Popular Girl Names That Start With E Throughout History
This list gathers over 80 popular girl names that start with E, from Biblical and royal roots through Victorian favorites to today's American top-10 staples. Each name comes with its meaning and the era when it was most in use.
Updated September 7, 2026
AI Summary
Few letters have given parents as many options as E. Biblical queens, Greek goddesses, medieval saints, and Victorian heroines all carried E names long before they became American nursery favorites like Emma, Emily, and Evelyn. Part of the appeal is probably how the letter sounds: E names tend to open softly and land on a bright, open vowel, which might explain why so many have stuck around for centuries.
This list is organized by the era when each name was most prominent, so you can see what a name means and roughly when it was popular. Every name is listed alphabetically within its era, paired with its meaning.
Ancient Origins (c. 800 BCE–500 CE)
Some of the earliest E names for girls come from scripture and Greek mythology, and a few have barely changed in three thousand years.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Echo | Greek, "sound." The nymph whose voice faded until only an echo remained |
Eileithyia | Greek, meaning uncertain; goddess of childbirth |
Eirene | Greek, "peace" |
Electra | Greek, "shining, bright" |
Eliora | Hebrew, "the Lord is my light" |
Elizabeth | Hebrew, "God is my oath" |
Elpis | Greek, "hope" |
Eos | Greek, "dawn" |
Epiphania | Greek, "manifestation, appearance" |
Erato | Greek, "lovely, beloved"; muse of love poetry |
Eris | Greek, "strife, discord" |
Esther | Persian/Hebrew, "star"; Biblical queen |
Eudemia | Greek, "well" plus "people, land" (rare, archaic) |
Eudora | Greek, "good gift" |
Eudoxia | Greek, "good reputation" |
Eugenia | Greek, "well-born" |
Eunice | Greek, "good victory"; New Testament figure |
Euphemia | Greek, "well spoken" |
Euphrosyne | Greek, "mirth, good cheer"; one of the three Graces |
Europa | Greek, "wide-eyed"; mythical Phoenician princess |
Eurydice | Greek, "wide justice"; wife of Orpheus in myth |
Eurynome | Greek, "wide ruling"; an Oceanid in mythology |
Euthalia | Greek, "blooming well"; an early Christian saint |
Eutychia | Greek, "good fortune"; an early Christian saint |
Evadne | Greek, meaning unclear; a mythological maiden |
Evanthe | Greek, "fair flower" |
Eve | Hebrew, "life" |
Medieval and Renaissance (500–1600)
Christian saints and noble families carried many of these names, and a fair number came out of Welsh and Cornish tradition rather than Latin or Greek.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Eadgifu | Old English, "rich" plus "gift"; an Anglo-Saxon queen |
Eadgyth | Old English form of Edith, "rich" and "war" |
Edelina | Germanic, diminutive of Adelina, "noble" |
Edith | Old English, "prosperous in war" |
Elaine | Old French form of Helen, "shining light"; Arthurian romance |
Eleanor | Occitan origin, commonly glossed as "shining light" |
Elspeth | Scottish form of Elizabeth, "God is my oath" |
Eluned | Welsh, "image, idol"; a Welsh saint's name |
Elvira | Gothic, meaning debated between "happy" or "spear," combined with "true" |
Emerentia | Latin, "deserving, meritorious" |
Emma | Germanic, "whole, universal" |
Engeltrude | Germanic, "angel" plus "strength"; a Frankish noblewoman |
Enid | Welsh, "soul, life"; Arthurian legend |
Ermengarde | Germanic, "whole" plus "protection"; a Frankish noblewoman |
Ermentrude | Germanic, "whole" plus "strength"; borne by medieval queens |
Esclarmonde | Occitan, "light of the world" |
Esme | Old French, "esteemed, loved" |
Etheldreda | Old English, "noble strength"; a Saxon saint |
Ethelflaed | Old English, "noble beauty"; Lady of the Mercians |
Ethelgifu | Old English, "noble gift"; an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman |
Eugenie | Greek/French, "well-born" |
Eulalia | Greek, "fair speech, well spoken"; a martyr's name |
Euphrasia | Greek, "good cheer"; an early Christian saint |
Eustachia | Greek, "fruitful, fertile" |
Evalina | French, from Aveline, "hazelnut" |
Victorian and Early Modern (1800s–early 1900s)
By the 1800s, a handful of E names weren't just common; they were some of the most-used girls' names in the country, period.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Effie | Greek, diminutive of Euphemia, "well spoken" |
Eileen | Irish/English form of Helen, "shining light" |
Eliza | Hebrew, short form of Elizabeth, "God is my oath" |
Ellen | English form of Helen, "shining light" |
Elsie | Germanic, diminutive of Elizabeth, "God is my oath" |
Emily | Latin, from Aemilia, "rival" or "eager" |
Emmeline | Germanic/French, related to Emma, "industrious" |
Erma | Germanic, related to Emma, "whole" |
Ernestine | Germanic, feminine form of Ernest, "serious, resolute" |
Esmeralda | Spanish, "emerald" |
Estelle | French, "star" |
Estrella | Spanish, "star" |
Ethel | Old English, "noble" |
Etta | English, diminutive of names like Henrietta, "estate ruler" |
Eva | Hebrew, form of Eve, "life" |
Evangelina | Greek, "bearer of good news" |
Evelina | English, diminutive related to Evelyn, often glossed as "desired" |
One Name, Many Nicknames
Few names have spawned as many independent-sounding offshoots as Elizabeth. Eliza, Elsie, Effie, and Etta all trace back to the same Hebrew root, but each one built its own identity as parents started using it on its own rather than as a childhood nickname.
