Respondents: 45 (This poll is closed)
[name_m]Merlin[/name_m] is not a character in [name_m]Lord[/name_m] of the Rings.
I didn’t notice, but mostly because neither name is actually from [name_m]Lord[/name_m] of the Rings - though [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] is very close to a cross of [name_f]Eowyn[/name_f] and [name_f]Arwen[/name_f], which are both in the books/films. [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] is from the Legends of [name_m]King[/name_m] [name_m]Arthur[/name_m]. Both names give off a very high fantasy/[name_m]Lord[/name_m] of the Rings vibe (especially [name_f]Elowen[/name_f], for reasons already mentioned), but as neither of them actually are from anywhere, I think it’s fine.
Short answer: [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] and [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] are fine. Neither word turns up in LOTR, as far as I know (neither does the character Merlin). Most people won’t think of any connection between them, and anyone who likes them both might say they have the same ‘feel’ but might find it hard to explain why.
I have a long explanation explaining why those names might feel Tolkien-ish to you (it’s mostly to do with what languages Tolkien was an expert in). If you want more detail, let me know!
Well, since neither are characters in LOTR, I think you are massively over thinking it. My immediate thought was that they seem very Welsh (though [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] is actually Cornish the -wen ending always makes me think of Welsh).
They have a similar vibe to LotR names, but none of those name are in or from LotR.
This exactly. I think you’re fine. It’s actually kind of cool that they have a fantasy vibe together without actually being from the same book/legend/etc. It just means you have a cohesive style.
I noticed with [name_f]Elowen[/name_f], but not with [name_m]Emrys[/name_m]. The same initial and the same (mentioned before) “fantasy feel” are a much stronger connection!
My first thought was, “wow I need to reread the books”. I don’t remember characters by these names, are they obscure historical figures in the Silmarillion or something? If so I wouldn’t worry. I also though they were fantasy-ish, which I like. [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] definitely makes me think of [name_m]Merlin[/name_m], not LOTR, and [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] is just a really pretty naturey name.