Naming Guide for Middle-Earth

Anyone who has ever seen this blog will know that I am an unashamed Altoholic, and the advent of Free to Play only makes it easier for me to indulge it. I rolled an alt on the new Withywindle EU server when it first became available, mainly because I couldn’t wait for Eldar our usual server to come online so I could see how many Turbine Points I had in the bank. It had only just come online and there were already 24 people in the Ered Luin starter zone. Adam rolled another Hobbit on Eldar the following day and there were over 70 in the Archet starter zone. This is fantastic, as it shows that the community is growing, and so it is for these new players that I have prepared this naming guide.

I have always been interested in the names, I want them to sound and feel right for the appropriate race, and it often takes me quite a while to choose a name for my characters. Adam and myself have also been Viking Re-enactors (not so much now with Baby Dwarf, but we will again when he’s a little older) and so I have researched Norse and Anglo-Saxon names for that, which fit in for the Race of Man, as Tolkien used the same influences.

This guide will be set out in Gender order, and Race order, with Dwarfs being at the end, because it’s not considered polite to ask what gender they are. For each one I will go through the naming conventions, the new random name generator suggestions it gave, and my own suggestions. My own suggestions come from the research I have carried out into Old English, Norse and Saxon names, and Elvish names. Name suggestions for Men and Women of Gondor are in the Elf section as they all use Sindarin conventions.

Men of Bree

These are short English style names, or English style less familiar names, such as Ned, Bill, Humphrey, Cuthbert.

Suggestions

• Saul                    
• Rob                    
• Fulke                 
• Wilf                  
• Sawny (A Scottish pet name for Alexander)
• Hugh                  
• Eustace               
• Florian             
• Rufus                 
• Guilford                    
• Herb                
• Esau

Men of Dale and Rohan

These use Anglo-Saxon and Norse influences, such as Brand, Hengest, Erkenbrand, Eomer.

Common Prefixes are : Beo- , Grim- , Ceol- , Esc- , Theod-

Common Suffixes are : -ferth, -helm, -laf, -wald, -wine, -wulf

Suggestions

• Egil               
• Einar             
• Thorstein              
• Herewulf             
• Grimwald            
• Beofrith               
• Ceolwine
• Escferth       
• Osric             
• Ulfraed                   
• Eistein                 
• Hrolfur                 
•  Theolaf                 
• Ketil

Random Name Generator Suggestions in-game

• Haneding     
• Tuxton         
• Manham                 
• Stathard             
• Badacin                
• Ringal                    
• Idhil

 

Men of Gondor and Elves

These use Sindarin names, such as Boromir, Beregond, Legolas, Elrond

Common Prefixes are: Adan- , Beleg- , Fela- , Gil- , Curu-, Ul-

Common Suffixes are: -randir, -thelion, -dor, -born, -uil

Suggestions and their approximate Meanings

• Arathalion (Daunless Champion)                  
• Ruindil (of the Red Flame)                    
• Ivandur (of the Autumn)
• Tholrondir (Iron Helm)                                    
• Mortardur (the End of the Dark)         
• Carahir (Lord of Fangs)
• Soronthalion (Power of the Eagle)                
•  Balcardil (Powerful Tooth)                     
• Hirithelion (Lord of Mists)

Random Name Generator Suggestions in-game

• Ilirgar                                       
•  Bonirun                                        
• Cugwelion                                            
• Durduilorn

Fallowhide and Stoor Hobbit Males

These have aristocratic sounding names, often drawn from Frankish and Gothic languages, such as Meriadoc, Paladin.

Common Prefixes are : Ever-, Ferd-, Isen-, Dino-

Common Suffixes are : -acar, -gard, -fast, -wise, -mond

Harfoot and Stoor Hobbit Males

These are simple names, commonly ending in “-o”, for example, Polo, Lotho, Drogo

Suggestions

• Almaric                    
• Anselm                      
• Banjo                        
• Frogo                  
• Leo                         
• Philbo
• Manwise                    
• Spamfast                  
• Ranulf                       
• Warin                 
• Engeram                 
• Hamodoc

Randon Name Generator Suggestions in-game

• Pato                             
• Dodpecil                  
• Voquo                      
• Wilbordic         
• Dondercar            
• Ladboroc

Women of Breeland

Women of Bree have simple English sounding names, or less familiar English sounding names, such as Ellie, Dora, Maribel, Livina.