Effie was common enough in the Victorian era to work as a legal given name in its own right, and Etta later took on a second life as a jazz-era name with no obvious tie back to Elizabeth at all. If you like the idea of a name with a built-in short form, this cluster is worth a look before you commit to the full Elizabeth.
» Weighing name options more broadly? Our guide to choosing a baby name walks through things like sound, meaning, and family fit.
Modern Favorites (20th–21st Century)
Names beginning with E have held onto space near the top of American baby name charts for decades, and the letter is still producing options nobody used a generation ago.
Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
Ember | Word name, "smoldering coal" |
Eden | Hebrew, "delight, place of pleasure" |
Elena | Greek/Italian/Spanish form of Helen, "shining light" |
Eliana | Hebrew, "my God has answered" |
Elise | French/German short form of Elisabeth, "God is my oath" |
Ella | Germanic, "all, completely"; also a short form of Eleanor |
Ellie | English, diminutive of Eleanor, "shining light" |
Eloise | French form of Héloïse, possibly "healthy" or "wide" |
Elowen | Cornish, "elm tree" |
Elsa | German, short form of Elisabeth, "God is my oath" |
Emerson | English surname-name, "son of Emery" |
Emersyn | Modern coined name, feminine form of Emerson, "son of Emery" |
Emery | English, Germanic root tied to "work" and "power" |
Emilia | Italian/Latin form of Emily, "rival" |
Estella | Latin, "star" |
Evelyn | Norman French origin, often glossed as "desired" |
Everleigh | Modern coined name, from "ever" and "meadow" |
Everly | English surname, "boar meadow" |
Evie | English, diminutive of Eve, "life" |
» If you want to keep exploring, popular girl names that start with F is next in the series.
E Names: From Ancient Queens to Contemporary Classics
E has carried girls' names through nearly every era of Western naming history, from ancient scripture and mythology to medieval saints, Victorian favorites, and today's American top picks. What ties it all together is range. E can sound ancient, literary, or brand new depending on which era you're drawing from, and it's still capable of producing names nobody's used before instead of just recycling old favorites.
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FAQs
What are the oldest girl names that start with E?
Some of the oldest come from the Bible and Greek mythology, including Esther, Eve, Eunice, Electra, and Eurydice. Many have been in continuous use for over a thousand years, carried by religious texts and classical literature rather than any single trend.
What are the most popular E names for girls in the U.S. right now?
Emma, Emily, Ella, Evelyn, and Elizabeth are among the most consistently popular. Newer entries like Everly, Eliana, and Emersyn have also been climbing steadily.
Are any E names tied to royalty?
Yes. Elizabeth, Eleanor, and Eugenie all have long-standing royal associations in Europe, and names like Emma and Edith were common among medieval noble families too.
Why do so many E names sound like nicknames of each other?
A lot of them trace back to Elizabeth. Eliza, Elsie, Effie, and Etta all started as short forms of Elizabeth before becoming standalone names in their own right, which is why the letter has such a dense cluster of names that sound related.
Is Emma the most popular E name overall?
Emma has consistently ranked as one of the top E names in the U.S. for the past two decades, though Emily held that position for much of the 1990s and early 2000s. Both remain among the most enduring choices starting with the letter.
