Girl names that start with E range from favorites like Emma, Evelyn and Eliana to rare picks like Endellion, Ethelinda and Eirlys, and this list of 126 gives a checked origin and meaning for every one.
E is one of the strongest letters for naming a daughter right now. Three E names are in the current U.S. top 10 (Emma at No. 3, Evelyn at No. 8 and Eliana at No. 10 for babies born in 2025, according to the Social Security Administration), and behind them sit queens’ names, saints’ names, Welsh nature words and names from many languages.
We grouped these E girl names by style: classic, unique, short, long, vintage, nature, mythology, biblical, international and gender neutral. After the tables come the sounds E can make, nicknames, sibling and middle name ideas, and a quick initials check.
Key Takeaways
- Emma (No. 3), Evelyn (No. 8) and Eliana (No. 10) are the E names in the SSA top 10 for girls born in 2025.
- Familiar E names for girls also include Eleanor, Elizabeth, Emily, Ella, Eloise, Eliza and Elena.
- Rare options include Endellion, Ethelinda, Ermintrude, Epiphany, Eirlys and Enfys.
- E makes several sounds in names: short in Emma, long in Eve, “eye” in Eileen and “you” in Eunice, so check how each name is said.
- Test your favorite with the initials, say it out loud, spelling and nickname checks before you decide.
Table of Contents
Girl Names That Start With E at a Glance
Quick Answer
Every origin and meaning on this page was checked against the name’s own entry on Behind the Name in October 2026. Where the reference calls a meaning unknown, uncertain or probable, we say so.
Start with the best known baby girl names that start with E. For ideas beyond one letter, browse our main list of baby girl names, or compare these with girl names that start with A and girl names that start with C.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Emma | English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Swedish and more | Began as a short form of Germanic names starting with irmin: “whole” or “great”; the heroine of Jane Austen’s 1816 novel Emma |
| Evelyn | English, German | From an English surname taken from the given name Aveline; once used more for boys, now almost entirely feminine |
| Eliana | Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English (modern) | Italian, Spanish and Portuguese form of Éliane; the entry traces the root to Greek helios, “sun” |
| Eleanor | English | Old French form of the Occitan name Alienòr; said to come from Latin alia Aenor, “the other Aenor”, for the mother of Eleanor of Aquitaine |
| Elizabeth | English, biblical | From Greek Elisabet, from Hebrew Elisheva: “my God is an oath”; the mother of John the Baptist in the New Testament |
| Emily | English | English feminine form of the Roman name Aemilius; borne by the writers Emily Brontë and Emily Dickinson |
| Ella | English | Norman short form of Germanic names with the element alles, “other”; also listed as a pet form of Eleanor and Elizabeth |
| Emilia | Italian, Spanish, Polish, German, English and more | Feminine form of Aemilius; the name of Iago’s wife in Shakespeare’s Othello |
| Eloise | English | From Old French Héloïse, probably from a Germanic name meaning “healthy, whole” plus “wide”; not related to Louise |
| Eliza | English, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian) and more | Short form of Elizabeth; Eliza Doolittle is the heroine of Shaw’s play Pygmalion (1913) |
| Elena | Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Russian, Greek, English and more | Form of Helen used in many languages |
| Everly | English (modern) | From an English surname taken from a place name: Old English for “boar” plus “woodland, clearing” |
| Eva | Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, English, German, Czech and more | Form of Eve used in many languages |
| Elise | German, Scandinavian, Dutch, English | Short form of Elizabeth |
| Elsie | English, Swedish | Pet form of Elizabeth |
| Evangeline | English | “Good news”, from Greek eu “good” plus angelma “news”; possibly first used by Longfellow in his 1847 poem Evangeline |
| Elodie | English | English form of Élodie, the French form of the Gothic name Alodia |
| Edith | English, German, Scandinavian, Dutch | From Old English Eadgyth: ead “wealth, fortune” plus guth “battle”; revived in the 19th century |
| Erin | English, Irish | Anglicized form of Éireann, the Irish name for Ireland; rare until the mid-1950s |
| Ellie | English | Pet form of Eleanor, Ellen, Elizabeth and other names beginning with El |
| Esmé | English | From Old French, “esteemed” or “loved”; first recorded in Scotland in the 16th century and now used more for girls |
| Elaine | English; Arthurian legend | Old French form of Helen; in Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, the mother of Galahad |
A note on the rankings: the Social Security Administration (SSA) counts each spelling as a separate name. Its own example is the group Caitlin, Caitlyn, Kaitlin and Katelyn, which it ranks one by one. So close spellings such as Eliana and Elliana, or Emery and Emerie (both listed as variants on Behind the Name), are counted as separate names.
