Is [name_f]Arwen[/name_f] an acceptable name? Its from [name_m]Lord[/name_m] of the rings.
Errrrr…
Wrong forum to ask this for. We all have bit crazy name list.
I think [name_f]Arwen[/name_f] is rare but usable. From 2010-2015 there were over 270 babies named [name_f]Arwen[/name_f] in [name_f]England[/name_f] and [name_m]Wales[/name_m]. Not a huge number obviously but it shows that it’s usable, at least in this country.
I’d say yes. It’s a name people might recognise from LoTR, but it’s nothing so over the top— like [name_f]Daenerys[/name_f] or [name_f]Katniss[/name_f]— that it would look weird on a kindergarten roster. It fits right in with other -wen ending names, like [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] or [name_u]Rowen[/name_u]/[name_u]Rowan[/name_u].
I’d say it definitely is usable
It’s very similar to the rare welsh name Carwen/Carwyn (-en is the feminine spelling, -yn masculine)
I have a close friend named Carwen and she wears it really well…I should imagine [name_f]Arwen[/name_f] wouldn’t be any different 
I seem to be in the minority when I disagree. Given its popularity, I think it’s a lot to put on a kid. I have a friend that named their daughter [name_f]Arwen[/name_f] and I’ve heard people talk about how bad they feel for the girl. 
I think there are more subtle ways to pay tribute to LOTR, like putting it as a middle name, or choosing something like suggestions on this forum list, or this User List.
From a Nameberry post on LOTR names:
Are you sure your child will want to have anything to do with your obsessions? Think about it. You aren’t the one who will have to live with this name attached to you for the rest of your life. Your child is. Your child might be one of those majority that doesn’t “get it”.
Don’t use the name of a famous character. I mean it. Don’t. As a nerd, you probably already know that children can be terribly cruel. Don’t make your kid hate you because you named him/her Frodo or Arwen. If you’re choosing a character’s name, go obscure, like Gildor, Lúthien, Beren, or Ioreth.
In the end, I think that the most tasteful way to give your child a fantasy-name is to choose one that sounds like it could be a normal name that fits into your language and culture, but is your private reference that only the ones who “get it” will notice. With that in mind, I put together a small list of such names from Tolkien’s mythology that would fit in amongst English names.
And I have to say, I agree. I would recommend staying away from [name_f]Arwen[/name_f].
I think its usable. I’ve known a couple of little Arwens and its never struck me as strange. The main thing is, it doesn’t sound like a fantasy name.
Due to the letters and the -wen ending I would just assume it was a Welsh name. I’ve fallen asleep every time I watched LOTR’s so I’d never make that connection.
I probably wouldn’t make the connection
Plus, it /is/ a pretty name
What about using [name_f]Anwen[/name_f] instead?
Yep, 100%. It’s a beautiful, magical name with a literary connection, as well as being somewhat familiar and used.
I like the sound of [name_f]Arwen[/name_f], but because it is such a well-known character I would suggest [name_u]Arden[/name_u] instead.
[name_f]Arwen[/name_f] is definitely usable. It’s unusual, but shares sounds with more established name. Many Ar- names like [name_f]Aria[/name_f], [name_f]Ariana[/name_f], [name_u]Arlo[/name_u], etc. are in common use, and -en is a popular ending; there are a number of established names with the -wen ending specifically like [name_f]Bronwen[/name_f] and [name_f]Elowen[/name_f], so [name_f]Arwen[/name_f] sounds like an actual name rather than a collection of random sounds put together for a story, if that makes sense?
I think the [name_m]Lord[/name_m] of the Rings connection is pretty obvious, established enough in pop culture that even people who aren’t fans (like me) will get it, and you’ll get remarks on it, but you may be okay with that.
I like [name_f]Arwen[/name_f]! Go for it if you love it.
I would go with [name_f]Anwen[/name_f]. Less fangirl.
Unfortunately it sounds a bit fangirl and there will be people who will recognize it as being from the [name_m]Lord[/name_m] of the Rings, I’d probably use it as a middle name, with a more common first name, or use a first name like [name_u]Arden[/name_u].
[name_f]Arwen[/name_f] was originally a Welsh name before Tolkien used it in The [name_m]Lord[/name_m] of the Rings! According to my name book, it came into use at the end of the 19th century. [name_f]Arwen[/name_f] and its masculine counterpart Arwyn derive from the Welsh intensifying prefix ar- and gwyn = “white, fair.”
It does sound a bit fangirl but it’s also a legitimate Welsh name, and a beautiful one. I think it’s acceptable.
I don’t like it but I think it’s a perfectly wearable and acceptable name. It’s not too over the top like some film names, and it bears a decent amount of similarity to other more established names, like [name_f]Bronwen[/name_f].
Yes, yes, and yes!
I have a little girl in my [name_f]Sunday[/name_f] class with this name - it doesn’t seem weird or out of place at all.
I love it, but don’t think I would ever use it
Definitely. I adore [name_f]Arwen[/name_f].