Elven names are not like our names these days, where we don’t know what our names mean without hefty amounts of research, and our names were chosen from lists of pre-existing, traditional names. Elven names have meaning, and an Elf, upon hearing for the first time the true names of another elf (the first and second names), would know a lot of information about whom they were meeting. They’d know who their father or mother was, and a defining characteristic or interest of the person. When we meet and exchange names, we learn very little about the person we’ve just met from the name alone. In fact, it’s more likely that we’d learn something about the person’s parents than the person themselves. This part of Elven culture is very different from our own. If you want your Elven characters to behave truly elf-like, then read up!
The first name an Elf receives in his/her life is the “Father-Name.” We don’t know the Quenya term for this name, but we can guess that it is “Ataresse.” It is one of the “Anessi” or “Given-Names” that the Elf will receive in their life. It is as close as the Elves get to a surname.
The next name an Elf has could either be his/her “Mother-Name” or the “Chosen-Name.” It’s more likely that the Mother-Name would come first, as often they are given before the elf is old enough to name themself. The Mother-Name is called “Amilesse” in Quenya, and it is one of the Anessi. There are two types of Mother-Name.
The Chosen-Name, or “Cilmesse,” is a name that a child chooses for him/herself, once he/she is capable of “Lámatyávie.” This basically means that the child is fluent in their mother tongue and knows how to make beautiful sounding names. It also means that the child’s personality has developed to the point that the child knows and can name his/herself. The age that the child reaches this fluency and understanding is somewhere between 7 and 10 years of age. Since gaining individuality is an important achievement in the child’s life, there is a ceremony to go with announcing it, called “Essecilme,” or “Name Choosing.”
There is another type of Cilmesse, and it doesn’t get the fanfare that the above Cilmesse. It was an alias, if you will, and used to conceal one’s identity. This sort of Chosen-name will be made to look like another type of name, but other than that, doesn’t have any special characteristics.
This elf on the shelf name generator will help you find elf name ideas. Boy Elf Girl Elf. Choose Boy Elf or Girl Elf and click on the Calculate button to randomly generate an Elf Name. What name did you get for your Elf on the Shelf? Choose a name that best fits your personality and the spirit of the holiday season. WOW Name Generator: There are a lot of races in WOW. The names of male and famale in each race are very distinctive. The name of each race basically combines the characteristics of race, such as shape, super power and so on.
The last type of name, called the “After-Name,” or “Epesse,” is one of the Anessi. Most of the time, it is little more than a nickname, though its making differs quite a bit from our own version of nicknames. It is a name that can be given by anyone; and sometimes the person being referred to is unaware of this name.
When he was born, his father, Finwe, named him “Finwion – Son of Finwe.” When his talent for metallurgy started to show, his name was changed to “Curufinwe – Skill of Finwe.” His mother, who passed away, had insight into his character, and named him “Feanáro – Spirit of Fire.” He adopted this name as his Chosen-Name out of love and respect for his mother. When his father remarried, Feanor, who was angry with his father, defiantly took his mother’s name as his first name, Therinde, and started calling himself Therindion Feanáro. After his death in Beleriand, his name had to be changed into Sindarin for conversing with the Sindar. The pure Sindarin version of his name would be Faenor, but his Noldorin followers preserved the sound of his original name slightly, possibly because early on they had difficulty with the Sindarin diphthong AE, making the Feanor that we recognize in the stories.
When she was born, her father, “Arafinwe – Noble Finwe” gave his daughter the name “Artanis – Noble Woman.” Her mother gave her an Amilesse Tercenye, “Nerwen – Man-maiden” because she would grow to be as tall and fond of sports and hunting as a man. She adopted this as her Chosen-Name. The Epesse she received from Celeborn was in Telerin, “Alatáriel – Woman Garlanded with Radiance” in reference to her hair. She adopted this name into her full title, and translated it into Quenya: Altáriel. When she came to Middle-earth, she translated it to Galadriel, and thus we know her by this name.
The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, Appendix F – The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age – Of the Elves
Morgoth’s Ring by Tolkien, Laws and Customs of the Eldar – Of Names
Parma Eldalamberon #17 & #21
The Peoples of Middle-earth by Tolkien, The Shiboleth of Feanor – Note on Mother-names
Unfinished Tales by Tolkien, Appendix E – The Names of Celeborn and Galadriel
Christmas is right around the corner, which means Santa is almost here! As he prepares gifts for children all around the world, he also needs a lot of help from his elves. Get in the holiday spirit with our elf name generator and printables. This Christmas elf name generator will give kids a unique name based on the personality trait they choose.
Help your little one print their name on a special name tag. Select a girl, boy or unisex name and then select one of the following personality types: sweet, Sassy or Silly. Once your kiddos they select an elf name they like, they can print out our printable name tags and wear them around the house, or use them for a school activity.
Choose your elf name by selecting from the options below
We recommend you print the name tags on sticker paper in order to place on your child’s shirt/clothing. The name tags can also be printed on regular paper and attached to clothing using tape.
You will need:
Note: On Christmas Eve, have your little ones print out and color in their name tags. Then have one child be the “helper elf” who gives out the gifts on Christmas morning. This will save you an early morning workout and give them a chance to feel helpful!
As you can see, there are a variety of elf names to choose from — all names of old elves who have been helping Santa for years! These elf names are great to print out and use for the whole family. To make your family Christmas photo extra festive this year, have everyone in the family print out and craft a name tag. Then wear them for the picture.
If your little ones want to learn the names of the elves who helped deliver their gifts, have them leave the printables out overnight on Christmas Eve. Then, while they sleep, fill out the name tags with elf names for a fun surprise in the morning! Don’t forget to leave Santa and his helpers cookies and milk on a personalized plate.