Much of this letter comes from a handful of old families. If one name in a family appeals to you, its relatives may too:
- The Eleanor family: Eleanor, Elinor, Eleanora, Eleonora and Ellinor, plus pet forms such as Ella, Elle, Ellie and Nell.
- The Elizabeth family: Elizabeth, Eliza, Elise, Elsie, Elsa, Elisheba and Elisheva. Elizabeth goes back to Hebrew Elisheva, “my God is an oath”.
- The Eve family: Eve, Eva, Éabha, Efa, Eeva and Ewa are forms of the same Hebrew name in English, many European languages, Irish, Welsh, Finnish and Polish.
- The Helen family: Elena, Ellen, Elaine, Elin, Elina and Eleni are all forms of Helen, and so, by one reading, is Eileen.
- The Aemilius family: Emily, Emilia and Émilie are feminine forms of the old Roman name Aemilius.
Unique and Rare Girl Names That Start With E
If you want unique girl names that start with E, look at the older and quieter corners of the letter. Behind the Name marks several of these as rare or archaic in English, and the rest are uncommon choices in the United States. They still use familiar sounds, so most are easy to say once you have heard them.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ermintrude | English (archaic) | English form of the Germanic name Ermendrud; occasionally used until the 19th century |
| Ethelinda | English (archaic) | English form of the Germanic name Adallinda; very rare in medieval times, revived in the early 19th century |
| Eustacia | English (rare) | Feminine form of Eustace |
| Epiphany | English (rare) | From the Christian feast on January 6; from Greek epiphaneia, “manifestation” |
| Elfreda | English | Middle English form of Old English Ælfthryth: “elf strength”; revived in the 19th century |
| Enola | English | Meaning unknown; first used for the heroine of an 1886 novel |
| Endellion | Ecclesiastical history | Anglicized form of Endelienta, the Latin form of a Welsh or Cornish name of unknown meaning; a 5th or 6th century Cornish saint |
| Easter | English | From the Christian festival, a word traced to the Germanic spring goddess Eostre; traditionally given to babies born at Easter, rare today |
| Elma | Dutch, English, German (rare) | Short form of Wilhelmine or of names ending in elma; also recorded as a blend of Elizabeth and Mary |
Two of these have honest gaps in their history. The reference gives no known meaning for Enola, which first appeared as the name of a novel’s heroine in 1886, and none for Endellion, the name of an early Cornish saint whose birth name was lost. Epiphany and Easter both come from Christian feast days, and Easter was traditionally given to babies born at that time of year.
To check how rare a name really is, use the Popularity of a Name search on the SSA baby names page. The SSA leaves names with fewer than 5 occurrences out of its lists to protect privacy, so the very rarest names never appear there at all. For more ideas across every letter, see our unique girl names guide.
Short E Names for Girls (3 to 5 Letters)
Short E names for girls are easy to spell and pair well with a long surname or a long middle name. Nearly all of them started as pet forms of longer names and are now used on their own.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Edie | English | Pet form of Edith |
| Evie | English | Pet form of Eve or Evelyn |
| Elle | English (modern) | Short form of Eleanor and other names beginning with El; also the French word for “she” |
| Elsa | German, Swedish, Italian, Spanish, English and more | Short form of Elisabeth; Elsa von Brabant is the heroine of Wagner’s opera Lohengrin (1850) |
| Etta | English | Short form of Henrietta and other names ending in etta |
| Eula | English | Short form of Eulalia |
| Esta | English | Pet form of Esther |
| Emmy | English, French, Swedish, Dutch, German | Pet form of Emma or Emily |
| Ebba | Swedish, Danish | Feminine form of Ebbe |
| Effie | English, Scottish | Pet form of Euphemia; in Scotland also an anglicized form of the Gaelic name Oighrig |
| Essie | English | Pet form of Estelle or Esther |
| Ellen | English, German, Scandinavian, Finnish, Estonian | Medieval English form of Helen, and the usual spelling until the 19th century |
Edie, Evie and Effie each have a formal name behind them (Edith, Eve or Evelyn, and Euphemia), so you can give the long name on the birth certificate and use the short one every day. Ebba is the exception here: it is a full Scandinavian name, the feminine form of Ebbe. More short picks sit in other tables on this page: Eva, Eve, Ella, Elle, Erin, Eden, Eira, Elif, Ece, Esra, Eos, Echo and Elin.
