A guide to name your Elven characters in Tolkien's universe
I write LOTR and Silm fanfictions, and always struggle to name my Elven characters, but I think I hacked the system!
Note that this works for both Quenya and Sindarin names, and any other Elvish language you might want to name your character in.
Elvish names, whether given by the parents or chosen later in life, are always composed by two elements/words, and have a meaning related to the character's fate/personnality/ family/appearance. Example: Russandol (Maedhros' epessë) means copper-top, refering to his red hair. The melody/sonority of the name is also very important because Elvish languages are melodious and focused on the aesthetic of the sounds. For High Elves, there is also the fact that most of them have at least one Quenya and one Sindarin name, and the Noldor have the tradition to give two names to their children, one chosen by the father and one by the mother. It's a lot of names...
Now, one can use a generator to name an Elf character, but I rarely like the result and end up perusing this very handy website: Welcome! - Parf Edhellen: an elvish dictionary (elfdict.com) to compose my own names.
But, guess what, Elvish names are not the only ones with meanings! All the names in our own world have a meaning/ethymology. And that's where I found a trick to compose credible names for Elves: translate real world names.
I'll give you three examples of various complexity:
First, an easy one with Mary, the most common feminine name in the world, which means "beloved"
in Quenya melda = beloved, dear
as it is too short for an Elvish name, you can add a feminine suffix like -iel = daughter, girl
or -wen = maiden
these suffix also make sense with the whole Virgin Mary thing...
Anyways, Mary would become Meldaiel or Meldawen, wich is a very nice and generic name for a background character or a lower-class Elf.
In Sindarin we have
mell = beloved
-iel = daughter, girl
-wen = maiden
Which becomes Melliel or Mellwen. It's not very different from the Quenya form but it's still distinct.
Second, you cand chose the name of an historical figure that resemble your Elven character and translate it. Let's go with Alexander, like Alexander the Great. This name means "protector of men" or "defending men", from the ancient Greek aléxein = to ward off, to defend and andrós = man.
Let's look how to transpose these words in Quenya
alatya- = to ward off, to protect
sanda = shield
nér = man
And this give us Alatyanér (ward off-man), or the more imaged variant Sandanér (shield-man). Actually, these names soud rather close to the original... Anyways, here you have a name for a soldier or an Elvish Capitain, with a nice nod to an historical figure.
And the Sindarin version would be
beria = protect
thand = shield
dîr = man
And it would give Beriadir, or Thandir. Again, good names for soldiers, and there are many characters in LOTR and the Silm with names ending in -dir.
Finally, an example of a complex name with my middle name, because that's the first I tried to translate in Elvish. Camille is an unisex name that comes from Latin and means "young cult officiant" or "noble child who helps a priest", more accurately it describes a young boy from a noble family who would hold a role during the public sacrifces in the Roman Empire, which is quite a mouthful you'll agree. But let's identify the key elements of this meaning and compose an Elvish name with a similar meaning that respects the naiming rules of Tolkien's Elves: there are the ideas of religious role/place, of youth and of nobility.
in Quenya that gives us
hína = child
yána = holy place, sanctuary or corda = temple (closest words to cult or altar I could find)
ara- = prefix meaning noble
So, depending on which meaning of the name I want to emphasis, I could translate Camille as Arahína (noble-child), Yánahína (sancruary-child) or Cordahína (temple-child)
In Sindarin the process is the same, wich gives us
hên = child
iaun = sanctuary
ar- = noble
So the result would be either Arhên or Iaunhên, depending on the meaning you prefer.
And here is my little guide to construct your own Elvish names for a fanfiction. I hope that it'll be useful or at least interesting.
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Hey, Eleazar? Can you please give this blog writer a big, nice and warm hug ? I love them and want nothing more for them tonight than warmth and comfort from a very esteemed and loved one :)
"Now how could I say no to such a kind request?"
Upon realizing I'm no longer in his office with him, he makes his way through his classroom and down the stairs of the Astronomy Tower. He crossed the Transfiguration Courtyard and through Central Hall, down towards the Potions Classroom. He knocked gently on the doorframe hesitantly, stepping inside when he initially saw no one else. As expected, the potions professor's head peeked out from around a chalkboard.
"Fig? What can I do for you at this hour?" Professor Sharp was no stranger to his colleague's interesting appearances, dusting the chalk from his hands as he walked around to meet the elder man.
"Ah, yes... see, I'm looking for my pupil. She seems to have vanished and hadn't left a note nor a trace." Fig wrung his hands in slight embarrassment. Yes, I usually told him where I was going, but at the same time it was well past curfew... there were only a few places I would be. Never in my dorm, not in his office, and if I wasn't with Sharp then...
"I'm sorry, Eleazar, I haven't seen her since class this afternoon." Sharp shook his head. Fig thanked him with a nod and continued on his journey for me, making a mental note to catch up with Sharp on a later date.
He all but sprinted down to the dungeons, hurrying past the Alchemy Classroom and to the abandoned stairwells I had shown him months ago. He didn't believe me at first, why would he? But then he saw the floor... well, the map, his feet bouncing across it as if he'd damage it.
And that's where I currently am, staring at the fourth lit spot on the floor of the Map Chamber. I've given up on pacing around, and by some miracle of Merlin himself the Keepers have all kept their irrelevant comments to themselves.
The doors to the chamber swung open, yet I did not move. There was no point in being alarmed when I knew there was only one other living being in the entire school who knew the existence of this room. He didn't say anything as he hurried down the stairs and across the floor, walking towards me with a purpose and a set expression on his face. I only looked up at him as he grew closer, my initial expression of content turning to that of concern at the look.
"Professor? Wha-" I didn't have time to finish my thoughts, as soon as he was close enough he pulled me into an incredibly tight hug, the likes of which I had not felt in a very, very long time.
"You are loved... never forget that. You are loved..." I stood there in shock for a few moments. It was the first time he had actually hugged me... Tears welled in my eyes, and although I tried my hardest to prevent their fall it was no use, several of them landing on his robes. My arms slowly reached up, shaking slightly, and wrapped around his frame
We stood there in silence for a few minutes, both of us needing this moment. When we separated, he smirked and brushed one of the tracks of tears from my cheeks. I couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.
"Come... this chamber will still be here in the morning. You need rest... 'warmth and comfort' as well." Fig smiled, conjuring a soft quilt and wrapping it around my shoulders. I simply looked at him, eyebrows furrowed in extreme confusion.
"What are you talking about, Professor?" I couldn't help but laugh, his arm still around my now wrapped shoulders as we ascended the stairs.
"Just following a request, my dear... just following a request."
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