkish.
Endymion m Greek Mythology
Derived 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.
Endzela f Georgian
Means "snowdrop (flower)" in Georgian (genus Galanthus).
Enea m Italian
Italian form of Aeneas.
Enéas m Portuguese (Brazilian)
Brazilian Portuguese form of Aeneas.
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).
Enid f Welsh, English, Arthurian Cycle
Probably 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.
Enitan m & f Yoruba
Means "person with a story, storied person" in Yoruba.
Enkhtuya f Mongolian
Means "ray of peace" in Mongolian, from энх (enkh) meaning "peace, calm" and туяа (tuyaa) meaning "ray, beam".
Enoch m Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name חֲנוֹך (Ḥanoḵ) meaning "dedicated". In Genesis in the Old Testament this is the name of the son of Cain. It is also the name of a son of Jared and the father of Methuselah, who was the supposed author of the apocryphal Books of Enoch.
Enola f English
Meaning 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, French
Breton 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.
Enric m Catalan
Catalan form of Heinrich (see Henry).
Ensio m Finnish
Derived from Finnish ensi meaning "first".
Enver m Turkish, Bosnian, Albanian
Turkish, Bosnian and Albanian form of Anwar.
Eoforhild f Anglo-Saxon
Derived from the Old English elements eofor "boar" and hild "battle". This name was rarely used after the Norman Conquest.
Eoghan m Irish, Irish Mythology
Possibly means "born from the yew tree", from Old Irish "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.
Eos f Greek Mythology
Means "dawn" in Greek. This was the name of the Greek goddess of the dawn.
Éowyn f Literature
Means "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.
Epaphras m Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Ancient Greek
Shortened form of Epaphroditos. In the New Testament this is the name of one of Paul's co-workers.
Epaphroditos m Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek
Means "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).
Ephesius m Late Roman
Latin form of Efisio.
Ephraim m Biblical, Hebrew, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name אֶפְרָיִם (ʾEfrayim) 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.
Ephrath f Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
Means "fruitful place" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name is borne by one of the wives of Caleb. Also in the Bible, it is the name of the place where Rachel was buried.
Epimetheus m Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek ἐπιμήθεια (epimetheia) meaning "hindsight, hindthought". In Greek mythology he was a Titan, the brother of the god of forethought Prometheus.
Epona f Gaulish Mythology
Derived 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.
Eponine f Literature
English form of Éponine.
Erasmos m Late Greek
Greek form of Erasmus.
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 Latin
Latinized 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 Kazakh
Means "noble hero" in Kazakh, from ер (er) meaning "man, hero" and асыл (asyl) meaning "precious, noble".
Erazem m Slovene
Slovene form of Erasmus.
Erebus m Greek Mythology (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek Ἔρεβος (Erebos), which means "nether darkness". Erebus was the personification of the primordial darkness in Greek mythology.
Eren m Turkish
Means "saint, holy person" in Turkish.
Ereshkigal f Sumerian Mythology
Means "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.
Erhard m German, Germanic
Derived 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.
Èric m Catalan
Catalan form of Eric.
Érica f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Erica.
Erich m German
German form of Eric. The German novelist Erich Maria Remarque (1898-1970) was the author of All Quiet on the Western Front.
Érico m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Eric.
Eris f Greek Mythology
Means "strife, discord" in Greek. In Greek mythology Eris was the goddess of discord. She was the sister and companion of Ares.
Erland m Swedish, Danish, Norwegian
From the Old Norse byname Erlendr, which was derived from ørlendr meaning "foreigner".
Erlantz m Basque
Means "glow, shine" in Basque.
Erlend m Norwegian
Variant of Erland.
Ermengard f Germanic
Derived 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.
Ernest m English, French, Catalan, Polish, Slovak, Slovene
Derived 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).
Ernesta f Italian, Lithuanian
Feminine form of Ernest.
Ernestine f French, German, English
Feminine form of Ernest.
Ernst m German, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
German, Dutch and Scandinavian form of Ernest.
Erramun m Basque
Basque form of Raymond.