Long, Elegant and Vintage E Names
Long E names give you a formal name for later life and a choice of nicknames for now. Several are the Latin-style forms of names you already know, such as Eleanora for Eleanor and Estella for Estelle.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Eleanora | English | Latinate form of Eleanor |
| Evangelina | Spanish, English | Latinate form of Evangeline |
| Estella | English | Latinate form of Estelle, from Latin stella, “star”; the heroine of Dickens’s Great Expectations (1860) |
| Eugenia | Italian, Spanish, Romanian, Polish, English, Ancient Greek | Feminine form of Eugenius, the source of Eugene; borne by a semi-legendary 3rd-century saint |
| Emmeline | English | From Old French Emeline, a pet form of Germanic names beginning with amal, an element with a sense of tireless, forceful and brave; brought to England by the Normans |
| Evelina | English, Italian, Swedish, Russian and more | Latinate form of Aveline; revived by Fanny Burney for her 1778 novel Evelina |
| Eulalia | Spanish, Italian, Polish, English, Ancient Greek | “Sweetly-speaking” in Greek; an early 4th-century saint from Mérida, Spain |
| Euphemia | Ancient Greek, English | From Greek euphemeo: “to use words of good omen”; an early martyr from Chalcedon, and a historically common name in Scotland |
| Ernestine | French, German, English | Feminine form of Ernest |
These vintage E names feel familiar from older generations. Several have roots in Old English or Old French, and two of them, Ethel and Enid, owe some of their popularity to 19th century novels and poems. If you like this style, our same-day guide to old fashioned girl names has many more.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ethel | English | Short form of Old English names beginning with æthele, “noble”; created in the 19th century |
| Edwina | English | Feminine form of Edwin |
| Enid | Welsh, English; Arthurian legend | Probably from Welsh enaid: “soul, spirit, life”; the wife of Erec (later Geraint) in Arthurian tales |
| Estelle | English, French | From an Old French name meaning “star”, from Latin stella; revived in the 19th century |
| Elinor | English | Variant of Eleanor |
| Eileen | Irish, English | Anglicized form of the Irish name Eibhlín; sometimes also treated as an Irish form of Helen |
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Nature E Names: Snow, Stars, Stones and Flowers
Many pretty girl names that start with E come from the natural world. Welsh is especially rich here, with names for snow, the snowdrop and the rainbow, and Cornish adds the elm tree. Each meaning below comes straight from the name’s entry, not from loose association.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ember | English (modern) | From the English word for a glowing piece of coal or wood left from a fire |
| Emerald | English (modern) | The green gemstone, the traditional birthstone of May; from Greek smaragdos |
| Esmeralda | Spanish, Portuguese, English | “Emerald” in Spanish and Portuguese; the heroine of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) |
| Estrella | Spanish | Spanish form of Stella; also the Spanish word for “star” |
| Eira | Welsh | From the Welsh word for “snow”; a recently created name |
| Eirlys | Welsh | “Snowdrop” in Welsh, from eira “snow” plus llys “plant” |
| Enfys | Welsh | The Welsh word for “rainbow”; first recorded as a name in the 19th century |
| Elowen | Cornish | “Elm tree” in Cornish; a recently coined name |
| Erica | English, Swedish, Italian | Feminine form of Eric, first used in the 18th century; also the Latin word for heather |
| Eglantine | English (rare) | The sweetbrier flower, from a Vulgar Latin word meaning “prickly”; first used as a name in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales |
Two of these overlap with other tables. Estelle and Estella, in the vintage and long tables, share the Latin root stella, “star”, with Estrella. Esther, in the biblical table, may also mean “star”, in Persian. Erica and the Scandinavian Erika are both feminine forms of Eric or Erik that happen to match a word for heather, so they work as nature names and as classic names at once.
