Parenting - Prenatal to preschool/Parenting_PrenatalToPreschool.bin/dp/0037/00372.txt

Text File | 1993-06-25 | 23KB | 686 lines

$Unique_ID{PAR00372}
$Font{NP}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Names for Girls:  E}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Harder, Kelsey}
$Subject{Names Girls E}
$Log{}

The Ultimate Baby Name Book


Names for Girls:  E


Ealasaid (see Elizabeth)

Earline (see Erline)

Eartha             Old German erde, "earth, ground."
     Famous name:  Eartha Kitt (singer)
  Other spelling:  Ertha
      Variations:  Erda, Herta, Hertha

Easter             Old English eastre, "spring."

Eba (see Eva)

Ebony              Middle English hebenyf from Latin ebonus, "black."

Ebun               Yoruba "gift."

Eda                Old English "rich"; also, a variation of Edith.
        Nickname:  Eddie
       Variation:  Edda

Edda (see Eda)

Eddie, Eddy (see Edna)

Eddie (see Eda)

Ede (see Edith)

Edel (see Adalia, Ethel)

Edie               Form of Edith.
     Famous name:  Edie Adams (actress)
       Variation:  Edith

Edit (see Edith)

Edita (see Edith)

Edith              Old English eadgyth, "rich bounty," from ead [rich] and
                   gyth [war].  This name is one of several that developed
                   from the Old English name Eadgyth.  There were two
                   tenth-century saints named Edith, and two Ediths were
                   queens in the eleventh century.  Edith Bunker is the
                   character played by Jean Stapleton on the long-running
                   television comedy All in the Family.
    Famous names:  Edith Hamilton (classicist)
                   Edith Oliver (theater critic)
                   Edith Piaf (chanteuse)
                   Edith Sitwell (poet)
 Other spellings:  Edithe, Edyth, Edythe
       Nicknames:  Eda, Ede, Edie, Edyd, Eydi, Eydie
      Variations:  Duci (Hungarian), Edita (Italian), Edit (Swedish), Editha,
                   Ediva

Editha (see Edith)

Edithe (see Edith)

Ediva (see Edith)

Edna               Possibly from Old English Edana; or Hebrew ednah,
                   "delight."
    Famous names:  Edna Ferber (novelist)
                   Edna O'Brian (writer)
                   Edna St. Vincent Millay (poet)
       Nicknames:  Eddie, Eddy
       Variation:  Efia

Edwina             Feminine form of Edwin, Old English "rich friend."

Edyd (see Edith)

Edyth, Edythe (see Edith)

Eereena (see Irene)

Effie              Form of Greek Euphemia, "well-spoken."

Efia (see Edna)

Eileen             Irish Eibhlin, "light"; also, a variation of Helen.
    Famous names:  Eileen Brennan (actress)
                   Eileen Cowin (photographer)
                   Eileen Heckart (actress)
  Other spelling:  Aileen
      Variations:  Aleen (Dutch), Alena (Russian), Alene, Alyne, Elaine,
                   Elene, Elin (Swedish)

Eilidh (see Ellen)

Eilis (see Elizabeth)

Eines (see Agnes)

Eir (see Irene)

Eirena (see Irene)

Eiric (see Henrietta)

Ekaterina (see Catherine, Katharine)

Elain (see Elaine)

Elaine             Old French form of Helen.  Elaine was the wife of Sir
                   Lancelot and the mother of Sir Galahad in Sir Thomas
                   Malory's Morte d'Arthur.  In Idylls of the King, poet
                   Alfred, Lord Tennyson, introduced the name to England
                   where it became quite popular.
    Famous names:  Elaine May (film director)
                   Elaine Stritch (actress)
 Other spellings:  Elain, Elayne
      Variation:   Eileen

Elana              Hebrew "tree"; also, a variation of Helen.
       Variation:  Elena (Greek, Russian, and Spanish)

Elane (see Helen)

Elayne (see Elaine)

Elberta (see Alberta)

Elbertina (see Alberta)

Eldora             Spanish el dorado, "the golden one."