Ertuğrul m Turkish
From 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, Germanic
Derived 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 Hungarian
Hungarian 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.
Esaias m Biblical Greek, Biblical Latin, Biblical
Form of Isaiah used in the Greek and Latin Bibles, as well as some English translations of the New Testament.
Eseld f Cornish
Cornish form of Iseult.
Esen f & m Turkish
Means "the wind" in Turkish.
Esfir f Russian
Russian form of Esther.
Esin f Turkish
Means "inspiration" in Turkish.
Eskandar m Persian
Persian form of Alexander.
Eskarne f Basque (Rare)
Means "mercy" in Basque. It was coined by Sabino Arana in 1910 as an equivalent of the Spanish name Mercedes.
Eskil m Norwegian, Swedish, Danish
Modern Scandinavian form of Ásketill.
Esmail m Persian, Arabic
Usual 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.
Esmé f & m English
Means "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.
Esmée f English (British), Dutch
Feminine form of Esmé.
Esmeralda f Spanish, Portuguese, English, Albanian, Literature
Means "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.
Espen m Norwegian
Variant of Asbjørn.
Esperanta f Esperanto
Means "hoping" in Esperanto.
Esperanza f Spanish
Spanish form of the Late Latin name Sperantia, which was derived from sperare "to hope".
Esra f Turkish
Turkish form of Isra.
Essa m Arabic
Alternate transcription of Arabic عيسى (see Isa 1).
Esteban m Spanish
Spanish form of Stephen.
Estefanía f Spanish
Spanish feminine form of Stephen.
Estela f Portuguese, Spanish
Portuguese and Spanish form of Estelle.
Estella f English
Latinate form of Estelle. This is the name of the heroine, Estella Havisham, in Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations (1860).
Estelle f English, French
From 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 Biblical Hebrew
Biblical Hebrew form of Esther.
Estera f Polish, Slovak, Romanian, Lithuanian
Polish, Slovak, Romanian and Lithuanian form of Esther.
Esteri f Finnish
Finnish form of Esther.
Estevão m Portuguese
Portuguese form of Stephen.
Estève m Occitan
Occitan form of Stephen.
Esteve m Catalan
Catalan form of Stephen.
Esther f English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek
From 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]
Estienne m Medieval French
Medieval French form of Stephen.
Esyllt f Welsh
Welsh form of Iseult.
Eszter f Hungarian
Hungarian form of Esther.
Étaín f Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish
Possibly 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]
Etel f Hungarian
Short form of Etelka.
Etelka f Hungarian
Feminine form of Etele created by the Hungarian writer András Dugonics for the main character in his novel Etelka (1788).
Eteri f Georgian
Form of Eter with the nominative suffix, used when the name is written stand-alone.
Ethel f English
Short 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).
Ethelinda f English (Archaic)
English form of the Germanic name Adallinda. The name was very rare in medieval times, but it was revived in the early 19th century.
Étienne m French
French form of Stephen.
Etna f Various
From the name of an active volcano on the island of Sicily, Italy.
Ettore m Italian
Italian form of Hector.
Euanthe f Ancient Greek, Greek Mythology
Derived from Greek εὐανθής (euanthes) meaning "blooming, flowery", a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἄνθος (anthos) meaning "flower". According to some sources, this was the name of the mother of the three Graces or Χάριτες (Charites) in Greek mythology.
Euclid m Ancient Greek (Anglicized)
From the Greek name Εὐκλείδης (Eukleides), derived from Greek εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and κλέος (kleos) meaning "glory" with the patronymic suffix ἴδης (ides). This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek mathematician from Alexandria who made numerous contributions to geometry.
Eudora f Greek Mythology
Means "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.
Eugen m German, Romanian, Slovak, Croatian
Form of Eugenius (see Eugene) in several languages.
Eugène m French
French form of Eugenius (see Eugene). A notable bearer was the French painter Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863).
Eugenia f Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Polish, English, Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Feminine form of Eugenius (see Eugene). It was borne by a semi-legendary 3rd-century saint who escaped persecution by disguising herself as a man. The name was occasionally found in England during the Middle Ages, but it was not regularly used until the 19th century.
