# Aragorn of many names...



## Firawyn (Jan 27, 2011)

Okay, so we have the following names for Aragorn:



Estel (as a child/young man)
Thengel (in Rohan)
Ecthelion (in Gondor)
Thorongil (in Gondor, as a ranger)
Elessar (as the King)
Elfstone (by Galadrial, the elves)
...and a few other nicknames

Point here is that Aragorn was known by alot of names, at different times and places. I was trying to recall what other people in Middle Earth History and lore had quite than many names and alter egos. I'm not just saying nicknames like "Gandalf the Grey" or Gandalf the White", but actual NAMES that they were known by among different groups of people.

Thoughts?


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## camlost (Jan 28, 2011)

Hello,

I think you're a little bit confused with the names of Aragorn. He never had the names Thengel or Ecthelion but served under King Thengel of Rohan and Steward Ecthelion II in Gondor. As for the rest not being nicknames, I disagree. 

"Estel" means hope and is how he was called by his mother. This resembles the elf practice of being given a name by your father at birth and a name by your mother at a young age. Regardless, to my ears it is very similar to a parent calling their kid "sunshine" or something.  (Although, calling your child "hope" is laying a pretty heavy burden on them and would be frowned upon by modern psychiatrists, I think!)

"Thorongil" was a disguise and truly was an alternate name Aragorn adopted to hide his lineage because he didn't feel it was time to reveal himself to Gondor. "Elfstone" or "Elessar" on the otherhand also seems like a nickname, being the name of the jewel worn by Aragorn. Galadriel certainly new his full name and lineage and so nothing was hidden.

I also disagree that Gandalf's other names are just nicknames. Clearly they are how he was known by different groups, at least in the past! He was Mithrandir to the elves and people of Gondor, Gandalf to the men of the North, Tharkun by the Dwarves, Incanus to the men of the South, Greyhame to the Rohirrim. All these seem to be separate names until it became clear that it was the same person in each region.

As for someone with a lot of names, I'd have to vote Turin. He truly did adopt many different names in the hope of disguising himself! Let's see how many I can remember: Neithan the Wronged he was when he first joined the outlaws west of Doriath, Gorthol the Dread Helm he was when he and Beleg renamed the land surrounding Amon Rudh "Dor-Curthol," Agarwaen son of Umarth he was when he came to Nargothrond after the slaying of Beleg, Turambar he was in Brethil after the sack of Nargothrond and until his death when the master of fate by fate was mastered. 

He also had a couple of nicknames: Adanethel and Mormegil both dating back from Nargothrond.


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## Firawyn (Jan 28, 2011)

> I think you're a little bit confused with the names of Aragorn. He never had the names Thengel or Ecthelion but served under King Thengel of Rohan and Steward Ecthelion II in Gondor


. 

Oops, my bad. I was reading a reference book, and misread. You are correct, on this point.




> As for the rest not being nicknames, I disagree. "Estel" means hope and is how he was called by his mother. This resembles the elf practice of being given a name by your father at birth and a name by your mother at a young age. Regardless, to my ears it is very similar to a parent calling their kid "sunshine" or something.


I would have counted 'Estel' as a nickname, if it had been a name that he went by for fun. But Aragorn didn't even know his real name WASN'T 'Estel' until he was twenty.



> I also disagree that Gandalf's other names are just nicknames. Clearly they are how he was known by different groups, at least in the past! He was Mithrandir to the elves and people of Gondor, Gandalf to the men of the North, Tharkun by the Dwarves, Incanus to the men of the South, Greyhame to the Rohirrim. All these seem to be separate names until it became clear that it was the same person in each region.


I agree here, I was only disagreeing with the two that I mentioned.




> As for someone with a lot of names, I'd have to vote Turin. He truly did adopt many different names in the hope of disguising himself! Let's see how many I can remember: Neithan the Wronged he was when he first joined the outlaws west of Doriath, Gorthol the Dread Helm he was when he and Beleg renamed the land surrounding Amon Rudh "Dor-Curthol," Agarwaen son of Umarth he was when he came to Nargothrond after the slaying of Beleg, Turambar he was in Brethil after the sack of Nargothrond and until his death when the master of fate by fate was mastered.



And this is what I was hoping to get out of a reply!! :*D


Oh, another one that comes to mind for me is Gollum, who was called Smeagol before the ring corrupted him.


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## camlost (Jan 28, 2011)

> I would have counted 'Estel' as a nickname, if it had been a name that he went by for fun. But Aragorn didn't even know his real name WASN'T 'Estel' until he was twenty.



Ahh, good point. I had forgotten about that.


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## Zenith (May 22, 2011)

> He also had a couple of nicknames: Adanethel and Mormegil both dating back from Nargothrond.



Turin is definitely the best as far as names go. But don't forget that Finduilas also called him Thurin, the Secret when he was in Nargothrond. And it actually wasn't Adanethel, it was Adanedhel, even though the pronunciation is the same. Sorry, I'm a pure Tolkien purist. 

Aragorn of course had Strider and Longshanks and Wingfoot as nicknames, but when translated Strider is Telcontar in Elvish, and I think that counts as an actual name, especially since the line of kings that came from him were called the Telcontari. 

Also don't forget that Gandalf was called Olorin in Valinor. 

The only other that I can think of is Tom Bombadil. Apart from that obvious name, he is called Iarwain Bed-adar by the elves, Forn by the dwarves, and Orald by men.


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