Elven Naming Traditions

Of the naming traditions of the Eldar who lived in Valinor, we know a lot. However, the naming traditions of the Úmanyar (those who didn't go to Valinor and stayed in Middle-earth) are largely undocumented. We can guess that they have the same basic structure, and I'll get into that at the end of the essay.

The First Name

The first name a Elf receives in his/her life is the "Father-Name." We don't know the Quenya term for this name, but we can guess that it is "Ataressë." It is one of the "Anessi" or "Given-Names" that the Elf will receive in their life. It is as close as the Elves get to a surname.

It is given soon after birth.
It's announced by the father in a ceremony called "Essecarmë" or "Name-Making".
The name itself is usually made from one of the parent's names. If the child is a boy, it will be fashioned after one of his father's names; if it's a girl, it will be fashioned after one of her mother's names. It is not unheard of for girls also to have names fashioned after their father's name.
The name can be modified later to better fit the personality of its bearer, though it will still be modeled after the parent's name.
There are three ways that this name is formed.
1. Simply using a parent's name. This sort of father name didn't last long, and would be changed to better match the child's personality.
2. A patronymic suffix (-iel "daughter of" or -ion "son of") added to the parent's name. This also often ended up changed.
3. The most common way is to use a different name suffix or only part of the parent's name.
It is the first name listed when telling someone his/her full name.
This name was considered a public name. Anyone could address the Elf by it.

The Second Name

The next name an Elf has could either be his/her "Mother-Name" or the "Chosen-Name." It's more likely that the Mother-Name would come first, as often they are given right away after the Father-Name. The Mother-Name is called "Amilessë" in Quenya, and it is one of the Anessi. There are two types of Mother-Name.

This sort of name often comes from a vision the mother receives in the hour of birth. This sort of vision isn't all that common, so these names are rare and important gifts.
The most common is the "Amilessë Tercenyë," a "name of insight." "Insight" refers to insight into the child's personality.
The second type is the "Amilessë Apacenyë," or "name of foresight." She names her child from a vision of the future.
The last type comes from getting to know the child as his/her personality develops, which means it could come after the Chosen-Name. It is an Amilessë Tercenyë.
This name is also considered a public name, and it is listed after the Father-Name when giving one's full title.

The Chosen-Name, or "Cilmessë," is a name that a child chooses for him/herself, once he/she is capable of "Lámatyávie." This basically means that the child is fluent in their mother tongue and knows how to make beautiful sounding names. It also means that the child's personality has developed to the point that the child knows and can name his/herself. The age that the child reaches this fluency and understanding is somewhere between 7 and 10 years of age. Since gaining individuality is an important achievement in the child's life, there is a ceremony to go with announcing it, called "Essecilmë," or "Name Choosing."

The name has something to do with the child's personality or talent(s).
It can be changed as time passes, as the person's personality and interests change over time, but this was very rare.
This name is a private name. The only ones allowed to address someone by their Cilmessë are close family members, one's closest friends, and one's spouse. To address someone you aren't in an intimate relationship with by this name is extremely rude.
It also is one of the names listed when telling someone his/her full name. It could come before or after the Mother-Name, depending on which occurred first.
Adopting the Mother-Name as the Chosen-Name is a common practice. In fact, if there was a Mother-Name, it most likely would be the Elf's Chosen-Name as well.

The Third Name

The last type of name, called the "After-Name," or "Epessë," is one of the Anessi. Most of the time, it was little more than a nickname, though its making differs quite a bit from our own version of nicknames. It was a name that could be given by anyone; and sometimes the person being referred to was unaware of this name.

It had meaning, and it wasn't based off of any of the Elf's other names. It could be a title of admiration or honor; referencing an accomplishment or deed done by the Elf. It also could be descriptive of an odd or out-standing physical or mental trait.
This name could be adopted into the Elf's full title, and therefore would be listed last.
Due to the nature of the creation of this name, it is public, but not considered one of the Elf's actual names until he or she adopted it.
If it was adopted, it is more likely to be used in lore.
One type of Epessë is the new name given by newlyweds to each other. It is the most often adopted Epessë.
Some Epessi are names based on the names of places where the events occurred from which an Elf could earn a new name. Take the case of Elrond and Elros. They were abandoned in the woods and found in a cave with a waterfall over its entrance. "Elrond - Starcave" was found inside the cave, and "Elros - Starrain" was found playing in the water.

General Facts About Elven Names

The Father-Name is as close as the Elves get to taking each other's names. While someone could reference another's name in their own, they would never copy it exactly. If two unrelated elves ended up with the same name, it was a coincidence, and not on purpose.
Elves don't share their Father-Names when they marry. They just gain new Epessi from their spouses.
Elves never use or reference the names of Eru, the Valar, or Maiar in their own. It's considered trying to become or impersonate a god.
Elves' names change as the language around them changes. This is why Galadriel is known as Galadriel in the Third Age. Her name was originally Alatáriel. Though the language changed, the meaning of it is still important, so it was translated into Sindarin. This is also why Legolas is sometimes called "Greenleaf." It is simply the translation of his name, not a surname.
The names are listed like this: "Ataressë Amilessë/Cilmessë, also known as Epessë."

For an example, here are Galadriel's and Fëanor's names.

