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 MoonSun 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 TarCalmacils 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.