The meaning of Edern is disputed, with some saying it comes from the Latin name Aeturnus, meaning "eternal" or "immortal." The more plausible etymology is that Edern derives from the Welsh edyrn, meaning "great," "immense," or "wonderful."
 
Edern is a character in Welsh mythology, the son of Nudd and a lover of Guinevere. He is often referred to as St. Edern.

Edern

Perfect for that winter baby, when Snow isn't subtle enough. The feminine version is Edurne.

Edur

This feminine version of the Basque name Edur is quite well used in Spain, where it has often been in the Top 100. Plus it offers some great nickname options such as Eddie or Deedee. One of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/89/winter-baby-names">names for winter babies</a> that's off the snowy track.

Edurne

This name for the sweetbriar shrub is a bit too reminiscent of eggplant. 

Eglantine

Eilo is one of the few masculine names to derive from a feminine one. It comes from Eila, the Norwegian variation of Elina.

Eilo

Eilonwy is a rare and poetic Welsh name first recorded in the late 19th century and used by Lloyd Alexander for his novel series The Chronicles of Prydain. The character appeared in Disney's adaptation of the series. In both the books and on the screen, Eilonwy is a feisty yet kind character. Read more about Eilonwy and other <a href="https://nameberry.com/blog/disney-princess-names">Disney Princess Names</a> in our featured blog.

Eilonwy

A little bit Isla, a little bit Elowen. Also the Kentucky-based heroine of a 2018 novel by Gwen Kaelin.

Eilwen

This ethereal Welsh word name has a sound as pretty and delicate as its floral namesake.

Eirlys

Eiro

Elara, a lover of Zeus who gave birth to a giant son (ouch); it's also the lovely name of one of the moons of Jupiter. 

Elara

This old-fashioned name looks like it could be on the edge of a revival, following in the footsteps of Alden and Auden.

Elden

Popular in the 1920s, Eldon is a retro name that's waiting to be rediscovered. It has a similar placename/surname appeal to current Top 1000 names Alden and Holden. Several towns in the US and UK bear the name.

Eldon

The name of a character in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings legendarium. He was the father of Isildur and Anárion, last lord of Andúnië, and the first High King of Arnor and Gondor.

Elendil

Less known than other Cornish beauties like Demelza, Elowen and Kerensa, Elestren is a pretty Cornish botanical name ripe for wider usage.

Elestren

The name of the mother of Aethelred the Unready was once common among the Anglo-Saxon nobility, and was briefly revived during the 19th century, only to be lost once again to history. 

However, with the recent revival of Frida and other clunky-cool vintage gems like Agatha, Matilda and Theodora, we think this ancient option could be worth a second look. 

And how cute would a baby Elfie be?

Elfrida

A less common — and biblical — alternative to Liam. Eliam joined the Top 1000 for the first time in 2021. In Puerto Rico, it's a Top 50 choice.

Eliam

As a Welsh name, Elidor is a modern form of Elidur, an ancient British king name. It was used by British author Alan Garner for the eponymous hero of his children's fantasy novel Elidor (1965). 

As a Hebrew name, it is a combination of the names Eli and Dor.

Elidor

This appealing Hebrew name is heard in Israel, and would fit in well with all the popular El-starting <a href="https://nameberry.com/boys-names">names for boys</a>, such as Elliot and Ellery. It was given to just five American boys in 2015. Also worth considering is the pretty female version, Eliora.

Elior

Elizar is the Spanish version of this attractive name, on the cusp of going from uncommon to big.

Elizar

As Elodie filters into the mainstream, parents may turn to the rarer Spanish form Elodia as an alternative.

Elodia

This beautiful Breton saint's name peaked at #127 in France in 2006. It's still in the Top 500 there today, but remains almost unknown outside of France.

Elouan

A beautiful modern Cornish nature name that is rapidly picking up steam in the States: even spawning variant spellings like Elowyn and Elowynn. In its native region, it wasn't widely used as a name before the twentieth century, when the Cornish language was revived. A (currently) unique member of the fashionble El- family of names, it has a pleasant, evocative sound.

The traditional Cornish pronunciation is with stress on the middle syllable: eh-LOW-en. But most English speakers seem to pronounce it with first-syllable stress, perhaps on the example of more familiar names like Eleanor and Elodie.