When he was born, his father, Finwë, named him "Finwion - Son of Finwë." When his talent for metallurgy started to show, his name was changed to "Curufinwë - Skill of Finwë." His mother, who passed away soon after giving birth to him, had insight into his character in the hour of his birth, and named him "Fëanáro - Spirit of Fire." He adopted this name as his Chosen-Name out of love and respect for the mother he never knew. When he was exiled from Valinor, his name had to be changed into Sindarin, thus he was known as "Curufin Faenor." However, his Noldorin followers preserved the sound of his original name slightly, making the Fëanor that we recognize in the stories.
When she was born, her father, "Arafinwë - Noble Finwë" gave his daughter the name "Artanis - Noble Woman." Her mother gave her an Amilessë Tercenyë, "Nerwen - Man-maiden" because she would grow to be as tall and fond of sports and hunting as a man. She adopted this as her Chosen-Name. The Epessë she received from Celeborn was in Telerin, "Alatáriel - Woman Garlanded with Radiance" in reference to her hair. She adopted this name into her full title, and translated it into Quenya: Altáriel. When she came to Middle-earth, she translated it to Galadriel, and thus we know her by this name.

The Úmanyar's Names

Though Tolkien never told us explicitly what the naming traditions of the Elves outside of Valinor were, we can guess by looking at their names.

The Sindar of Doriath are the ones most likely to have naming traditions echoing the traditions in Valinor, seeing as they were the closest to Valinor and they had trade and communication going between them. Therefore, when Doriath was conquered and the Sindar fled deeper into Middle-earth to live in the lands of other Telerin Elves, they brought these strong traditions along with their language, and their writing system (which is based off the Noldorin system) with them. Since both the language and the writing systems were adopted, it doesn't seem too strange that the naming traditions would come along too.

But, would there be any naming traditions that they didn't already have?

Denethor, which originally was a Common Eldarin name, "Denitháró - Lithe and Lank" is obviously an Epessë, given to the hero who saved the Nandor. Another example of an Epessë given before the languages had truly split is Elwê's name, "Thindikollo - Grey Cloak." It is a reference to his silver hair.

The names that the all of the Parentless Elves, that is the Elves who first awoke on the shores of Cuiviénen, who therefore have neither parents nor a birth at all, all have Chosen-Names. While the Noldor glorified and enshrined this quite a bit, and we don't know to what extent the other cultures would have developed this; we can guess that they also could choose one of their own names, like their fore-fathers did.

There is little in the way of evidence of Mother-Names, but it seems unlikely that they wouldn't also exist, as any Elven woman is capable of having insight in the hour of birth into her child's future life and personality. Therefore, I contend that Mother-names are also possible.

Finally, the Father-Name. We know that the Elves of Mirkwood had patronymics before the Sindar ever arrived because of a note in the Etymologies. There is a different form of patronymic, which isn't found in Quenya or Sindarin, wherein "go-" is prefixed onto the Father's name. Also, this sort of name is just convenient.

In conclusion, I believe that the naming traditions of the Eldar come from the shores of Cuiviénen, and therefore aren't completely different amongst the sundered Elves.

A quick history of the Elven languages in Arda

Before the Sun and the Moon

Common Eldarin was spoken by all Elves in Cuiviénen.
The Vanyar traveled to Aman, and their language is called Vanyarin-Quenya.
Then the Noldor traveled to Aman, and their language is called Quenya.
Finally the Teleri started to come. A few decided to settle down east of the Misty Mountains, the Nandor. They split into the Lindar and the Silvan Elves. These two groups have the language Nandorin.
Some of the Nandor crossed the Misty Mountains later, and they became the Green Elves of Ossiriand. Their language is Mithren.
A large amount of Teleri stopped at a lovely spot near the coast called Doriath, and their language is Doriathrin. They are called the Sindar.
A few Teleri made it to Aman, and their language is Telerin.
The Elves who stayed in Cuiviénen speak Avarin.

The First Age of Middle-earth

Then, the Noldor were exiled from Aman for the Kinslaying of the Teleri. The exiled, Quenya speaking Noldor landed in Doriath. The king of Doriath learned of the Kinslaying, and forbade anyone to speak Quenya in his land. The Noldor learned Doriathrin, but changed it a tiny bit, making Noldorin-Sindarin.
Then Doriath fell, and the Noldor fled to Eriador after a few minor stops at places that also fell, like Gondolin. They spoke Quenya when they had an excuse to, to remember Aman and their hope to return to it, but they also spoke Sindarin fluently. They named first in Quenya; then gave a Sindarin equivalent. (This is why there is two Legolases. One was actually a Noldo named Laiqualassë/Laegolas, and the other was the son of a Sinda. The two had no idea that the other existed.)
The Sindar, fleeing the ruin of Doriath, gathered in Ossiriand, Lothlórien, and Mirkwood. The Woodelves and the Lindar dwelling there quickly adopted Sindarin, but changed it into Silvan-Sindarin or Woodelven Sindarin, giving Haldir the accent that Frodo had such a hard time understanding, and the reason behind Legolas' hard to translate name. (ae->e in the Woodelven Sindarin.)

The Second and Third Ages of Middle-earth

Effectively, all of the Elves in Middle-earth spoke Sindarin by the Second Age.
By the end of the Third Age, Sindarin was the only Elven language being spoken in Middle-earth.

Where to go for Elven names:

Sources

The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien collected by Christopher Tolkien, Letter #211
The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, Appendix F - The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age-Of the Elves
Morgoth's Ring by Tolkien, Laws and Customs of the Eldar - Of Names
Unfinished Tales by Tolkien, Appendix E - The Names of Celeborn and Galadriel

Last edited: January 15th, 2010

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