Last names in Middle-earth

[Nazgûl-king]

Well, I have not been here for a while, anyway... I find it interesting that with all the characters in Middle-earth we have so few last names. All of the hobbits seem to have last names, but it seems we are given vary few last names of peoples from other races. Why do you guys think Tolkien did this?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

An interesting question, a linguist like Tolkien probably had his own reasoning behind who and why used or did not use last names in Middle-Earth, though I can as well imagine the initial idea being just "what sounded good".

Many people had second names, but only in the sense in which the original surnames for example in many European cultural spaces came to be - just an earned "nickname", like for example Felagund. But still these were individual and never were inherited down in the family - that seemed to occur in all nations only among the Hobbits.

Perhaps some HoME loremasters could say more (I am sure there's been a particular essay about Elves, though I don't think they had last names, even though they could have several names).

[Thinlómien]

Don't forget Breelander humans, they had last names too. (And when I'm personally meddling with M-E in my RPGs, I made Haradians have last names too, just for interest... )

I would like to point out, however, that (if I'm correct) last names as we know them is a fairly recent thing in the western world. Nobility had their family names (but there's in M-E the house of this and that to represent the same thing) but normal people, especially peasants, had no last names. If they needed more names than their own, they could use their father's name (like we could say for example Frodo son of Drogo) or their place of origin (Frodo from Hobbiton) or nicknames like Legate mentioned above.

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

We do know from the HoME books that Aragorn used the surname "Arathornsson" in a letter he sent to Sam (if I'm recalling correctly) during his reign. Given that and the fact that in the LotR, he called himself "Aragorn, son of Arathorn," I would suspect that what surnames existed among the Dunedain and possibly the Rohirrim followed that general pattern. Tolkien may have said more about it in his letters, but no specific mention comes to mind at the moment. I shall have to look. (After supper. The tummy is growling....)

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

We do know from the HoME books that Aragorn used the surname "Arathornsson" in a letter he sent to Sam (if I'm recalling correctly) during his reign. Given that and the fact that in the LotR, he called himself "Aragorn, son of Arathorn," I would suspect that what surnames existed among the Dunedain and possibly the Rohirrim followed that general pattern. Tolkien may have said more about it in his letters, but no specific mention comes to mind at the moment. I shall have to look. (After supper. The tummy is growling....)

What about Fréalaf Hildeson, Helm Hammerhand's nephew who became the king after him?

[Alfirin]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

If they needed more names than their own, they could use their father's name (like we could say for example Frodo son of Drogo) or their place of origin (Frodo from Hobbiton) or nicknames like Legate mentioned above.

Don't forget profession, in a lot of the parts of the world at one time, you surname was the sort of work you did. Think about how many common anglo-saxon surnames are professions, Thatcher, Smith, Weaver, Carter, Carpenter, Hunter etc.

I would also like to point out that in our own world historically, there were a lot of cultures where you weren't allowed to have a surname if you were a commoner, that was a privledge reserved for those of noble blood. It underescored the fact that they were important and you weren't. for example if I recall The first non-noble class person in Japan to get a surname didn't do so until the late 1870's, and THAT was a special reward bestowed by the emperor (for suving lost at sea for a record breaking time, as I recall)

[Galin]

Interesting line from Aragorn...

'But Strider shall be the name of my house, if that be ever established. In the high tongue it will not sound so ill, and Telcontar I will be and all the heirs of my body.'

[Morthoron]

Among Elves and Dwarves last names are honorific titles, like Thorin Oakenshield or Finrod Felagund, and are not passed down generationally like among the anachronistic Hobbits and Bree men.

[Selmo]

Hobbits were very keen on keeping track of their ancestors and relatives.
They had to be; their's was a society in which your status depended on who you were related to rather than your abilities or achievements.

Having family names (surnames) helped everyone to know their place (and be kept in their place) in the Hobbit hierarchy.

In other societies it was easier to know your place; you were either the King or you weren't.

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[William Cloud Hicklin]

A lot of this of course is Tolkien's technique of 'calquing:' the Shire (and Bree) are intended to have the feel of relatively modern England, whereas the other cultures are more archaic. The Anglo-Saxons has no surnames! A formation like Harold Godwinson was a cognomen, a descriptive epithet, used to distinguish him from other Harolds (and to remind folks that he was the son of the great Earl Godwin). Likewise, 'Frealaf Hildeson' appears as a tip that Frealaf was not in the direct male line, but Helm's nephew by his sister Hilde.

[Galin]

Isn't Legolas' last name Greenleaf?

For those of you without The History of Middle-Earth series, or for those of you who don't care and desire a sleep-aid, below are some points concerning certain Elves and naming customs. I have underlined certain terms for no real reason.

There are basically two accounts and I'm not sure if the account from The Peoples of Middle-Earth is supposed to supersede the one from Morgoth's Ring or not. My guess is they can be somewhat merged however (I note for example: 'In which point, maybe, the Noldor differed from the other Eldar' with respect to the Chosen-name). Anyway...