Suggestions

• Ada                      
• Maude                     
• Hawise                        
• Avice                       
• Nora                           
• Sarabelle
• Richenda           
• Sabelina                   
• Effie                              
• Petronilla               
• Ines                               
• Isolde

Women of Dale and Rohan

Women of Dale and Rohan have Anglo-Saxon and Norse influenced names, such as Leofwen, Eowyn, Ethelhild.

Common Prefixes are : Elf-, Esc-, Beord-, Cwen-, Leof-, Here-, Wulf-,

Common Suffixes are: -flaed, -leofu, -bur, -wen, -gifu, -waru, -swith

Suggestions

• Aelith                       
• Ethelflaed                    
• Bebba                        
• Luta                          
• Aelgifu              
• Leofwyn
• Hereswith               
• Coina                             
• Beornwyn                  
• Cwenthryth            
• Merewenna      
• Wulfwaru

Some unusual suggestions from Historical Records

• Oddtuna                    
• Saexburgha              
• Turid                            
• Angerbotha          
• Assi                      
• Yule

Random Name Generator Suggestions in-game

• Brunthondyn                                          
• Faelraen                          
• Eirenil                                   
• Turdgythfaru

Women of Gondor and Elves

Women of Gondor and the Elves both share names from the Sindarin language, for example, Gilraen, Ioreth, Arwen, Celebrian and Galadriel.

Common Prefixes are : Breg-, Hir-, Ir-, Rod-, Sael-, Bel-, Galadh-, Nim-, Tinu-,Edhel-

Common Suffixes are : -dal, -ieth, -iel, -rian, -wing, -uial, -los, -uilos

Suggestions and their approximate Meanings

• Giluen (Pale Star)                                     
• Nauriel (Daughter of Flame)                                
• Lothlariel (Dauntless Flower)
• Naurmiriel (Fiery Jewel)                       
• Guluin (Pale Magic)                                                       
• Faerindeth (Spirit Bride)
• Sedryneth (Faithful)                                 
• Draugwing (Of the Wolves)                                         
• Tindomelos (Starry Twilight)

Random Name Generator Suggestions in-game

• Brodhrimgiel                                                                     
• Thadhronthael                                                               
• Ruthedhail

Hobbit Women

Hobbit women are named after flowers, plants and jewels, such as Ruby, Tulip, Belladonna

Suggestions – Jewels

• Amber                                    
• Copal (a type of young Amber)                           
• Garnet                                       
• Citrine
• Rhodonite                            
• Sardonyx                                                                      
• Peridot                                     
• Lazuli
• Tourmaline                           
• Chalcedony                                                                 
• Haematite                                
• Sunstone

Suggestions – Flowers and Plants

• Bellflower                            
• Cowberry                                  
• Rampion                              
• Agrimony                
• Pearlwort
• Silverweed                          
• Candytuft                                 
• Hemlock                              
• Orlaya                        
• Bryony
• Feathergrass                      
• Pasqueflower                                                 
• Sneezewort              
• Edelweiss
• Samphire                             
• Imortelle                                   
• Lemonbalm                         
• Periwinkle                
• Meadowsweet

Random Name Generator Suggestions in-game

• Marrosulfa                                      
• Ausemera                                                  
• Widca                                   
• Rodniltharda

Dwarves

Dwarfs tend to have simple Norse-influenced names, such as Flosi, Gormur, Kili and Thorin. They tend to start with consonants or paired consonants such as D,Dw, T, K, F, H, Gl and Thr. Common suffixes are -oin, -ili, -imli, -in.

One example of Viking Runic Text

When naming my Dwarf characters I tend to use a mixture of Norse influence and lean towards letters which appear in the runic alphabet – that is letters made up predominantly of straight lines which would be easier to carve in stone, wood, or bone. I also have a little fun with these and use some dialect words from my native North-East of England. Hence my Dwarves have names such as Ganin (we would say ‘Ganin oot’ as in “going out”) Guzundr (a name for a chamber pot, because it ‘goes under’ the bed) Azagan (‘has a go’) and Ganzi (a jumper or sweater, as it ‘gans ower your heed’). They are a bit of fun, but still conform to these conventions.

Suggestions

• Snorri                                     
• Khazakal                                  
• Trali                                   
• Izagar                                      
• Rorin
• Thrili                                      
• Bimbli                                       
• Sombur                             
• Gili                                           
• Snorin

Random Name Generator Suggestions

• Lorund                                   
• Norlyg                                     
• Snorkuld                           
• Hunun                                    
• Kvelki

And there you have it; my humble guide to naming your characters in Lord of the Rings. See you in Middle Earth!

Emma