Tolkien and Tolkien-esque first names for baby

Nameberry universe, I love elven Tolkien inspired or Tolkien sounding names. They are angelic on the tongue and to the ears. There are very few real world options that are able to pull off this kind of feel. For the most part [name_m]Ive[/name_m] found myself very… underwhelmed… and believe me, I’ve searched.
So I’ve decided to have a go at inventing a few of my own!
Are these too out there for a real, down to earth, woman?

Gaiavriel (guy ah (apple ah) vree ell) - A Gaiafied version of [name_m]Gavriel[/name_m]

Alastriel or Alatariel its Tolkien cousin - Alastriel is [name_m]Alastar[/name_m] and Rielle combined.

Elendriel (elen dree el) invented. [name_f]Helen[/name_f] and Rielle and a little Tolkien m

Lothiriel - this is Tolkien

Liluriel - (li lew ree el) Lilu&Rielle. Has a [name_f]Lorelai[/name_f] feel but I could get away with Lilu as nn.

What are your thoughts?
More names to add ? haha :wink:

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I like Elentari.

I really like the look of Alastriel, Elendriel and Lothiriel, but I think that in real life they might be more usable without the -el, although that does take away the Tolkien-esque feel. Maybe Alastri, Elendri and Lothiri could be nns? I think I’d prefer Alastra, Elendra and Lothira, but that’s just because I prefer -a endings, and [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] is one of my fave names, and the -ra has a similar ending. I’ve tried (not very successfully) combining some of my fave names into Tolkien like names:
[name_f]Morgana[/name_f] + Endora- Endrana or Endrania
[name_f]Saffron[/name_f] + [name_f]Aura[/name_f]- Saffaura
And I combined one of my fave names with Rielle just for fun:
[name_f]Phaedra[/name_f] + Rielle- Phaedriel/ Phaedrel

I love these!! I agree that Liluriel might be a little hard to wear but with Lilu as a nn I say go for it!

I think they’re lovely and I’m all for creative and unusual names but I cannot imagine a middle aged lawyer married to a chef with four teenage kids called Gaiavriel.

Or a first grade teacher who is quiet and not at all spunky and adventurous named Liluriel.

That’s a big thing for me, which is one of the reasons I do not admire Belphoebe as much as I used too. For me a name has to be usable on anyone. [name_m]Just[/name_m] because you give your baby a kickass cool Tolkien inspired name does not mean that child is going to turn out kickass or cool, though it’s the person that makes the name not the name that makes the person :). I can also imagine the bullying, unfortunately :frowning: I’d like to wish we could use any name to our heart’s desires but I imagine Elendriel would not be well received by a group of 7 year olds, little better by 16 year olds.

I feel like the bringer of bad news to this thread but I highly encourage you to both consider these points but also to remind yourself that in the end it’s what you want and what you think will be best for your baby and their life, not what some other internet person thinks :slight_smile:

(Edited because I think I came off a bit harsh)

Thank you all. I appreciate everyone’s feedback !

@matti12- I am not enamoured with Elentari, although it is pretty. Thank you for the suggestion !

@myosotis- I love your creativity !! :)) It is hard to pair ones that flow. [name_f]Luella[/name_f] is a great example, though it is not the feel im going for. Your love for a- endings is quiet like my love for “riel”. I just can’t give them up. I am interested in tamer middle name pairings so that she can have something less unique to fall back on if she so fancys.

@aza- Thank you! :)) I just might do that!

@alliecat- You are not the bringer of bad news at all! I always appreciate feedback from a different perspective. I do not agree with you entirely, however. Yes I recognize that children tease, and yes I recognize that such a name may not appear worthy of someone interested in living a more simple life, but to be quite frank, bullys will find any means hurt others, regardless of how tame the targets name. [name_f]My[/name_f] girlfriend was names [name_f]Amanda[/name_f], a very classic “normal” choice and bullies would tease her with “a man duh”. The names I am interested in aren’t outright awful like dick or rainbow, so I’m not too worried. I do recognize that tamer middle names would be good to fall back on.

What do you all think of first names Gaiavriel, Lothiriel, Alastriel, Liluriel, and Elendriel paried with
[name_f]Willow[/name_f], [name_f]Elowen[/name_f], [name_f]Lilith[/name_f], [name_f]Isolde[/name_f], or [name_f]Gaia[/name_f] for middles?

Some combos I like are:

Gaiavriel [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] [name_f]Willow[/name_f]

Lothiriel [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] [name_f]Isolde[/name_f]

Alastriel [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] [name_f]Gaia[/name_f]

Elendriel [name_f]Isolde[/name_f]

Lothiriel [name_f]Isolde[/name_f]

thoghts?

I have [name_m]Gavriel[/name_m] on my short list but I don’t really like Gaiavriel. I love the sound of Tolkien names, but most of them are tongue twister. :confused:

I love Tolkien names, too, and honestly, if I was going to use one, I think I’d bite the bullet and use a real Tolkien-invented Elvish name rather than my own Tolkien-esque invention. Personally I think most of them would make better middles than firsts, but if you’re adventurous enough, there are a few that would make beautiful firsts.