Eugenios m Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek form of Eugene.
Eulália f Portuguese, Slovak
Portuguese and Slovak form of Eulalia.
Eulàlia f Catalan
Catalan form of Eulalia.
Eun-Ji f Korean
From Sino-Korean (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" combined with (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or (ji) meaning "earth, soil, ground". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
Eun-Yeong f Korean
From Sino-Korean (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity" and (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
Euodia f Ancient Greek, Biblical Greek, Biblical
Derived from Greek εὐοδία (euodia) meaning "a good journey", a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ὁδός (hodos) meaning "road, way, journey". This name is mentioned briefly in Paul's epistle to the Philippians in the New Testament (though some translations assume it belongs to a man named Euodias).
Euphemia f Ancient Greek, English (Archaic)
Means "to use words of good omen" from Greek εὐφημέω (euphemeo), a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and φημί (phemi) meaning "to speak, to declare". Saint Euphemia was an early martyr from Chalcedon.
Euphrasia f Ancient Greek
Means "good cheer" in Greek, a derivative of εὐφραίνω (euphraino) meaning "to delight, to cheer". This name was borne by a 5th-century saint from Constantinople.
Euphrasie f French
French form of Euphrasia.
Euri f Basque (Rare)
Means "rain" in Basque.
Eurig m Welsh
Derived from Welsh aur meaning "gold" combined with a diminutive suffix.
Eurwen f Welsh
Derived from Welsh aur "gold" and gwen "white, blessed".
Euryalus m Greek Mythology (Latinized), Roman Mythology
From Greek Εὐρύαλος (Euryalos) meaning "broad". This name was borne by several figures in Greek legend. In Virgil's Aeneid it belongs to the friend of Nisus, with whom he is killed while raiding the Rutuli.
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.
Eustace m English
English form of Eustachius or Eustathius, two names of Greek origin that have been conflated in the post-classical period. Saint Eustace, who is known under both spellings, was a 2nd-century Roman general who became a Christian after seeing a vision of a cross between the antlers of a stag he was hunting. He was burned to death for refusing to worship the Roman gods and is now regarded as the patron saint of hunters. Due to him, this name was common in England during the Middle Ages, though it is presently rare.
Eustorgio m Italian (Rare)
From Eustorgius, the Latin form of the Greek name Εὐστόργιος (Eustorgios), which was from the word εὔστοργος (eustorgos) meaning "content", a derivative of εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and στέργω (stergo) meaning "to love, to be content". Saint Eustorgius was a 6th-century bishop of Milan.
Euthalia f Late Greek
Means "flower, bloom" from the Greek word εὐθάλεια (euthaleia), itself derived from εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and θάλλω (thallo) meaning "to blossom". This name was borne by a 3rd-century saint and martyr from Sicily.
Euthymia f Ancient Greek
Feminine form of Euthymius.
Euthymius m Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Εὐθύμιος (Euthymios) meaning "in good spirits, generous", derived from the word εὔθυμος (euthymos), which was composed of the elements εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and θυμός (thymos) meaning "soul, spirit". This was the name of several early saints.
Eutropia f Ancient Greek
Feminine form of Eutropios (see Eutropius).
Eutychus m Biblical, Biblical Latin
Latinized form of the Greek name Εὔτυχος (Eutychos), which was derived from Greek εὐτυχής (eutyches) meaning "fortunate". The word was formed of the elements εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and τύχη (tyche) meaning "chance, luck, fortune". In the New Testament this is the name of a young man who went to sleep while Paul was preaching and fell from the third story of the building. He was believed to be dead, but later turned out to be alive.
Evaline f English
Variant of Evelyn.
Evangelia f Greek
Feminine form of Evangelos.
Evangelina f Spanish, English
Latinate form of Evangeline.
Evangeline f English
Means "good news" from Greek εὖ (eu) meaning "good" and ἄγγελμα (angelma) meaning "news, message". It was (first?) used by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1847 epic poem Evangeline. It also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) as the full name of the character Eva.