Mythology, Literature and Biblical E Names
Greek myth gives the letter E a large cast: a nymph, a goddess of the dawn, a princess, a Grace and more. Gaulish and Norse myth add one name each, and Tolkien adds a modern literary one. For Embla the reference calls the meaning uncertain, and for Evadne it gives only a probable meaning, so we print them that way.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Echo | Greek mythology | From the Greek word for “echo, reflected sound”; the nymph who loved Narcissus |
| Eos | Greek mythology | “Dawn” in Greek; the goddess of the dawn |
| Electra | Greek mythology (Latinized) | From the Greek word for “amber”; the daughter of Agamemnon, and also one of the Pleiades |
| Europa | Greek mythology (Latinized) | Roughly “wide face”, from Greek eurys “wide” plus ops “face, eye”; a Phoenician princess, and a moon of Jupiter |
| Eirene | Greek mythology, Ancient Greek | Ancient Greek form of Irene |
| Euphrosyne | Greek mythology | “Mirth, merriment, cheerfulness” in Greek; one of the three Graces |
| Evadne | Greek mythology (Latinized) | Probably from Greek eu “good” plus Cretan Greek adnos “holy” |
| Epona | Gaulish mythology | From Gaulish epos, “horse”; a goddess of horses and fertility |
| Embla | Norse mythology, Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian | Meaning uncertain, perhaps related to Old Norse for “elm”; the first woman in Norse myth |
| Éowyn | Literature | “Horse joy” in Old English; created by J. R. R. Tolkien for The Lord of the Rings (1954) |
Biblical girl names that start with E include two of the best known women in the Hebrew Bible, Eve and Esther, plus two women named in the New Testament, Eunice and Euodia. Elizabeth, in the first table, appears in both testaments: as Elisheba, the wife of Aaron, in many versions of the Old Testament, and as the mother of John the Baptist in the New. Eden, in the gender neutral table, is the garden of Genesis.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Esther | English, Spanish, French, German, Jewish, biblical and more | Possibly “star” in Persian, or from the name of the goddess Ishtar; the Jewish queen of Persia in the Book of Esther |
| Eve | English, Estonian, biblical | From Hebrew Hawwa, linked to “to breathe” or “to live”; the first woman in the Book of Genesis |
| Eunice | Biblical, English | Latinized form of Greek Eunike: “good victory”; the mother of Timothy in the New Testament |
| Euodia | Ancient Greek, biblical | “A good journey” in Greek; mentioned by Paul in his letter to the Philippians |
| Elisheba | Biblical | Form of Elizabeth used in many versions of the Old Testament, where she is Aaron’s wife |
| Elisheva | Hebrew | Hebrew form of Elizabeth |
| Edna | English, Hebrew, biblical | “Pleasure” in Hebrew; the wife of Raguel in the Book of Tobit (Old Testament Apocrypha) |
International E Names by Language
Origins below use the reference’s own usage labels. Many of these are local forms of Eleanor, Helen, Eve and Eva, which is why the letter E travels so well from one language to the next.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Élodie | French | French form of Alodia, a Gothic name |
| Émilie | French | French feminine form of Aemilius (see Emily) |
| Elfriede | German | German form of Elfreda |
| Erika | Scandinavian, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Italian and more | Feminine form of Erik; in some languages also the word for heather |
| Elin | Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Welsh | Scandinavian and Welsh form of Helen |
| Ellinor | Swedish, Norwegian, Danish | Scandinavian form of Eleanor |
| Eeva | Finnish, Estonian | Finnish and Estonian form of Eva |
| Elina | Finnish, Estonian, Swedish | Finnish, Estonian and Swedish form of Helen |
| Ewa | Polish, Swedish | Polish form of Eve |
| Ekaterina | Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian | Bulgarian and Macedonian form of Katherine |
| Eleni | Greek | Modern Greek form of Helen |
| Elettra | Italian | Italian form of Electra |
| Enrica | Italian | Feminine form of Enrico |
| Eleonora | Italian, German, Swedish, Polish, Russian and more | Form of Eleanor in several languages |
| Emanuela | Italian, Portuguese, Romanian | Feminine form of Emmanuel |
| Esperanza | Spanish | Spanish form of the Latin name Sperantia, from spero, “to hope” |
| Elvira | Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Russian and more | Spanish form of a Visigothic name of uncertain meaning; a character in Mozart’s Don Giovanni |
| Encarnación | Spanish | “Incarnation” in Spanish, referring to the Incarnation of Jesus |
| Éabha | Irish | Irish form of Eve |
| Eithne | Irish; Irish mythology | Possibly from Old Irish etne, “kernel, grain”; the mother of Lugh in Irish myth |
| Enya | Irish | Anglicized form of Eithne |
| Eimear | Irish | Variant of Éimhear |
| Eilidh | Scottish Gaelic | Pet form of Eilionoir; also taken as a Gaelic form of Helen |
| Eluned | Welsh | From Welsh eilun: “image, likeness, idol”; a legendary 5th-century Welsh saint |
| Efa | Welsh | Welsh form of Eva |
Irish and Scottish Gaelic spellings follow their own rules, so learn the sound before you fall for the look. Behind the Name gives Éabha as /ˈeː.wə/ or /ˈeː.vˠə/, Eithne as /ˈɛ.nʲə/ and Eilidh as /ˈe.lɪ/. Enya is the English spelling of Eithne, which shows how far the written form can drift from the sound. Find more in our Irish girl names guide.
