On the Names of the Kings of Gondor

When inventing and developing stories within Tolkiens legendarium, Ive always been conscious of

the importance of language in it; it was indeed my natural tendency since my love for History and

Linguistics was the reason why I approached and liked Tolkiens work. And so, by inventing just a

little, I have found myself with an amount of unlooked-for secret relationships, small jokes and

curious coincidences in the intra-History of the peoples of Middle-earth. Since many of them belong

to the Kings of Gondor, here they go:

Elendil

(Friend of Elves). The very name of the Dnedain who remained faithful to the Valar and Elves and

closest to the early mood of the Nmenrean people. At first very common among all of them (there

was e.g. Tar-Elendil), it was logically restricted to the Elf-friends when the majority of the people

followed the rebellion of Tar-Atanamir and Tar-Ancalimon. In this time, Elendil, Xth Lord of Andnie,

bore this name with pride (see Ondoher).

Its use was further reduced because the Faithful Dnedain of Middle-earth showed their respect for

King Elendil never using it again after him, until King Elendil II, the last of the Reunited Kingdom,

ending the Fourth Age. But it was kept by the growing blood-mixed Westron-speaking populace of

Arnor and Gondor, and in the Fourth Age it was pronounced Lentel.

Isildur

(Servant of the Moon). A common name among Nmenreans, especially because its alternative

Isildil was cacophonic and never given. In this case he was named after the VIIIth Lord of Andnie,

founder of the colony of Aryacalie, which would later be re-founded as Anarik.

The name became after this King widely used by Westron-speakers, its form Siltor becoming popular

too among neighboring peoples of Arnor and Gondor (e.g. the name of two of the elective Kings of

Forodwaith was Isildurnil, but the second of them usually used the current version Siltornel).

Anrion

(Solar). After Tar-Anrion very used among Nmenrean nobility, e.g. the IXth Lord of Andnie

after whom the son of Elendil was named. Also in this case the name plays with the duality Moon-

Sun after his brothers name.

Meneldil

(Sky-friend or Astronomer). Usual among Dnedain, like Cemendil and Earendil and their -ndur

alternatives.

Cemendur

(Servant of the Earth). Continuing the sky-earth-sea triad; see Meneldil.

Earendil

(Sea-friend). Continuing the triad; see Meneldil. A foresight amiless of its first bearer, the son of

Tuor and Idril, it became one of the most popular names among Dnedain (see Earnil).

Anardil

(Sun-friend). Typical name, its alternative Anardur was cacophonic and not used. Named after

Tar-Aldarions birthname.

Sryon Ostoher

(Son of the River and Lord of the Fortress). His birthname Sryon was popular in the old colony of

Pelargir, born and developed near and thanks to River Anduin and its Ethir -though in the Second Age

the haven was by the sea, the Ethir Anduin still being a large firth.

Ostoher was his name as King because he rebuilt Minas Anor. Osthir of Cardolan, a kingdom with

strong ties to Gondor, was named after him.

Tarostar Rmendacil I

(King of the Fortresses and East-victor). Actually both names were titles, his birthname being

unknown. Tarostar he supposedly took wanting to widen his fathers title of Ostoher. It was a daring

name, for it reproduced the form of the official names of the Nmenrean Kings (Tar-), but in the

ambience of growing pride of the Gondor of that time it was not considered too pretentious for the

Crown-prince.

Rmendacil he took after his victory over Easterlings, though ironically he would fall in battle against

them later.

Turambar

(Master of Doom). After Trin Turambar. A popular name because of Tar-Elendils works about

Beleriand and its legends (like Siriondil), indeed the Quenya form was more used than Sindarin

Turamarth. In Fourth Age Westron it was Trampar.

Atanatar I

(Father of Men). Another Beleriand-related name (see Turambar), it had been the generic title of

the leaders of the Three Houses of the Edain of Beleriand and had later been applied poetically to the

Nmenrean Kings. Gondors pride kept growing together with its might, and in Tarostars household

it was natural to give this grand name to the future heir of the Crown.

Siriondil

(Friend of River Sirion). Popular among inland Nmenreans from the time of Tar-Elendil on (see

Turambar). Riontel in Fourth Age Westron.

Tarannon Falastur

(King of the Gate and Lord of Coasts). Another proud Tar- name (see Tarostar), the -annon

was that of the haven of Pelargir.

