E
Meaning & History
Eulalia is a feminine given name derived from the Greek εὔλαλος (eulalos), meaning "sweetly-speaking." This compound word combines εὖ (eu), meaning "good," and λαλέω (laleo), meaning "to talk." The name was borne by an early 4th-century saint and martyr from Mérida, Spain, and another martyr of the same era is venerated as a patron saint of Barcelona (these two may in fact be the same person).
Eulalia is used across several languages, including English, Italian, Polish, Spanish, and with its Ancient Greek origin. The Spanish variants include Olalla and Olaya; the latter is also used in Asturian. The Catalan form is Eulàlia, with the diminutive Laia. French employs Eulalie, Galician uses Olalla, and Slovak has Eulália. In English, the diminutives Eula and Lalia are recorded.
The name Eulalia has also been adopted in scientific nomenclature as a genus of polychaete worms in the family Phyllodocidae and as a synonym for a genus of flies (Stratiyomyidae).
- Meaning: "sweetly-speaking" (Greek εὔλαλος)
- Origin: Greek
- Type: First name
- Usage: English, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Ancient Greek, and other European languages
- Saints: Saint Eulalia of Mérida (martyr, c. 304 AD) and possibly Saint Eulalia of Barcelona