Of the Turkish names below, Elif and Esra are Turkish forms of Arabic names, while Ece and Ebru are Turkish words. The Japanese names depend on the characters a family chooses, so treat each gloss as one common reading.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Elif | Turkish | Turkish form of Alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet; also “slender” |
| Ece | Turkish | “Queen” or “beautiful woman” |
| Ebru | Turkish | “Paper marbling”, the craft of decorating paper with colored patterns |
| Esra | Turkish | Turkish form of Isra |
| Emiko | Japanese | “Favor, benefit” plus “beautiful” plus “child” in one common spelling |
| Etsuko | Japanese | “Joy” plus “child” in one common spelling |
| Eiko | Japanese | “Glory, prosperity” or “excellent” plus “child”, depending on the characters |
Print accents exactly as the name is spelled (Élodie, Émilie, Éabha, Encarnación, Éowyn). U.S. paperwork does not always carry accents, so decide ahead of time whether you are comfortable seeing the name written without them. If a name comes from a culture outside your own family, learn how it is said and used before you commit.
Gender Neutral E Names
Behind the Name lists each of these as both feminine and masculine. Most began as English surnames, and two come straight from English words. The reference notes that Emery, as a modern given name, is now usually feminine. Two names in the first table are also listed for both genders: Evelyn, which the reference says is now almost entirely feminine, and Esmé, which it says is used more for girls. See our gender neutral names guide for more.
| Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Eden | Hebrew, English (modern), French (modern) | The biblical place name; perhaps from Hebrew for “pleasure, delight” or Sumerian edin, “plain” |
| Emerson | English, Portuguese (Brazilian) | From an English surname: “son of Emery” |
| Emery | English | Norman French form of Emmerich; as a modern given name it is now typically feminine |
| Emory | English | Variant of Emery |
| Ellery | English | From an English surname taken from the medieval masculine name Hilary |
| Ellis | English, Welsh | From an English surname based on Elis, a medieval form of Elias; also an anglicized form of Welsh Elisedd |
| Elliott | English | From an English surname that began as a pet form of the medieval name Elias |
| Ever | English (modern) | From the English word “ever” |
| Everest | English (modern) | From the English name of the world’s highest mountain, named after the surveyor George Everest |
Why E Names Are Loved: Sounds and Nicknames
A few plain reasons parents keep returning to names that start with E:
- Three of the ten most popular girl names in the United States for 2025 start with E: Emma, Evelyn and Eliana.
- The letter has deep roots. Eleanor, Elizabeth, Edith and Emma were carried by queens and saints, and Eve and Esther go back to the Hebrew Bible.
- Many E names have a soft, flowing sound, often with an L in the next syllable (Ella, Eloise, Elena, Eliza).
- Long E names shorten into friendly nicknames, from Ellie and Evie to Edie and Effie.
