User-created list
sappho's longlist - girls
Across 35 pages
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Elsinore
Literary place name, English, Danish
"narrow strait"
The famous home of Hamlet in Shakespeare's great play, Elsinore is based on Kronborg Castle in eastern Denmark. Known as Helsingør in Danish, it guarded the narrow entryway to the Baltic Sea for…
Elspeth
Scottish variation of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Elspeth is one of those names that never quite made it out of the British Isles--particularly Scotland, but possesses a winningly childlike charm. Elspeth was used by Sir Walter Scott for several of…
Elswyth
Anglo-Saxon
"strong temple"
An Anglo-Saxon name borne by the queen of Alfred the Great. American novelist Helen Ricker wrote under the pen-name Elswyth Thane. Variants include Elswith, Ealswith and Ealhswith.
Eluned
Welsh
"idol, image"
Romantic and mysterious, Eluned's beauty and intelligence were legendary in Welsh legend; she was the handmaiden of the Lady of the Fountain in a Welsh Arthurian romance, who had a magic ring that…
Elysande
English, Germanic
"temple path"
An intriguing medieval name found in various forms across Europe. Variants include Elisende, Elisenda, Elysant, Elysande, Elisent and Helisent. It likely derives from a Visigothic name meaning…
Emeraude
French
"Emerald"
Gemstone names have a long history of use, from Ruby to Pearl. Emeraude is the French word for emerald. If the Spanish Esmeralda is stylish, why not Emeraude?
Endelienta
Cornish
Saint Endelienta is the woman whose name became Endellion, of David Cameron fame. Endelienta was the daughter of a king and reputed to be the god-daughter of King Arthur. Her feast day is 29 April,…
Endellion
Cornish place and saint's name
"fire soul"
Endellion is the name of an early saint who was a daughter of King Brychan and goddaughter of King Arthur whose life is commemorated by the Cornish village of St. Endellion. This intriguing ancient…
Enfys
Welsh
"rainbow"
The Welsh name Enfys is a unisex name, although it is more commonly used for girls. With the beautiful meaning "rainbow", it is a rare choice in the UK, given to just a handful of babies each year,…
Enora
Breton
"honor"
Unusual Honor or Nora alternative, but we prefer the originals.
Enya
Irish
"fire"
This phonetic Anglicization of the Irish name Eithne was made familiar by the single-named Irish singer and composer. St. Eithne was the daughter of a king and an early Irish convert to Christianity.
Eos
Greek; Welsh
"dawn; nightingale"
Eos -- that's pronounced with a short e like eros without the r -- is the Greek Titan of the dawn. Any ancient name with a sleek modern feel has definite revival possibilities. Eos could be an…
Eowyn
Literary name
"horse lover"
A literary name created by J. R. R. Tolkien for a Lord of the Rings noblewoman of Rohan. Properly spelled with an accent over the first E – Éowyn – it would make an interesting choice for literature…
Ephigenia
Ephigenia is a rare feminine name with Greek origins, derived from Iphigenia in Greek mythology—the daughter of Agamemnon who was nearly sacrificed to appease the goddess Artemis. The name combines…
Épiphanie
French word name
"realization"
You could just spell it epiphany, but that's so much more pedestrian. It's also a holiday name, à la Christmas and Easter: the Epiphany marked the visitation of the Three Wise Men to Baby Jesus.
Epiphany
Word name, Greek
"manifestation, striking appearance"
Spiritual in multiple senses of the word, Epiphany has been given to a handful of girls since the late 1980s, peaking in 1988 when it was given to 55 babies, following the release of the movie Angel…
Eris
Greek
"strife, discord"
Eris was the goddess of strife and discord, turned fairy tale and then popular culture figure Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty. Ironic, as her name sounds so much like that of Eros, the god of love.…
Eseld
Cornish variation of Isolde
This Cornish variant of Isolde is rare even in the UK - but that's part of its charm. Like Isolde, Eseld is generally thought to mean "ice battle", a meaning sure to be pleasing to a little girl in…
Esmeray
Turkish
"dark moon"
Lovers of Esme and Ayla might also like this beautiful Turkish name, with its mysterious, moonstruck meaning. The last syllable sounds like "rye", rather than with ray. A notable bearer was Esmeray…
Esmeree
Literary name, French
"to love, respect"
The name of a beautiful princess of Wales in Arthurian legend, Esmeree appears the French romance poem Le Bel Inconnu (The Fair Unknown) written by Renaut de Bâgé in the 12th-century. In the poem,…