Elowen

Eloën

St Elwen is venerated in Cornwall and Brittany, and lent his name to several regional place names. It is also found as a surname, especially in Norfolk, England. 

 The ancient name Elwen likely derives from Old English elements meaning "noble friend", or possibly "elf friend". Former British Prime Minister David Cameron has a teenage son named Arthur Elwen, who goes by Elwen.

Elwen

The "el-" sound is red-hot these days, and a myriad of place names and surnames give this name a wealth of possible namesakes. The main drawback is its kinship to the name of the hero of the Legally Blond series, Elle Woods, though that will fade with time.

Elwood

A charming Welsh name with a great meaning, borne by E. B. White, author of Charlotte's Web.

Elwyn

A name popular both in France (where it's Number 405) and within the Cajun population, it's more substantial than Eric, and occurs twice in the Harry Potter series.

Emeric

In the US, the preferred boys' spin on the mega-popular Emily and Emma is Emmett, but in much of Europe it's Emil. As Emmett gets trendier in the US, parents in search of a more unusual Em name may look to Emil.

Emil

Gentle and poetic and often heard in Wales, Emlyn joins Emrys as soft, interesting alternatives to popular Em- names like Emmett and Emery.

Emlyn

If you're looking for a Welsh name less common than Dylan, Griffin, Evan, or Morgan, you might want to consider this offbeat epithet of the wise wizard Merlin. 

Root name Ambrose is an ancient saints' name derived from the Greek ambrosia, the food and drink of the gods that conferred immortality.

Emrys

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, making this name an interesting choice for a daughter born on that day.

Endelienta

Endelyn

This popular Turkish name has a very on-trend sound and is familiar to English speakers thanks to Orson Scott Card’s sci-fi novel Ender’s Game. The book has recently been turned into a movie, starring Asa Butterfield as Andrew "Ender" Wiggin.
 
Ender was chosen by Halsey and her partner Alev Aydin for their son born in 2021. It was an ideal choice for the couple, nodding to their love of Sci-Fi (Ender's middle name is Ripley) and Aydin's Turkish heritage.

Ender

Endicott

The name of a mythically handsome youth – loved by Selene, the moon, who bore him fifty daughters.

Endymion

The Welsh name Enfys is a unisex name, although it is more commonly used as a feminine name. It is rare even in the United Kingdom, used on only a handful of children each year.

Enfys

The Ephram spelling, a phonetic spin on the original, may gain ground as it's the one used for the hero's name in the novel Ruby by Cynthia Bond, the new pick for Oprah's book club.

Ephram

Eryx has a sci-fi sound and deep roots. In Greek mythology, Eryx was the son of Poseidon and Aphrodite and a king in Sicily. He was a great boxer, but was eventually beaten by Heracles. He probably got his name from Mount Eryx in Sicily, now known as Erice.

Never used before 2005, this could be a mythological gem to watch - and an alternative way to honor an Eric.

Eryx

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 this age of all things "Frozen". 

Eseld

Though slightly haughtier and less accessible than cousin Edmond, Esmond could appeal to some parents seeing a distinguished appellation. It began being used (albeit sparingly) in England in the nineteenth century, possibly influenced by William Makepeace Thackeray's novel The History of Henry Esmond.
 Most parents today would prefer the more popular Desmond.

Esmond

Strong and unusual Scandinavian name, but with two possible pitfalls: people might mis-hear it as Aspen, or associate it with sports network ESPN. Variants include Esper and Esben.

Espen

An established surname that fits well with today's trend for the "Ever" sound – and a similar-yet-different alternative to Emerson. Historically, it denoted a descendent of Evert, a form of Everard, meaning "brave boar", or a descendent of Eve or its medieval English diminutive Evot, meaning "life".
 Everson is a relatively popular boy name in Brazil, where it is borne by soccer star Everson Marques Pires, known mononymously as Everson.

Everson

In the Quran, Eyad (and names with similar roots like Iyad and Ayad) refers to a person/entity that strengthens another. Eyad is one of the modern <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/486/arabic-names-for-boys">Arabic names for boys</a>.

Eyad

Eira 

Eirild

Elidyr

Eligia

Elwen 

Endellion 

Escanor

Espero

A literary name created by J. R. R. Tolkien for a Lord of the Rings noblewoman of Rohan. It would make an interesting choice for literature lovers or fans of names like Elowen and Evelyn.

Less common E names