Forget"Frodo" and "Strider," and don't even think about "Treebeard." These are the Middle-earth names worth considering.
On September 21, 1937, the world was changed. When J.R.R. Tolkien published The Hobbit, the potential of imaginative fiction was blown wide open. A talented linguist in real life, Tolkien’s stories of the fantasy realm of Middle-earth in Lord of the Rings were populated with unforgettable names.
Here are the eight best baby names from the entire pantheon of books, movies, and shows. Somewhere, there’s the perfect name for your little Hobbit or Elf.
Théoden was the King of Rohan, who primarily appeared in The Return of the King. The name’s meaning is derived from both Anglo-Saxon languages and Norse, meaning both “lord” and “king.”
A character created exclusively for the prequel TV series, The Rings of Power, Bronwyn (played by Nazanin Boniadi) is a heroic leader and healer. Outside of Middle-earth, this Welsh-derived name literally means “white raven” or “crow.”
The most famous pointed-eared archer in all of fiction! Tolkien created the name Legolas as a derivation of the Silvan word “Laegolas,” which basically means, “green leaf.” Adorable!
One of the first rulers of Gondor, Isildur is also the guy who fought Sauron before The Lord of the Rings began. The name comes from the Quenya language, one of the forms of Elvish that Tolkien invented. It generally means “Servant of the Moon.”
A semi-immortal elf, Arwen is the partner and life-long love of Aragorn. Arwen’s name comes from several invented Elvish languages, and means both “Evenstar" and “noble maiden.”
For some, Sam is the ultimate hero of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. A person of bravery, kindness, and humility, when we think of Sam, we think of good things. A solid gender-neutral name, too.
Known as “Lady of the Wood,” and “Lady of Light,” Galadriel is one of the most powerful characters in all of Lord of the Rings. She’s powerful, but she’s wise too. The name feels ancient and brand new all at the same time.