Falastur was his title as King, since he had expanded the kingdom West and South of the Ethir

Anduin. It became a popular name and in Fourth Age it was Flathor in Westron.

Earnil I

Contraction of Earendil (see). This most popular name is one of the two whose contracted vulgar

form entered the circles of nobility, together with its alternative Earendur / Earnur. In Fourth Age

Westron it was Yarnel.

Ciryandil

(Ship-friend). One of many Nmenrean names related to ships.

Ciryaher Hyarmendacil I

(Lord of Ships and South Victor). His birthname was one that the list of the Ship-kings couldnt

miss.

Hyarmendacil paralleled already existing Rmendacil.

Atanatar II Alcarin

After Atanatar I. Alcarin, the Glorious, was often used as the actual Kings name. It was already a

too self-important title in that time in which the decadence of the kingdom begun.

Narmacil I

(Fire Sword). After two rzagars, Nmenrean noblemen. See Calmacil.

Calmacil

(Light Sword). Tar-Calmacil, among the Nmenrean Kings of the times of pride and rebellion, was

nearest to the Elendili with the only exception of Tar-Palantir. He was educated in Umbar by a

wiseman from Pelargir, and in his armies he treated Faithful and Kings Men equally. Tar-Calmacil

was praised by the Elendili not less than by the Kings Men, to the point that Calmacil was the name

that the Faithful colonists gave him after his first victories in the XXVIth century, that put an end to

the Dark Years of Saurons dominion in the West.

Tar-Calmacils younger son Gimilzagar and his family were Elendili themselves. Gimilzagar, his

firstborn rzagar and Nlzagar his grandson were military men of renown; their names and that of

their illustrious ancestor became of tradition among the Elendili noblemen of the military, engaged in

the affairs of the colonies, together with their Quenya approximate equivalents: Belzagar / Calmacil,

Gimilzagar / Elemmacil, rzagar / Narmacil, and Nlzagar / Silmacil. Most used was Narmacil

(Narmagel in the Fourth Age), after another rzagar, grandson of the former one, who married

Lindri of Andnie and was the father of Inzilbth, Ar-Gimilzrs wife. Also, Calmacil became

Kalmagel with time.

For more on Tar-Calmacils influence on names, see Castamir.

Minalcar Rmendacil II

(Highest Glory). Minalcar a typical name within the court of his great-grandfather Hyarmendacil I

under whose reign this king was born. Rmendacil after Rmendacil I, having achieved similar

victories, though his model was his admired Hyarmendacil I (see Castamir).

Valacar

(Vala-looking). A phonetic (not in meaning) modification of his fathers name, kept within Faithful

tradition.

Vinitharya Eldacar

(East-victor and Elda-looking). Valacar named his son with a Northman version of his fathers

title. [The actual Gothic name Winithaharjis means Army of the Wends, implying victor of, much

like Roman generals end emperors added to their names those of the peoples they had conquered.

The Wends were a people living east of the Goths when the latter still lived by the shores of the

Baltic sea, and maybe Tolkien intended to give Eldacar that Northman name paralleling

Rmendacil.]

Eldacar was a hasty solution forced by Minalcar when his son Valacar came back to Gondor trying to

avoid scandalising the traditionalists. It simply continued the Faithful traditional conceptual duality of

Vala / Elda, reflected in other couples of names: Valarion / Eldarion, Valandil / Elendil, Valandur /

Elendur. Pronounced Eltagar in the Fourth Age.

Castamir (and his successors)

(Munificent Jewel), an usual merchant name in the times of the Ship-kings, later appreciated by the

sea-lords of Pelargir.

His son was Castaher (Munificent Lord), modification of his fathers name. Castahers son was

Castamait (Munificent Hand), first great corsair of Umbar; his was a name in the family tradition.

Another example showing the importance of Tar-Calmacils figure and his consideration by the

Elendili was the name of Castamaits children. Castamait named his first son with an old name

Angamait, which had been Angrods second name, just to modify his own. But when his second son

was born, he made use of a different rule, and remembering Angamait had been the name of Tar-

Calmacils shield-gauntlet, gave him the name of that kings legendary sword, Sangahyando.

This sword had passed to Queen Inzilbth through Gimilzagar, and Ar-Gimilzr had given it to his

youngest son against the will of his wife, but Tar-Palantir had recovered it to the end of the

Nmenrean civil war and given it to his general Gallas. Gallass son was general Eldarion, who

inherited the sword (together with Aldarions Helm, another sacred heritage from Nmenor).

