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.

Disney turned Maleficent into a name in 1959, when it was used for the "Mistress of All Evil" in the film Sleeping Beauty. Prior to that, maleficent was a word meaning "causing harm," the antonym of beneficent. Its similarities to the familiar name Millicent made it an apt choice for the iconic Disney villain.

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.

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.

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

Sounds elven in every sense of the word.

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.

Variant of Alafair

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.

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.

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.

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.

Vilina is derived from the Slavic component vila, meaning "fairy." Beware that rearranged, the letters almost spell "villain."

Fairy's reputation as a slur directed at gay men takes it off the table as a baby name option. Go with Pixie or Faye instead.