Fairy and Elf Names

Glinda is famous as the name of the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz, invented by author L. Frank Baum. but has there ever been a real life, non-fictional Glinda? Not in the US last year. The name may be related to the Welsh Glenda, itself a 20th century invention.

This attractive name was created by JRR Tolkien for his The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. It was given to Aragorn by Galadriel and later adopted by him as King of Gondor.

A title given to the elf Arwen in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, meaning "evening star" and usually rendered poetically as Evenstar. Like her revered ancestor Lúthien, Arwen chooses to become mortal in order to marry her human love, Aragorn.

Brighid is the original Gaelic form of the name of the mythological goddess of fire, poetry, and wisdom. More commonly found these days in any number of different guises: Bridget, Brigid, Brigitte et al. Whatever form it takes, Brighid is one of the most classic and enduring Irish names for girls.

Variant of Alafair

In Germanic mythology, Alberich is the name of a legendary dwarf king — which is fitting, considering its meaning. Alberich is thought to be the origin of the English names Auberon and Aubrey.

The elven ruler of Rivendell in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Sounds elven in every sense of the word.

In Basque mythology, Lamina are mermaid-like creatures (they can also have duck tails) who grant wishes.

A top name in Iceland, while its parent name Alvar, ranks highly in Sweden and Finland.

An ancient elfin name borne by a granddaughter of Alfred the Great. The name appeared on a character in The Lost Kingdom, a ruler of Mercia.

Gandalf is most famously the name of the powerful wizard in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The name is drawn from Old Norse mythology.

Extremely unusual ella-ending choice.

Variant of Alafair

New twist to the Maur- names, a bit cosmetic sounding.

An alternative name of the elf Tinúviel in The Lord of the Rings. Lúthien is an immortal elf maiden who chooses to make herself mortal to marry the human Beren. Their love story is told to Frodo by Aragorn, and the names Beren and Lúthien appear on the grave of Tolkien and his wife Edith.

A pared-down version of the Anglo-Saxon names Æthelgar and Ælfgar. It's very rarely used, but might appeal for the connection to English classical composer Edward Elgar, or just for its distinctive vintage sound, as an alternative to Edgar.

An archaic astrological term for the planet Venus. You may also recognize Evenstar as a name of Arwen Undómiel in The Lord of the Rings series.

A preppy surname and place name derived from the Anglo-Saxon personal name Ælfweard "elf guardian" + the -by suffix, meaning "village, homestead". Ellerby feels like a quirkier Ellery or Emery.