Eleanor            Variation of Helen.  This variation probably began as the
                   French name Alienor.  It has been a popular name for
                   centuries, most likely because of its many links with
                   royalty.  Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of Henry II, may have
                   introduced the name to England.  Eleanor was the wealthiest
                   woman in Europe and heir to Aquitaine.  Henry may have
                   married Eleanor for her landholdings in France, but she
                   bore him eight children, including two sons who would sit
                   on the throne, Richard I, Coeur de Lion, and John, whose
                   son Henry III, would begin the century-long reign of the
                   Plantagenets.  Henry III married Eleanor of Provence.  In
                   literature, the name appears infrequently, although
                   Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote Lady Eleanore's Mantle.
                   In the United States, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt brought
                   her own influence to the government and is considered to be
                   one of the great humanitarians of the twentieth century.
     Famous name:  Eleanor Powell (dancer)
 Other spellings:  Eleanore, Elinor, Elinore
       Nicknames:  Ella, Ellie, Elly, Nell, Nellie, Nelly, Nora, Norah
      Variations:  Eleanora (Swedish), Elenora (French), Elenore (German),
                   Eleonore (German), Elianora, Ellen, Elnora, Leanor
                   (Spanish), Leonora, Lenore, Noreen

Eleanora (see Eleanor)

Eleanore (see Eleanor)

Electra            Greek "amber."  In Greek mythology, Electra was the
                   daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon.  With her brother
                   Orestes, she avenged the murder of their father.  Eugene
                   O'Neill used this myth as the basis for his play Mourning
                   Becomes Electra.

Elena              Variation of Elana.
     Famous name:  Elena Shoushounova (gymnast)

Elene (see Eileen, Helen)

Eleni (see Helen)

Elenora (see Eleanor)

Elenore (see Eleanor)

Eleonora (see Helen)

Eleonore (see Eleanor)

Elga (see Olga)

Eli (see Ellen)

Elianora (see Eleanor)

Elin (see Eileen)

Elinor             Variation of Eleanor.
     Famous name:  Elinor Wylie (poet)

Elinore (see Eleanor, Helen)

Elisa (see Elizabeth)

Elisabet (see Elizabeth)

Elisabeth          Variation of Elizabeth.
     Famous name:  Elisabeth Shue (actress)

Elisabetha (see Elizabeth)

Elisabetta (see Elizabeth)

Elise (see Elizabeth)

Elisie (see Elizabeth)

Elissa (see Elizabeth)

Eliz (see Elizabeth)

Eliza (see Elizabeth, Liza)

Elizaberta (see Elizabeth)

Elizabeth          Hebrew elisheba, "the Lord's oath" or "consecrated to
                   God."  The first biblical Elisheba was the wife of Aaron
                   and the sister-in-law of Moses.  But St. Elizabeth, the
                   mother of John the Baptist, is better known.  The second
                   St. Elizabeth was the daughter of the king of Hungary, a
                   twelfth-century woman who was married to a German prince
                   named Ludwig.  She was expelled from the palace on his
                   death and walked the streets with the poor, performing
                   miracles.  Among royalty, the name is used in many European
                   countries.  Elizabeth Petrovna was an empress of Russia in
                   the eighteenth century, and there have been several famous
                   Isabellas in Spain and Portugal.  The most-famous royal
                   Elizabeth was the daughter of King Henry VIII of England
                   and Anne Boleyn.  Queen Elizabeth I gave her name to a
                   golden age of English literature.  Queen Elizabeth II is
                   the current British monarch.  Many writers have named their
                   heroines Elizabeth, from one of the most personable
                   characters in fiction, Elizabeth Bennet of Jane Austen's
                   novel Pride and Prejudice, to the Cockney flower girl,
                   Eliza Doolittle, who is transformed into a lady, in George
                   Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion.
    Famous names:  Elizabeth Ashley (actress)
                   Elizabeth Barrett Browning (poet)
                   Elizabeth Dole (politician)
                   Elizabeth McGovern (actress)
                   Elizabeth Perkins (actress)
                   Elizabeth Taylor (actress)
  Other spelling:  Elisabeth
       Nicknames:  Bess, Bessie, Bessy, Bet, Bets, Beta, Beth, Betsey, Betsie,
                   Betsy, Bett, Betta, Bette, Betty, Buffy, Liz, Liza, Lizzie,
                   Lizzy
      Variations:  Ailsa (Scottish), Alisa, Babette (French), Bebba (Swiss),
                   Belita (Spanish), Besse (Norwegian), Betha, Bethany,
                   Bethia, Bettina, Ealasaid (Gaelic), Eilis (Irish), Elisa
                   (Italian), Elisabet (Swedish), Elisabetha, Elisabetta
                   (Russian), Elise (German), Elisie, Elissa, Eliz
                   (Hungarian), Eliza, Elizaberta, Elizira (Portuguese),
                   Elizaveta (Russian), Ella (German), Els (Dutch), Elsa
                   (Danish), Elsbeth (German), Elspeth (Scottish), Elsie,
                   Elyse, Elyssa, Elzebeta, Elzebieta (Polish), Erlisa, Ilsa,
                   Ilse (German), Isabel (Spanish), Isabella, Libby, Lillian,
                   Lisa, Lisabeth, Lisbet (Swedish), Lisbeth, Lise, Lisenka
                   (Russian), Lisetta, Lisette (French), Lizabeth, Lizetta,
                   Lizete (Portuguese), Lizette, Ysabel (Spanish)