One thing to know before you choose: the letter E does not always sound the same. This table shows how a dozen E names begin, using the pronunciation printed on each name’s Behind the Name entry (in the International Phonetic Alphabet).
| Name | Pronunciation (IPA) | First sound |
|---|---|---|
| Emma | /ˈɛm.ə/ (English) | Short E, as in “egg” |
| Ella | /ˈɛl.ə/ | Short E, as in “egg” |
| Esther | /ˈɛs.təɹ/ (American English) | Short E, as in “egg” |
| Eve | /ˈiːv/ | Long E, as in “eel” |
| Edith | /ˈiː.dɪθ/ (English) | Long E, as in “eel” |
| Eva | /ˈiː.və/ (English), /ˈe.βa/ (Spanish) | Long E in English, an “eh” in Spanish |
| Elizabeth | /ɪ.ˈlɪz.ə.bəθ/ | A light “ih” before the stress |
| Evangeline | /ɪ.ˈvæn.d͡ʒə.ˌlin/ | A light “ih” before the stress |
| Eileen | /aɪ.ˈlin/ or /ˈaɪ.lin/ (English) | “Eye” |
| Eunice | /ˈju.nɪs/ (English) | “You” |
| Eula | /ˈju.lə/ | “You” |
| Eilidh | /ˈe.lɪ/ (Scottish Gaelic) | An “ay” sound |
Most E names open with a short E, as in Emma and Ella, or a long E, as in Eve and Edith. Names that begin Ei or Eu are the ones to check one by one: Eileen opens with an “eye” sound in English, Eilidh with an “ay” sound in Scottish Gaelic, and Eunice, Eula, Eulalia and Euphemia open with “you”. Eva shows how one name can change by language: the English entry gives a long E, the Spanish one a short “eh”. If relatives will read the name on a card before they hear it, tell them how you say it.
Nicknames are part of the appeal of a long E name. Every nickname in this table is listed as a short form or pet form on Behind the Name, either on the full name’s entry or on the nickname’s own entry.
| Full name | Nickname ideas |
|---|---|
| Elizabeth | Eliza, Elsie, Elise, Ellie, Elle, Beth, Libby, Lizzie, Liz |
| Eleanor, Eleanora, Elinor | Ella, Elle, Ellie, Nell, Nellie, Nora, Lenore |
| Emma | Em, Emmie, Emmy |
| Emily, Emilia | Em, Emmie, Emmy, Millie, Milly |
| Evelyn | Evie, Evvie |
| Eve, Eva | Evie, Evvie (and Evita, a Spanish pet form of Eva) |
| Edith | Edie |
| Ellen | Ella, Ellie, Nell, Lena |
| Euphemia | Effie, Eppie, Phemie |
| Esther | Essie, Esta |
| Estelle, Estella | Essie |
| Eulalia | Eula, Lalia |
| Eugenia | Genie, Gina |
| Elaine | Lainey, Laney |
| Eliana | Liana (Italian) |
| Evangelina, Evelina | Lina |
| Elfreda, Elfriede | Frieda (and Elfi, a German pet form of Elfriede) |
| Eustacia | Stacia |
| Edwina | Eddie |
| Encarnación | Encarna, Encarnita |
| Ekaterina | Katya, Katia |
Sibling, Twin and Middle Name Ideas
These pairings are ideas, not rules. Sister or twin sets that share a letter work best when the names differ in length, ending or first sound:
- Emma and Eliza
- Eleanor and Evelyn
- Esther and Edith
- Eloise and Elodie
- Ember and Elowen
- Eira and Enfys
- Estella and Evangeline
- Elif and Ece
- Emiko and Etsuko
- Eva and Eden
To keep a matching pair from blurring together, mix the sounds: a short E with a long E (Ella and Eve) or a two-syllable name with a four-syllable one (Edith and Evangeline). Pairs from one language, such as Eira and Enfys from Welsh or Elif and Ece from Turkish, share a style without sharing a meaning.
For a brother, look at boy names that start with M for a contrast, or stay with the letter using Ellis, Elliott, Emerson or Ellery from the gender neutral table. If you are naming a second daughter, our same-day list of girl names that start with L pairs well with E, since so many E names already carry an L sound.
For middle names, contrast helps. A short middle balances a long first name, and a longer middle adds weight to a short one. If you like matching initials, try Eliza Eve, Ella Estelle, Eleanor Edith, Evelyn Esmé or Emilia Eden. Short E names such as Eve, Elle and Eden also make easy middle names after a first name that starts with any other letter.
The Initials Check and Other Quick Tests
Before you settle on girl names that start with E, run each finalist through four quick tests:
- Initials: write out first, middle and last initials. E.V.A. spells a name, which some families like. Other letter strings spell words you might not choose, so swap the middle name if you spot a problem.