Here’s a pretty extensive list of Tolkien girl-name possibilities I compiled recently:

Aerlinn (possibly meaning “sea-song,” this is probably the name of an Elvish mode of poetry or composition)
Alduya (“trees-day,” the name of the 4th day of the Eldarin week)
Anarya (“sun-day,” the 2nd weekday)
[name_f]Arda[/name_f] (“region, realm,” the Quenya Elvish name for the earth–a possible substitute for [name_f]Gaia[/name_f]?)
Aredhel (“noble elf,” the name of an Elf woman who married Eol of [name_f]Nan[/name_f] Elmoth and bore him Maeglin who would betray the city of
Gondolin. The DH is pronounced like the TH in then and thou.)
Athelas (“kingsfoil,” a plant name, the healing herb brought to Middle-[name_f]Earth[/name_f] by the Numenoreans)
[name_f]Elanor[/name_f] (“star-sun,” the yellow winter flower of Lothlorien and the name of [name_u]Sam[/name_u]‘s first daughter)
Elenya ("stars’-day," the first day of the week)
Elwing (“star-spray,” the granddaughter of Beren and Luthien and the wife of Earendil)
Idril (“sparkle-brilliance,” Earendil’s mother)

I love Lothiriel, especially as a middle name. Several years ago I loved the combo [name_u]Eden[/name_u] Lothiriel. Luthien is beautiful, too, and so is [name_f]Arwen[/name_f]. Good luck!

[name_m]Even[/name_m] though Elendriel is very pretty, I have to agree with auroradawn, go with the original masterpiece. The main reason I wanted to comment though is a friend recently told me that her daughter has a classmate named Mithrandir. Unfortunately, no one says it as beautifully as [name_f]Kate[/name_f] Blanchett so it sounds like myth-rander.

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I’m pretty sure Elendriel is the femenine Sindarin form of Elendil meaning star lover in Quenyan. Though I am not 1000% positive

@Auroradawn- thank you for the beautiful name list !! I love many of these, but as I mentioned before, the driel-riel-el ending is what I am looking for, and also what makes finding a name outside of sindarin thats also heavy on the vowels so hard. I love Aerlinn, Aredhel, and Idril enough to consider them for firsts.
But honestly I feel like, if I’m going to be daring, I might as well go all the way! haha. I’m reluctant to let go of Lothiriel and the others.
Thank you so much for the suggestions ! :slight_smile:

Why can’t one have shyness or social anxiety or a quiet personality and a kickass name??

Rkrd I agree ! ! !
?

Gaiavriel, etc., are lovely names on paper, but require a triple-take to pronounce and are near impossible to spell. I have a fairly common [name_m]French[/name_m] name, and living in an English-speaking country, I have a heck of a time spelling it for people. A girl with an elvish-inspired name will have to spell her name for everyone, and have it mispronounced constantly.
I’m not saying you should be forced to choose something standard and classic; but perhaps choose one of the lovely names already from Tolkien’s works already familiar with the vast array of fans. Galadriel, similar to your created name, is a lovely name. [name_f]My[/name_f] personal favourite is [name_f]Eowyn[/name_f]; gorgeous name and favourite character.

Alatáriel is one of my absolute favourite names and I have been crushing on Lothíriel for some time.

I’m generally not fond of self-made names with no backstory and I think that Tolkien has done so great on his own, so making up Tolkien-esque names is not my cup of tea. Gaiavriel sounds nice though.

[name_f]My[/name_f] favourite Tolkien names:
Alatáriel
Almarian
[name_f]Arwen[/name_f]
Eärwen
[name_f]Elanor[/name_f]
Éowyn
Evenstar
Fíriel
Galadriel
Lothíriel
Morwen
Silmariën
Théodwyn
Undómiel
Valinor (not originally a name but u g h, the beauty).

Bibliophile- thank you for your feedback. I know a name like Gaiavriel may be too dificult for the American tongue, but that doesn’t really worry me as we will probably be doing a lot of travelling. I love [name_f]Eowyn[/name_f]! I’ll add that to my list. :slight_smile:

Shbivzicks- I love and appreciate Tolkien names as well, I just don’t feel like anything Tolkien or anything otherwise fits what I really want… Whereas a name like Gaiavriel is tolken sounding with that iel ending, but includes [name_f]Gaia[/name_f], a name I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] but want synthesized with something longer.
Anyway, out of your list I like Alatariel, Almarien, Earwen, [name_f]Eowyn[/name_f], & Lothiriel :slight_smile: Thank you !!

I hate to be a buzz kill, but thought I’d comment just in case this proves helpful.

A friend of mine named her little one [name_f]Eowyn[/name_f] last year. Unfortunately, they have found that when said aloud, most people tend to mistake it for [name_f]Erin[/name_f] with a lisp… It’s unfortunate, because aside from this fact I think it’s one of the most usable of Tolkien’s names. [name_m]Just[/name_m] something to be cognizant of.

That came out wrong, I’m sorry! Of course they can, as I think about it more, it’s the person that makes the name :slight_smile: Edited my first post because I feel like I came off a little harsh which was not my intent at all!