Elizaveta (see Elizabeth)

Elizira (see Elizabeth)

Ella               Old English aelf, "elf, fairy"; also, German "all"; also, a
                   variation of Eleanor, Elizabeth, Helen, and Joella.

Ellen              Variation of Eleanor and Helen.  In Scotland, Ellen has
                   long been an independent and popular name.
    Famous names:  Ellen Barkin (actress)
                   Ellen Burstyn (actress)
                   Ellen Goodman (columnist)
  Other spelling:  Ellyn
       Nicknames:  Ellie, Elly
      Variations:  Eli (Norwegian), Eilidh (Gaelic), Ellene

Ellene (see Ellen, Helen)

Ellette (see Helen)

Ellicia (see Alice)

Ellie, Elly (see Eleanor, Ellen, Helen)

Ellyn (see Ellen, Helen)

Elma               Greek "amiable."

Elna (see Helen)

Elnora (see Eleanor)

Eloisa (see Louise)

Eloise             Form of Louise.

Elona (see Helen)

Els (see Elizabeth)

Elsa               Variation of Elizabeth.
     Famous name:  Elsa Schiaparelli (fashion designer)
      Variations:  Alice, Else, Ilsa

Elsbeth (see Elizabeth)

Else (see Alice, Elsa, Ilsa)

Elsie              Variation of Elizabeth; also, Celtic "noble."
  Other spelling:  Elsy
       Variation:  Alice

Elspeth (see Elizabeth)

Elsy (see Elsie)

Elvena (see Alvina)

Elvera (see Elvira)

Elvina (see Alvina)

Elvine (see Alvina)

Elvira             Spanish form of German Alverat, "wise counsel, good
                   adviser."  Unlike some movie heroines, Elvira Madigan,
                   from the popular Swedish film of the same name, failed to
                   inspire new interest in the name.  Today, the name is as
                   unpopular with American parents as it has been throughout
                   this century.
      Variations:  Albira, Alvirra, Alvirum, Elvera, Elvire (French), Evira,
                   Ilvira, Vila, Vivita

Elvire (see Elvira)

Elyn (see Helen)

Elyse, Elise       Forms of Elizabeth.  The popularity of the long-running
                   television comedy Family Ties and the character of the
                   mother, Elyse, played by Meredith Baxter Birney, may be the
                   source of the renewed popularity of this name.

Elyssa (see Elizabeth)

Elzebeta (see Elizabeth)

Elzebieta (see Elizabeth)

Em (see Amelia, Emily)

Ema (see Emma)

Emalire (see Emily)

Eme (see Emma)

Emelda (see Emily)

Emelen (see Emily)

Emelia (see Emily)

Emelie (see Amelia)

Emelina (see Amelia, Emily, Emma)

Emeline (see Amelia, Emily, Emma)

Emelita (see Amelia, Emily)

Emelyne (see Emma)

Emera (see Emily)

Emilia (see Amelia, Emily)

Emilie (see Emily)

Emiline (see Emily)

Emily              Variation of Amelia.  This name dates to the Renaissance,
                   but the variation Emilia was more popular until the
                   sixteenth century when the Latin name Emily began to take
                   hold.  Although the name appeared to have faded in the
                   twentieth century, it has staged an incredible comeback and
                   is one of the most-popular names today both in England and
                   the United States.  The popular film The Americanization of
                   Emily, starring American actor James Garner and British
                   actress Julie Andrews, may have helped to revive interest
                   in the name.
    Famous names:  Emily Bronte (writer)
                   Emily Dickinson (poet)
                   Emily Post (etiquette arbiter)
       Nicknames:  Em, Emmi, Emmie, Emmy
      Variations:  Amalea, Amalia, Amalie (German), Amelia, Amelie, Amilia,
                   Emalire, Emelda, Emelen, Emelia (Italian), Emelina, Emeline
                   (French), Emelita, Emera, Emilia (Swedish), Emilie
                   (French), Emiline, Emlyn, Emlynne, Ilka, Milka (Slavic),
                   Millie, Milly

