Ekkehard m German, GermanicDerived from the Old German elements
ekka "edge, blade" and
hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". Eckhart von Hochheim was a 13th-century Dominican friar, philosopher and mystic who was accused of heresy during the Inquisition.
Ekwueme m IgboMeans
"one says, one does" in Igbo, indicating a person who is truthful about his behaviour.
El m Semitic MythologyFrom a Semitic root meaning
"god". This was a title applied to several Semitic gods. The Canaanites used it as the name of their chief deity, the father of the gods and mankind. The Hebrews used it to refer to
Yahweh.
Elagabalus m Semitic Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of an Arabic name, derived from
إله (ʾilah) meaning "god" and
جبل (jabal) meaning "mountain". This was the name of a sun god worshipped in Emesa, in the Roman province of Syria. A 3rd-century Roman emperor, who served as a priest of this god in his youth in Syria, is known to history by the name Elagabalus. After ruling for four years he was assassinated at the age of 18, in part because he promoted the god to the head of the Roman pantheon.
Elah m BiblicalMeans
"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.
Elaia f BasqueDerived from Basque
elai meaning
"swallow (bird)".
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).
Elam m Biblical, Biblical HebrewPossibly 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 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.
Elanur f TurkishMeans
"hazel light", from Turkish
ela meaning "hazel" combined with Arabic
نور (nūr) meaning "light".
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.
Elcan m AzerbaijaniMeans
"soul of the people" in Azerbaijani, ultimately derived from Turkic
el meaning "country, society" and Persian
جان (jān) meaning "soul, life".
Eldon m EnglishFrom a surname that was from a place name meaning
"Ella's hill" in Old English.
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.
Elhanan m BiblicalMeans
"God is gracious" in Hebrew, from
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and
חָנַן (ḥanan) meaning "to be gracious". This is the name of two Old Testament characters.
Eli 1 m English, Hebrew, Biblical, Biblical Greek, Biblical HebrewMeans
"ascension" in Hebrew, a derivative of
עָלָה (ʿala) meaning "to ascend". In the Books of Samuel in the Old Testament he is a high priest of the Israelites. He took the young
Samuel into his service and gave him guidance when God spoke to him. Because of the misdeeds of his sons, Eli and his descendants were cursed to die before reaching old age.
... [more] Eliab m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
אֱלִיאָב (ʾEliʾav) meaning
"my God is father", from the roots
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and
אָב (ʾav) meaning "father". This is the name of several people from the Old Testament, including a brother of King
David.
Eliakim m BiblicalMeans
"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.
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 unknown, possibly of Greek or Welsh origin. It may have been inspired by the name of the
Ήλιδα (Ilida) valley 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".
Eligius m Late RomanLate Latin name derived from Latin
eligere "to choose". The 7th-century Saint Eligius is the patron saint of metalworkers.
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.
Elioenai m BiblicalMeans
"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.
Eliot m EnglishFrom 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).
Eliphelet m BiblicalMeans
"my God is deliverance" in Hebrew, from the roots
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and
פָּלַט (palaṭ) meaning "to deliver, to rescue". This is the name of several people in the Old Testament including a son of
David.
Elisedd m Old WelshDerived from Welsh
elus meaning
"kind, benevolent". This was the name of two kings of Powys in Wales.
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] Elkanah m BiblicalMeans
"God has purchased" in Hebrew, from
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God" and
קָנָה (qana) meaning "to acquire, to purchase". In the Old Testament this is the name of the father of
Samuel.
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).
Ellery m & f EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from the medieval masculine name
Hilary.
Elli 3 f Norse MythologyMeans
"old age" in Old Norse. In the
Prose Edda this is the name of an old woman (old age personified) who wrestles with and defeats the god
Thor.
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.
Elmas f TurkishMeans
"diamond" in Turkish, ultimately from Persian.
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.
Elmira 3 f Russian (Rare)Contraction of Russian
электрификация мира (elektrifikatsiya mira) meaning
"electrification of the world". This name was created by communist parents who were eager to reject traditional names.
Elnathan m BiblicalFrom 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.
Elnur m AzerbaijaniMeans
"light of the people" in Azerbaijani, ultimately derived from Turkic
el meaning "country, society" and Arabic
نور (nūr) meaning "light".
Elof m SwedishFrom the Old Norse name
Eileifr, which was derived from the elements
ei "ever, always" and
leif "inheritance, legacy".
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] Elon m Biblical, 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).
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.
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.
Elowen f CornishMeans
"elm tree" in Cornish. This is a recently coined Cornish name.
Elpis f Ancient Greek, Greek MythologyMeans
"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.
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).
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.
Elvin 2 m AzerbaijaniMeaning uncertain, possibly in part from Azerbaijani
el meaning
"country, society".
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] Elwood m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning
"elder tree forest" in Old English.
Elysia f VariousFrom
Elysium, the name of the realm of the dead in Greek and Roman mythology.
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.
Emel f TurkishMeans
"desire" in Turkish, ultimately of Arabic origin, making this name a relative of
Amal.
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).
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.
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.
Emeterius m Late RomanMeaning uncertain, possibly of Greek origin. Saint Emeterius was a 3rd-century Roman soldier who was martyred with Celedonius.
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.
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.
Emiko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit" and
美 (mi) meaning "beautiful" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other combinations of kanji characters can also form this name.
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).