Hobbits' Naming Traditions
Hobbits are the oddballs of Middle-earth. Their naming traditions follow our own.
- They are given a baby name, which they keep for their entire lives.
- They have family names. Like us, when two Hobbits marry, the female drops her family name, and takes her husband's.
- They name each other after each other.
- They have nicknames, and the nicknames having meaning as well. They are often made by the first word in their name. If the name is one or two syllables long, it will not have a nick-name version.
- Hobbit-maids are given flower or jewel names, hobbit boys are given names in old languages that meant something, but they have forgotten what. Much like we do now.
- Normally their names are Westron, but they will name each other in other languages because they thought it would be cool. This time, instead of Old English, Tolkien replaced Westron with English that's much closer to ours.
Where to go for Hobbit names
- Behind the Name: English Names: This website wasn't made for Middle-earth fiction writers; it's a website that tells the history of names and their meaning. Please don't use the names with roots that are biblical or not Old English.
- Hobbit Names and Naming Conventions by Dreamflower: an excellent article about Hobbit's names.
Source
- The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, Appendix F-On Translation
Last edited: January 2nd, 2009