Emlyn (see Emily)

Emlynne (see Emily)

Emma               Old German "whole, universal."  The first Queen Emma
                   was the Norman wife of Ethelred II.  Their marriage united
                   parts of Britain with Normandy.  After Ethelred died, Emma
                   married his successor, Canute (Cnut), becoming the only
                   English queen to be married to two kings.  Jane Austen's
                   Emma is considered to be one of the finest novels in
                   English literature.  Emma Bovary is the tragic heroine of
                   Gustave Flaubert's novel Madame Bovary, a classic in French
                   literature.  Like Emily, Emma is enjoying renewed
                   popularity today.
     Famous name:  Emma Samms (actress)
       Nicknames:  Emmi, Emmie, Emmy
      Variations:  Ema (Spanish), Eme, Emelina, Emeline, Emelyne, Emmaline,
                   Emmeline, Emmalyn

Emmaline (see Emma)

Emmalyn (see Emma)

Emmanuelle         French feminine form of Emmanuel, Hebrew "God is in us."
     Famous name:  Emmanuelle Seigner (actress)

Emmeline (see Amelia, Emma)

Emmi, Emmie, Emmy (see Amelia, Emily, Emma)

Emogene (see Imogene)

Enass (see Agnes)

Enes (see Agnes)

Engel (see Angela)

Engracia (see Grace)

Enid               Welsh "pure."  In the Arthurian romances, Enid was the
                   saintly wife of Geraint.  Although her fidelity was
                   questioned, she passed every test of purity, and her
                   husband came to regret his lack of faith in her virtue.
     Famous name:  Enid Bagnold (writer)

Enrica (see Henrietta)

Enrichetta (see Henrietta)

Enriqueta (see Henrietta)

Eolande (see Violet, Yolanda)

Erda (see Eartha)

Erena (see Irene)

Erica              Feminine form of Eric, Old German "honorable ruler."
                   While the Scandinavian form Erika has long been popular,
                   the English form Erica didn't catch on until the late
                   nineteenth century.  Because of the contemporary practice
                   of "borrowing" male names for girls, it is enjoying
                   increased popularity.
     Famous name:  Erica Jong (writer)
  Other spelling:  Erika
       Nicknames:  Ricki, Rikki

Erika (see Erica)

Erin               Gaelic "peace"; also, another name for Ireland.  This is
                   the name of a legendary Irish queen and is one of the
                   most-popular Irish names.  It is being used increasingly
                   by non-Irish families and it has become very popular in
                   the United States.
    Famous names:  Erin Gray (actress)
                   Erin Moriarty (actress)
       Variation:  Erina

Erina (see Erin)

Erine (see Erline)

Erinia (see Irene)

Erleena (see Erline)

Erlene (see Arlene)

Erlina (see Arlene, Erline)

Erline             Old English "elfin girl."
      Variations:  Arlene, Earline, Erine, Erleena, Erlina, Lina

Erlisa (see Elizabeth)

Erma               Variation of Hermione or Irma; also, a feminine form of
                   Herman, Old German "soldier."
     Famous name:  Erma Bombeck (humorist)
      Variations:  Armida, Hermandine, Irme

Ernesta (see Ernestina)

Ernestina          Feminine form of Ernest, German "vigor."  Unlike
                   many girls' names derived from masculine names, Ernestina
                   isn't a popular name today, perhaps because there's little
                   enthusiasm for the name Ernest.  The best-known Ernestine
                   may be actress Lily Tomlin's comic character who comments
                   from her switchboard on the ways of the world.
      Variations:  Ernesta, Ernestine

Ernestine (see Ernestina)

Ertha (see Eartha)

Esma (see Amy, Esme)

Esme               Old English form of Aime.
       Variation:  Esma

Esmeralda          Latin "adorned."  Among the "jewel" names, this one is
                   rarely used.  Victor Hugo gave the name to the young woman
                   who is adored by the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Essa (see Esther)

Essie (see Estelle, Esther, Hester)

Estel (see Estelle)

Estele (see Estelle)

Estella (see Estelle, Hester)