- Say it out loud: call the full name across a room. Many E names end in a vowel (Emma, Ella, Eliza), so check whether it runs into a surname that starts with a vowel too.
- Spelling: several E names have close spellings, such as Eliana and Elliana or Emery and Emory, and the SSA counts each spelling separately. Pick one and be ready to spell it.
- Nicknames: look at the table above. If you dislike the obvious short form, assume someone will use it anyway.
One more check is optional: how common the name is. Emma was No. 3, Evelyn No. 8 and Eliana No. 10 for girls born in the United States in 2025, so a child with one of those names is likely to meet others who share it. Some parents like that and some do not. For any other name, the SSA’s Popularity of a Name search lets you look a name up by sex and range of years, which is a quick way to tell familiar from truly rare.
If you are torn between two finalists, try each one in the sentences you will say most: calling her in from the yard, introducing her to a neighbor, spelling it for a receptionist. The name that still feels easy after a few days of that is usually the one.
Related Betteroo Guides
- Girl names that start with L
- Girl names that start with M
- Girl names that start with S
- Girl names that start with J
- Flower names
- Boy names that start with E
The Bottom Line
The letter E covers almost every style a parent could want: three names in the current U.S. top 10, royal classics like Eleanor and Elizabeth, rare finds like Endellion and Ethelinda, nature names like Ember, Eira and Elowen, and names from Welsh, Irish, Italian, Spanish, Finnish, Turkish and Japanese. Shortlist three to five, read the meaning, test the initials and the sound, and say each one out loud for a week.
Then give yourself permission to stop looking. A name you have checked, said aloud and still love after a week is a good name.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular girl names that start with E?
Emma leads. It ranked No. 3 for girls born in the United States in 2025, according to the Social Security Administration. Evelyn was No. 8 and Eliana was No. 10, so three of the top ten girl names start with E. Other familiar E names include Eleanor, Elizabeth, Emily, Ella, Eloise and Eliza.
What are rare girl names that start with E?
Rare E names include Endellion, Ethelinda, Ermintrude, Eustacia, Epiphany, Easter and Elfreda. Behind the Name marks several of them as rare or archaic in English. The Social Security Administration leaves names with fewer than 5 occurrences out of its lists, so the very rarest names never show up in its data at all.
What are cute or pretty E names for girls?
Taste is personal, but meaning can help. Eira means snow in Welsh, Eirlys means snowdrop and Enfys means rainbow. Elowen means elm tree in Cornish, Esperanza comes from a Latin word for hope, and Evangeline means good news. Short pet forms such as Evie, Edie, Elsie and Effie also feel sweet and friendly.
What are short girl names that start with E?
Short E names include Eva, Eve, Ella, Elle, Elsa, Edie, Evie, Etta, Eula, Esta, Emmy, Ebba, Eira, Elin and Erin. Several began as pet forms of longer names: Edie is short for Edith, Evie for Eve or Evelyn, Esta for Esther, and Eula for Eulalia. Ebba is a full Swedish and Danish name.
What are biblical girl names that start with E?
Eve, the first woman in Genesis, and Esther, the queen in the Book of Esther, are the best known. Elizabeth appears in the New Testament as the mother of John the Baptist, and as Elisheba, Aaron’s wife, in the Old Testament. Eunice and Euodia appear in the New Testament, and Edna is in the Book of Tobit.
Which E names work for both girls and boys?
Eden, Emerson, Emery, Emory, Ellery, Ellis, Elliott, Ever and Everest are all listed by Behind the Name as both feminine and masculine. Most began as English surnames. Evelyn and Esmé are listed for both too, but the reference says Evelyn is now almost entirely feminine and Esmé is used more often for girls.
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7 Sources
- Social Security Administration. Popular Baby Names (top 10 names of 2025).
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/index.html - Social Security Administration. Background Information for Popular Names.
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/background.html - Behind the Name. Browse Names: feminine English names with the first letter E.
https://www.behindthename.com/names/gender/feminine/usage/english/letter/e - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Emma.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/emma - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Evelyn.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/evelyn - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Eleanor.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/eleanor - Behind the Name. Meaning, origin and history of the name Eirlys.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/eirlys
