The 10 Best Tolkien-Inspired Lord of the Rings Baby Names For Your Little Hobbits
From Mirkwood to Gondor to beyond the Misty Mountains, we’ve scoured Middle-earth for the best baby names to rule them all.
One of the joys of reading The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings to your kids is the names. Without seeing one frame of any movie or cartoon version of any of the books, a kid can utterly picture Gandalf, partly because of the wonderful descriptions from J.R.R. Tolkien, but also because the name “Gandalf” contains such an obvious Gandalf-ness. Now, to be clear, this does not mean you should name your child “Gandalf,” unless you want to doom them to a life of wearing massive hats and speaking in impenetrable platitudes.
But, Middle-earth does contain some fantastic names that could be perfect for your kid. Here are our ten best Lord of the Rings-inspired baby names.
10. Éowyn
The character who defeats the Witch King in the final book, The Return of the King is a formidable, unforgettable heroine. Tolkien took inspiration from Old English for one of his invented languages, Rohirric. According to most sources, the name means “Horse of Joy.” So if you had a kid named Éowyn, referring to them as a “happy pony,” would be totally appropriate.
9. Théoden
Théoden was the King of Rohan, mostly comes from The Return of the King. Tolkien used both Anglo-Saxon languages and Norse here, so, Théoden translates to “lord” and “king” simultaneously.
8. Bronwyn
Bronwyn is a character created exclusively for the prequel TV series, The Rings of Power, and she’s very cool. As played by Nazanin Boniadi, Bronwyn is a courageous leader and healer. In our world, and outside of Middle-earth, this is a Welsh-derived name, that means “white raven” or “crow.”
7. Beorn
The skin charger from The Hobbit is a deeply-underrated Middle-earth character. This guy can turn into a bear and all sorts of other animals. He also has really cool animal servants and can set a nice table.
6. Legolas
The beloved pointed-eared archer in all of fiction! Tolkien created the name Legolas as a derivation of the Silvan word “Laegolas.” This translates to “green leaf,” which is pretty adorable for a baby's nickname.
5. Thorin
There are actually three Thorins throughout Lord of the Rings, though the most famous one is the Dwarf King from The Hobbit. He’s a complicated guy, but formidable and brave. Yes, he has kind of a bad ending in the book, but the name is just so good! People name their kids, Anakin, after all, and this is surely better than that.
4. Isildur
One of the kings of the realm of Gondor, Isildur is also the guy who fought Sauron before The Lord of the Rings began. Tolkien took this from the Quenya language, one of the forms of Elvish that Tolkien invented. It generally means “Servant of the Moon.”
3. Arwen
Basically an immortal elf princess, Arwen is a lifelong love of Aragorn, who you might know as Strider. The origin of Arwen’s name comes from several invented Elvish languages — which, to be clear are made up. It means both “Evenstar" and “noble maiden.”
2. Samwise
Let’s get real. 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. This solid gender-neutral name, too.
1. Galadriel
Perhaps the most pivotal character in all of Middle-earth, Galadriel is called the “Lady of the Wood,” but sometimes, “Lady of Light,” Galadriel is also one of the most powerful characters in all of Lord of the Rings. But more important than her power is her wisdom. Naming your kid is a huge power move, but also intelligent and artistic. Galadriel is a name that feels ancient and brand new all at the same time.
