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Lexicon of Names

Common name elements in Tolkien's works

This lexicon lists some of the more common elements found in the names of places and people in Tolkien's work. These are mainly derived from Elvish tongues, but some common forms from other languages, such as Old English or Adûnaic, are also included, as well as a few less recognisable words that are still found in modern English. There are very large number of these name elements, and this page is being expanded to include more over time.

Where possible, the particular Elvish source language for an element is shown, but sometimes this is not possible (for example, where a common root word occurs in more than one language). In cases like this, terms are simply labelled 'Elvish root'.

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B
band (Sindarin) 'prison, place of confinement', seen in this Sindarin form only in Angband, the 'Hells of Iron' where Morgoth dwelt after his return to Middle-earth. The Quenya equivalent was mando, which appears in the name Mandos, meaning 'prison fortress'.
bara (Sindarin) 'fiery', used especially in the metaphorical sense to mean 'eager', 'fervent'. This element is present in the names of Barahir ('fiery lord') and his nephew Baragund ('fiery prince'). It may appear in Baran and Baranor, though the derivations of these names are less sure.
bel 1 (Sindarin) 'strong', seen most prominently in the names of Beleg of Doriath (whose name simply means 'Strong') and his great bow Belthronding (which translates literally as 'strong-stiff-twang', but is usually rendered more euphoniously as 'Strongbow'). This element is related to the more common beleg 'great, large, mighty', and also bal, 'power, might'.
bel 2 (Sindarin) 'divine', seen in the name Belthil ('divine radiance') given to the silver tree that stood in Turgon's courts in Gondolin. This element derives from the Sindarin name for the Valar, and can also be seen in Orbelain, the 'day of the Powers' called Valanya in Quenya. In its connection to power, it is etymologically related to sense 1 of bel, described above.
beler (Sindarin) in Beleriand, is a form of uncertain derivation, but later interpretations relate it to Balar (ultimately a name for the Maia Ossë, from which the Bay and Isle of Balar also apparently derive their names). In fact, historically the name Beleriand evolved from Arthurian Broceliande, so the derivation via Balar is a later re-interpretation by Tolkien, rather than the original source of the name.
bëor (Bëorian) 'vassal', the name given in their own language by the People of Bëor to their leader (previously called Balan) after he committed himself to the service of Finrod Felagund.
beorn (Old English) originally 'bear', but the word developed over time so that it could be also be taken to mean 'warrior'. Beorn, the famous Skin-changer of the Vales of Anduin, took his name from this source, and the same element appears in the name of his son Grimbeorn ('grim bear' or 'grim warrior').
ber (Elvish root) 'valiant', 'daring', the origin of the name Beren (meaning 'bold'). This root is also probably present in names like Beregar ('valiant-noble'), Beregond ('valiant stone' or - perhaps more likely - 'valiant Gondorian') or Bergil ('valiant star'), though some or all of these may derive from the presumably related berék, meaning 'wild' or 'fierce'.
bor(o) (Sindarin) derives from a root bor- meaning 'endure', and can have various connotations, as in 'enduring', 'faithful', 'steadfast' or 'persistent', 'constant'. Seen most prominently in Boromir ('faithful jewel'), but also in names such as Boron (simply 'faithful') or Borondir ('steadfast man'). Also seen in the star name Borgil, meaning 'constant star' or 'ever-star'. Bór the faithful Easterling derived his Elvish name from this root. In Quenya bor- became vor-, hence names such as Voronwë, 'steadfast one'.
borough (English) though used in modern English to mean a town or district, the word historically meant 'fortified township'. A common element of real English place-names, it appears in this particular form only in Tuckborough, 'Took town', in the Shire. The word derives from Old English burg ('fortress' or 'citadel') and in that form it is seen among many Mannish place-names in Middle-earth, especially among the Rohirrim (such as Aldburg, 'old fortified town', or Hornburg, 'fortress of the horn').
bottom (archaic English) 'valley', seen in two placenames of the Shire: Longbottom (simply 'long valley') and Willowbottom (the 'valley of willows' on the Thistle Brook).
brethil (Sindarin) can mean either 'beech tree' or 'birch tree' depending on context. This was the word from which the Forest of Brethil took its name (which in full Elvish was Brethiliand, 'beech forest'). The same element appears in the name of the birchwoods of Nimbrethil (literally 'white birch', but presumably intended to equate to 'silver birch') and in Fimbrethil (represented in English as 'Wandlimb', but literally meaning 'slender birch').

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