Eldarion would at last become the first prince of the line of Belfalas, and in the time of the corsair

brothers the original Sangahyando, the blade, was still wielded in battle -the old Angamait gauntlet

had not been so powerful.

Aldamir

(Jewel of the Trees). Eldacar gave his two male sons innovative names related to the woods, linking

them to their Northman heritage. Ornendil (Tree-friend) was the firstborn, and his cruel execution

by Castamir made his name a popular one, becoming Nentel in the Fourth Age.

Vinyarion Hyarmendacil II

(The New One). Another innovative name. The nearest of Eldacars succesors names were all

newly devised.

Minardil

(Tower-friend). A military innovative name. The alternative Minasendil would have been

considered not as euphonic. Nartel in the Fourth Age.

Telemnar

(Silver Flame). Gimilzr was the name of Elros in the Nmenrean Kings Mens adnaic literature.

In the court of fiercely nationalist Ar-Adnakhr, that name was given to his great-grandson, hoping

he would lead Nmenor to a new foundation, apart from the Valar. But when Gimilzr had grown up

he thought his own name too Elvish, and when he became King, inscribed his royal name in the Kings

Scroll not as Tar-Elros, as should have been, but, making a quite poetic translation, as Tar-Telemnar.

That was reason enough for the Elendili to adopt that renegade name as their own -to the anger of

the King-, and became indeed one of the most popular: it was Lennar in the Fourth Age.

Minastir Tarondor

(Tower-watcher and King of Gondor, Ondor being the Quenya for Gondor, see Ondoher).

Minastir was this accidental Kings first name, after the Nmenorean King, who in turn had taken it as

an allusion to his longing for the Undying Lands. In the person of the Gondorian prince, the name

followed the family tradition (his father was Minastan, son of King Minardil).

Tarondor had been the name of a King of Arnor, trying to assert the Northern Kings claim to the High

Kingship of the Dnedain, but only getting scorn from the Gondorians. Minastir thought it a good

name to affirm his rights as King of Gondor against any possible distant relative and especially the

corsair descendants of Castamir.

Telumehtar Umbardacil

(Swordsman of the Sky and Umbar Victor). Telumehtar was the Quenya name of the terrible

Maia warrior Tulukhatn (Golden Sphere), servant of Tulkas, who placed himself in the sky as the

constellation Menelmacar after helping Varda placing the Valacirca against Melkor, and only came

down again to fight Angband in the War of Wrath. Telumehtar had been too the name of several

Faithful Nmenrean lords of Hyarnustar.

He took his title after the new conquest of Umbar and disbanding of the corsairs, but Telumehtar

kept being the usual name of the King, becoming Tulmethar in the Fourth Age.

Narmacil II

See Narmacil I.

Calimehtar

(Swordsman of Light). Originally given to the second son of King Calmacil, it was a modification of

the fathers name. That first Calimehtar was King Castamirs grandfather, and so ancestor to the lines

of the corsairs who still claimed the throne of Gondor. So Prince Telumehtar gave this grandson, who

should inherit the crown, the name of that prince of old to somehow oppose any of the corsairs

legitimacy. Also, Telumehtar wanted to emulate the Ship-kings, and the old Calimehtar had been

renowned as more similar to those than his older brother Minalcar.

Ondoher

(Lord of Gondor, also Lord of the Ondre). Ondre, Land of Stone, was the northwestern rocky

region of Nmenor, from Andnie to the Sorontil, whose main city was Ondosto. It was inhabited by

Faithful Dnedain, and when Tar-Ancalimon defined the internal fief boundaries of the Island,

Elendil, Xth Lord of Andnie, and Vildur of Ondosto, two of the Faithful lords, disputed for the

Ondre, and the King gave at last all Forostar to Ondosto and all Andustar to Andnie. With that

territorial gain, Elendil got the title Ondoher, but that quarrel had indeed been a farce -successful at

last- to expand east the boundaries initially intended for the Elendili.

Many of the Faithful colonists of Pelargir came from the Ondre and they found very appropriate for

the native Elves to call their land Gondor, which was to become the name of the whole Dnadan

kingdom, rendered Ondor (Stones rather than Land of Stone) in Quenya. So the name Ondoher,

though its relation to the kingdom was quite obvious and the plain intention behind it, had a more

ancient history.

Earnil II

See Earnil I.

Earnur

See Earnil I.