Surnames as First Names: English Surnames — E

Esgar

More gems among the surnames of English, Anglo-Norman and Norse origin, which have so far seen little use as given names. Today is E.

• Ede — from the Old English girl’s name Eda from ēad ‘rich’, a name in its own right in the early Anglo-Saxon period, although later it was used more as a short form of Edith.
• Eaglen — from the Norman-French Egelina, the feminine of Egil, an ancient Germanic name of uncertain meaning.
• Eames — from Old English ēam ‘uncle’.
• Easterby — from the Old Norse áustr í bý meaning ‘east of the village’.
• Eastley – from Old English ēast ‘east’ + lēah ‘wood’, ‘woodland clearing’, ‘glade’, ‘pasture’ and ‘meadow’.
• Edbrough — from the Old English girl’s name Edburg; ēad ‘rich’ + burh ‘fortified place’.
• Edis — from the Old English girl’s name Edusa, a name of uncertain meaning, but probably a short form of Eadgifu or Edith. Var: Eddis.
• Edney, Edoney — from the Old Norse name Idhunna ‘love-work’, the name of the Goddess of Youth. Var: Idony.
• Effemy — from Euphemia, a Greek name meaning ‘auspicious speech’. Also Effeny and Effeney.
• Elberry — from Elberry, Devon. Probably Old English elle(n) ‘elder’ + burh ‘fortified place’.
• Elion — from Helléan in Brittany, a place of uncertain meaning, possibly connected with Breton huel ‘high’ or Middle Breton haelon ‘brows’.
• Ellerby — from Ellerby. Old English personal name  Ælfweard ‘elf-guard’ + Old Norse bý ‘farmstead’, ‘village’ and ‘settlement’. Var: Ellaby.
• Ellery — from the personal names Hilary (originally a male name). Latin hilaris ‘cheerful’ and Eularia, a form of Eulalia, a Greek name meaning ‘sweetly-speaking’.
• Elmley — from one of the places of the name. Old English elm ‘elm’ + lēah ‘wood’, ‘woodland clearing’, ‘glade’, ‘pasture’ and ‘meadow’.
• Elver — from the Old English personal name  Ælfhere – ælf ‘elf’ + here ‘army’.
• Elvery — from the Old English personal name Æthelfrið — æthel ‘noble’ + frið ‘peace’.
• Elvey, Elvy — from the Old English girl’s name Ælfgifu ‘elf-gift’.
• Embra — probably from Emborough, Somerset. Old English emm ‘flat-topped’ + beorg ‘mound’ and ‘hill’. It may also be a variant of Amery.
• Emeney, Emmony — from Ismenia, a medieval name of uncertain origins.
• Emley — from Emley, Yorkshire. Old English personal name Em(m)a (probably here a male name) + lēah ‘wood’, ‘woodland clearing’, ‘glade’, ‘pasture’ and ‘meadow’.
• Ensor — from Edensor, Derbyshire (home to the famous Chatsworth House). Old English personal name Eadin (from ēad ‘rich’) + ofer ‘sloping bank’ and ‘ridge’.
• Esgar, Esger — from the Old Norse name Ásgeirr ‘(a) God-spear’.
• Eveleigh — from a lost village called Eveleigh in Devon. Old English male personal name Eafa or Eofa + lēah ‘wood’, ‘woodland clearing’, ‘glade’, ‘pasture’ and ‘meadow’. Eafa/Eofa are short forms of names beginning with eofor ‘boar’.
• Everley — from Everley, Yorkshire. Old English eofor ‘boar’ + lēah ‘wood’, ‘woodland clearing’, ‘glade’, ‘pasture’ and ‘meadow’.
• Eversley — from Eversley, Kent. Old English eofor ‘boar’ + lēah ‘wood’, ‘woodland clearing’, ‘glade’, ‘pasture’ and ‘meadow’.

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