Of Naming Morgoth's Ring

The description begins with respect to the naming of Children among the Noldor. Father-name -- it was the right of the father to devise this first name. It remained unaltered save for such changes as might befall its spoken form in the passing of the long years (even the tongues of the Eldar were subject to change). It is said that in the early days of the Eldar '... it was then still the custom for the father-name of a son to be a modification of the father's name (as Finwe/ Curufinwe) or a patronymic (as Finwion 'son of Finwe'). The father-name of a daughter would likewise often be derived from the name of the mother.'

Chosen-name -- in which point, maybe, the Noldor differed from the other Eldar. It is said here that the Elf-child had the right to name himself or herslf. The ceremony of 'Name-choosing' could not take place before the child was deemed ready and capable of lámatyáve, as the Noldor called it: that is, of individal pleasure in the sounds and forms of words. In elder times the Chosen-name or second name was usually freshly devised. In later ages, when there was a great abundance of names already in existence '...it was more often selected from names that were known. But even so some modification of the old name might be made.'

The 'true-names' are here said to be the Father-name and Chosen-name, and the Chosen-names were said to be regarded by the Noldor as part of their personal property. New chosen names could be added.

Anessi 'given or added names'. Here we have the Mother-name, a name of insight or of foresight. A Mother-name was given in the hour of birth or on some other occasion of moment, indicating some dominant feature of the Elf-child's nature as perceived by her, or some foresight of its special fate. When solemnly given a Mother-name could also be regarded as a true name and was sometimes placed immediately after the Father-name. Mother-names of insight in general use sometimes replaced the Father-name and Chosen-name, however the Father-name and the Chosen-name (among those that had the custom of essecilme that is) remained ever the true or primary name, and a necessary part of any full title.

Other Given-names were not considered true names, and names or nicknames of this kind might be given by anyone... in memory of some deed, or event, or in token of some marked feature of body or mind.

Note On Mother-names The Peoples Of Middle-Earth

The Eldar in Valinor had as a rule two names, a Father-name and a Mother-name. Mother-names were given later, often some years later, but also sometimes soon after birth.

Epesse 'After-name' a nickname not necessarily given by kin and mostly given as a title of admiration or honour. Later some among the Exiles gave themselves names, as disguises or in reference to their own deeds and personal history: such names were called cilmessi 'self-names'. The true names remained the Father and Mother-names it seems, according to this account.

This description seems to be about naming with respect to the Eldar in Valinor, noting also that the cilmesse here does not seem to be identical with the Chosen-names of Noldorin Elf-children.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

No, I wouldn't call "Greenleaf" a surname in anything like the modern sense. After all, we don't hear of Oropher Greenleaf or Thranduil Greenleaf!

Whether it was an epesse, a father-name or a mother-name, the significant point is that it was personal to Legolas- it wasn't an hereditary nomen shared by all members of the gens. It's of course common in Tolkien for characters, especially those of high lineage, to own a hatful of names which they use as alternates or in combination; but I'm not aware that anything like a 'family name' is to be found outside the Shire and Bree.

EDIT: isn't 'Greenleaf' just the translation of laeg + gwa-lass?

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Galin

Isn't Legolas' last name Greenleaf?

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No it is simply a translation of his name.

[Mithalwen]

Even in the Shire family names have not become "fixed" as can be best seen in Sam's family tree . His uncle Andy has the surname Roper from his profession his son Frodo is Gardner, Elanor married Fastred of Greenholm and their descendents are Fairbairns.

they do illustrate the normal origins of surnames... appearance, profession, location (other than relationship to others).

[Galin]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

EDIT: isn't 'Greenleaf' just the translation of laeg + gwa-lass?

Yes, it's a Silvan dialectal form of Sindarin laeg (Woodland leg) + golas, -olas 'collection of leaves'.

I had thought that the rest of my post on Elvish naming customs was enough to point to my question (on whether Greenleaves was Legolas' 'last name') being in jest...

... but anyway

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

Even in the Shire family names have not become "fixed" as can be best seen in Sam's family tree . His uncle Andy has the surname Roper from his profession his son Frodo is Gardner, Elanor married Fastred of Greenholm and their descendents are Fairbairns.

they do illustrate the normal origins of surnames... appearance, profession, location (other than relationship to others).

Appendix F in ROTK touches upon the differences between Hobbit-names and those of other races.

In the case of persons, however, Hobbit-names in the Shire and in Bree were for those days peculiar, notably in the habit that had grown up, some centuries before this time, of having inheirited names for families. Most of these surnames had obvious meanings (in the current language being derived from jesting nicknames, or from place-names, or--especially in Bree--from the names of plants and trees.)

I would add that since surnames were a fairly new custom to the Hobbits, it would be likely that the more well-known and notable families would probably latch onto it more quickly than others. That would explain why the Gamgee family might still have been more associated with a profession.

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Galin

Yes, it's a Silvan dialectal form of Sindarin laeg (Woodland leg) + golas, -olas 'collection of leaves'.

amusingly (to me at least) it could also be sharp ears... laigo lhas....