Boy Names That Start with E

E names for boys lean heavily on the Hebrew Bible, and many of them carry the element el, a word for God. Elijah was a great prophet, and Elias is the Greek form of the same name. Eli was a priest who raised the young prophet in the temple, Ezekiel was a prophet in exile, and Ezra was a scribe who led a return to Jerusalem. Ethan means strong or steady, and Emmanuel means God is with us, which gives this letter a notably spiritual flavor.

Next to those ancient names sits a group with English roots. Edward comes from Old English words meaning wealth and guardian and was the name of several kings of England. Everett, Emmett and Easton began as surnames or place names, and Elliot and Elliott are two spellings of a surname that grew from a medieval form of Elijah. Eric has Norse origins and a sturdy, compact sound.

Because these names start with a vowel, they link smoothly to surnames that begin with a consonant but can run together with vowel-initial surnames. Think also about the short forms, since Elijah, Ezekiel and Everett each shorten naturally, and Eli works as a full name or a nickname. If you like Elliot, settle on one or two t's early.