Estelle            French estoile, "star"; also, variation of Esther or
                   Stella.  Although this French name was popular in the first
                   half of the twentieth century, it is unusual today.
    Famous names:  Estelle Getty (actress)
                   Estelle Parsons (actress)
                   Estelle Winwood (actress)
 Other spellings:  Estel, Estele
        Nickname:  Essie
      Variations:  Estella (Italian), Estrelita (Spanish), Estrella, Estrela
                   (Portuguese), Stella

Estelline (see Esther)

Ester (see Esther)

Esterre (see Esther)

Esther             Hebrew hadassah, "myrtle tree"; also, a variation of
                   Stella, "star."  Esther is one of very few feminine names
                   used to title a book of the Bible, reflecting the great
                   honor given to the first Esther, a young Jewish slave,
                   originally named Hadassah, who was made a queen of Persia.
                   Esther saved the Jews from the scourge of Haman, an event
                   that is remembered in the feast of Purim.
     Famous name:  Esther Williams (swimmer and actress)
  Other spelling:  Ester
       Nicknames:  Essie, Ettie, Etty
      Variations:  Essa, Estelle (French), Estelline, Esterre (Italian),
                   Estra, Estrie, Eszter (Hungarian), Etty, Hester, Hettie,
                   Hetty, Stella

Estra (see Esther, Hester)

Estrela, Estrella (see Estelle)

Estrelita (see Estelle)

Estrie (see Esther)

Eszter (see Esther)

Etheida (see Ethel)

Ethel              Old German "noble."  The Anglo-Saxon prefix Ethel- was
                   used with many other names, such as Ethelwyne and
                   Ethelburga.  It wasn't until the nineteenth century that
                   Ethel became an independent name.
    Famous names:  Ethel Barrymore (actress)
                   Ethel Merman (actress)
                   Ethel Waters (singer)
      Variations:  Adal, Adale, Adalia, Edel, Etheida, Ethelda, Etheleen,
                   Ethelinda, Etheline, Ethelyn, Ethyl, Ettie, Etty

Ethelda (see Ethel)

Etheleen, Etheline, Ethelyn (see Ethel)

Ethelinda (see Ethel)

Ethyl (see Ethel)

Etta               Old German "little one"; form of Henrietta.
     Famous name:  Etta James (singer)
       Variation:  Amorette

Ettie, Etty (see Ester, Ethel, Henrietta)

Eudora             Greek "generous."
     Famous name:  Eudora Welty (writer)
      Variations:  Dora, Eudore (French)

Eudore (see Eudora)

Eugenia, Eugenie   Feminine forms of Eugene, Greek "well-born."  Despite her
                   long reign, the wife of Napoleon III, Eugenie, empress of
                   France, appears to have had little positive influence on
                   the popularity of this name.
       Nicknames:  Gena, Gene, Genia
      Variations:  Evgenia (Russian), Gina (Italian)

Eunice             Greek eunike, "good victory," from eu [good, well] + nike
                   [victory].  In the Bible, Eunice was the mother of the
                   Apostle Timothy, but this name has been rarely used.
     Famous name:  Eunice Shriver (humanitarian)
       Nicknames:  Eunie, Euny

Eunie, Euny (see Eunice)

Eustacia           Greek eustachios, "plentiful, fruitful."  This name is
                   unusual today, but the nickname Stacy is very popular.
       Nicknames:  Stacia, Stacie, Stacy

Ev (see Eva)

Eva                Hebrew "life."  The name of the biblical mother of the
                   human race has enjoyed great popularity throughout history,
                   even though it is not linked to either royalty or saints.
       Nicknames:  Evie, Evy
      Variations:  Eba, Ev, Eve, Evaleen (Irish), Eveleen (Irish), Evelina,
                   Eveline, Evelyn, Evlyn, Evita (Spanish), Evva (Russian),
                   Zoe (Greek)

Evaleen (see Eva)

Evangeline         Greek "messenger of good news."

Eve                Variation of Eva.

Eveleen (see Eva, Evelyn)

Evelina (see Eva)

Eveline (see Eva)

Evelyn             Possibly a form of Eva; or an English form of French
                   Aveline.  In England, the name is used for both boys and
                   girls, but in the United States, it is usually a girls'
                   name.
      Variations:  Aveline, Eva, Eveleen

Evgenia (see Eugenia)

Evie (see Eva)

Evira (see Elvira)

Evita (see Eva)

Evlyn (see Eva)

Evva (see Eva)

Evy (see Eva)

Eydi, Eydie (see Edith)

Eyvonne (see Yvonne)