names and their meanings

[Elianna]

For the meaning and derivation of 'Legolas', check an old topic I started called "Greenleaf?" (the mod. Legolas' explanation is right, not mine)

As for Legolin, "The Eytomologies" in HoME v 5 says 'legol' means 'nimble, active, running free' and this is the 'legol' in Legolin.

[Saraphim]

I must remember that posting early in the morning is not like writing fiction at the same time. My mind, while coming up with nice fictional things, does not seem to grasp philology at two-thirty.

Thank you all for the help with my little Legolas problem, and I'll say that I give my regards to all of you on this thread. It's uber-cool.

[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

The thread mentioned in Elianna's post is the one I was looking for. I'll link it here.

Ah, the Barrow-Downs. It's been too long since I last visited this board.

This isn't directly related to the topic, but is related to names nevertheless.

What about surnames in Tolkien's books? Does Tolkien mention family names for, say, gondorian people anywhere? It seems that only "lesser folk", like men of Bree and hobbits have family names, whereas the high ones are [first name] son of [first name], like Denethor son of Ecthelion and such. This seems perfectly logical for the royal families, and perhaps all of the elves as well, since they are completely different from mortal races, and "higher" as well. But in real world, even royal families have family, they just aren't used. I suppose an ordinary man of Gondor may well have had a family as well, but we only know a couple of those.

A couple of dwarves with surnames are mentioned - at least Dain II Ironfoot and Thorin Oakenshield. These aren't really family names, though, for at least Thorin's name did not come from his father, he took it after the Battle of Nanduhirion. I can't remember where Ironfoot comes from, but it probably has a similar meaning. Legolas Greenleaf, an elf, also has a surname, Westron translation of his elvish name. Beleg Strongbow got his surname from his unmatched skill with bow, I suppose. And then there are hundreds of names like Atanatar the Glorious (Atanatar Alcarin).

So, there are hundreds of surnames, and many of the lesser folk have family names, but has Tolkien ever mentioned elves or men of Gondor, Rohan, Arnor etc. as having family name systems? Tolkien carefully designed every part of his world, and I believe there is something written about this as well.

[Guinevere]

We have recently talked about family names in this thread :Race parents
I think that Middle-earth in general is an archaic heroic world, where people don't have family names but are called "son of ...." or have a "nickname" as surname.

The Hobbits (and the men of Bree as well ) are somehow quite a different, and more modern society; they do have family names, and in The Hobbit, Bilbo is even called "Mr.Baggins". In fact, they are an anachronism in ME ;(Not only because of the names. Think of how Bilbo and his way of living is described , the clock on the mantlepiece, the morning post etc.) they sound more like rural people of the 19th century.)
And I think Tolkien did this deliberately, so we can identify with the Hobbits, because they are not so remote , they are a bridge to the archaic world of ME.