Old-Fashioned Girl Names That Start With E

Old-fashioned girl names starting with the letter E come in a variety of breeds. There are the beautiful comeback names starting with E, like Eleanor and Elsie, that are coming back into fashion after being unpopular for decades. There are the hidden vintage charmers, such as Elda and Eulalia, which might appeal to parents who like unusual and unique-sounding E names. There are the biblical picks, such as Eunice and Esther. The short and sweet blasts-from-the-past, like Essie and Ettie.

Whatever your style, there's a perfect old-fashioned E-name waiting for you to dust it off for your brand new baby girl. To help you hone in on that perfect moniker, here's a list of old-fashioned girl names starting with the letter E.

1. Eleanor. An Old Hollywood powerhouse, borne by Golden Age stars Parker, Powell, Boardman and Audley. Add in first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and some historical queens and princesses, and you've got an elegant E-name with plenty of distinguished namesake cred.
2. Ellie. Today, you're way more likely to hear this beautiful comeback name in the playground than a nursing home, but it does still carry a certain vintage charm.
3. Esther. This biblical stunner is rapidly shedding its "old lady" image.
4. Elsie. Equal parts vintage and modern.
5. Elaine. A elegant E-name that sounds vintage and modern at the same time.
6. Edith. Worn by everyone from saints to novelists, this multi-dimensional name goes back eons as a given name.
7. Estella. A beautiful and versatile name with a great choice of nicknames (Estie, Stella, Ella, Elle...).
8. Eileen. Sweet enough for an apple-cheeked toddler, but also strong enough for a grown-up woman.
9. Estelle. A variation of Estella with a royal connection (Estelle is the eldest child of Princess Victoria of Sweden).
10. Ellen. If you pick this one, your child will have a ton of famous namesakes: Ellen Barkin, Ellen Pompeo, Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen Burstyn, Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur...
11. Etta. Etta James leaps to mind. You could definitely do worse than name your baby after this famous soul singer.
12. Eleanora. This old-school girl's name has an elegant sound, and the short forms are nice and approachable (Elle, Ellie, Ella, Nora...).
13. Elouise. Although Elouise still has a certain old-school charm to it, it's rapidly losing its "granny" credentials.
14. Elinor. To some, this name may sound like a modern take on Eleanor, but it's actually an old name, peaking in the 1920s.
15. Eleanore. A variation of Eleanor.
16. Eunice. If you name your little one Eunice, she will have a lot of inspiring historical namesakes to look up to, including the 19th century scientist Eunice Newton Foote, the American philanthropist Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and the silver screen star Eunice Grayson. If you're religious, there's also the biblical Eunice.
17. Edna. Depending on who you ask, Edna is either a lovely blast-from-the-past with quite a bit of literary cachet, or a terminally dated girl's name best left in the past.
18. Effie. For some, this Euphemia short form summons The Hunger Games character Effie Trinket; for others, it brings to mind the 19th-century British socialite Effie Gray whose life was the subject of a 2014 film of the same name.
19. Elvira. A popular name among European royals during the Middle Ages, Elvira still retains some medieval charm.
20. Eugenia. Steeped in history, but rarely used today.
21. Eulalia. The name of a Catholic saint, this multisyllabic E-name might appeal to families with a religious or historic bent.
22. Era. Era is a subdivision of geologic time, an acronym for a number of associations—and a neat and streamlined baby name occasionally used in the early decades of the 20th century.
23. Essie. A warm, friendly moniker drenched in throwback charm.
24. Elva. A neglected vintage darling overdue for a comeback, or a geriatric moniker with no baby name future? You decide.
25. Enid. Has Enid been an "old lady name" long enough to sound fresh and cool again? You be the judge.
26. Elma. An old-fashioned girls' name that straddles linguistic borders, which might make it an interesting option for those who have family and friends overseas.
27. Ethel. Ethel had an illustrious career in Old Hollywood and on Broadway, with several 20th century stars sporting the name (think Barrymore, Merman, Clayton, Waters).
28. Erma. Time was, Erma was considered a perfectly reasonable choice for a daughter. Is it ever going to regain its panache? Only time will tell.
29. Elnora. Yet another old variation of Eleanor.
30. Elda. A singular substitute for Elsa.
31. Euphemia. A sepia-tinted Catholic saint's name for a retro baby namer.
32. Ettie. With the sweet -ie ending, Ettie could be just the kind old-fashioned but not frumpy appellation that could easily make the leap into the category of cool, fresh-sounding baby names.
33. Edwina. It would definitely take some chutzpah to use this "old lady" name for a modern baby.
34. Edythe. An elaboration of Edith.
35. Ernestine. An old-fangled appellation that probably won't be taking over the playground anytime soon.
36. Eugenie. A variation of Eugenia with modern royal flair via Princess Eugenie.
37. Eula. It looks like the days are numbered for Eula...
38. Earla. Occasionally used in the first half of the 20th century, this one might be worth a look if you're after a rare vintage name that starts with the letter E.
39. Earlene. Not at risk of taking over the playground anytime soon.
40. Earline. A variation of Earlene.
41. Earnestine. A variant of Ernestine.
42. Estel. A pared-down version of Estelle.
43. Eugene. A variation of Eugenia.
44. Eura. This name was occasionally used in the first half of the 20th century but dropped off the radar in the second half of the century. So, if you're after a rare retro name that's sure to turn heads, Eura could be a possibility.