Hi Morelen

Galadriel, meaning "lady of light" is the "nick-name" given to her in the undying lands when she was a lass, (hard to imagine isn't it?). It refered to her hair which she used to bind up on top of her head while she competed at sports. She must have liked it, because she adopted it. The Quenya form was Altariel, but like most of the exiles, she translated her name into sindarin when she came to ME.

People often misinterpreted or re-interpreted her name as Galadhriel, meaning Lady of the Galadhrim (her people, the "tree people"). She apparently didn't mind, as it was quite accurate and intended as a compliment.

'Celeborn' means 'silver tree', he was named after one of the two great trees of Valinor. Its quenya form was 'Telporno' which for some reason gives me the giggles.

I believe it may have been Celeborn who gave Galadriel her nockname, and it kind of stuck, as nicknames often do. (Which is not to say that she disliked it, because she obviously did like it)

A little correction...



The name 'Celeborn' probably comes from the White Tree of Tol Eressëa, which was called 'Celeborn'

However, Celeborn, the tree, comes from Galathilion in Tirion which Yavanna had created as an image of Telperion. So there is a connection

Elfstone rejoices! Finally something besides Lembas to sink his teeth into again!

Well having recently read The History Of Galadriel And Celeborn in UT, and not to mention that I’m a die-hard Galadriel fan, I feel impelled to throw in my two cents.

For starters, in Valinor concerning the customs of name giving among the Eldar, Elves were usually given two names (essi), of which the first was given by the father (generally recalling the father’s own name in some shape or form), and the second name was given later by the mother (sometimes much later, but sometimes very soon after the birth). The mother names were often very significant because the mothers of the Eldar possessed great insight into the characters and abilities of their children, and many had the gift of prophetic foresight.

In addition, any of the Eldar might also acquire an after-name (epesse), not necessarily given by their own kin, a nickname generally given as a title of honor and admiration. The epesse might become in some cases the name generally used and recognized in later song and history. For example Ereinion, who was always known, and referred to by his epesse Gil-galad.

My beloved Lady of Light’s father name was Artanis, and her mother name was Nerwen. Alatariel was an epesse (nickname) given to Galadriel by Celeborn (in the later version of their history) in Aman, which she choose to use in M.E. This name in Sindarin translates to Galadriel.

I believe that Allyssa, and Arcormacolindova have already done an excellent job of explaining the reason/s for the difference between Galadriel and Galadhriel. Oops, which was the specific question at hand.

The Silmarillion says that her name meant "Maiden crowned with a radiant garland," or garlanded with radiance. This refers to her hair, and was given to her by Celeborn in Aman. (You're right, Allyssa.) It probably could also mean "lady of light" (galad= light, radiance, etc.) (riel =crowned, garlanded...) Virumor, "burning garland" would be in Sindarin "Bararî" (or something like it...)

In the Sil, it's mentioned that Celeborn and Galadriel met in Doriath and not in Aman (that's one of the two other stories which are included in the Unfinished Tales).

That's right of course Virumor, and that's because here the Silmarillion tells the tale that Tolkien wove in the early 1950s, and more than this, the tale that I think best agrees with author-published text (thus I wholly agree with Christopher Tolkien's decision here)

In my opinion even Tolkien cannot simply disregard that he had already published that Celeborn was a Sinda, an Elf who had never been to Aman, and therefore could not have given Nerwende Artanis the name Alatárielle in Telerin while in Aman, which (in this conception) was later altered to Galadriel in the tongue of the Sindar.

It's in The Shibboleth of Feanor -- dated 1968 or later -- where Tolkien says that Celeborn gave Galadriel her name in Telerin form, but as a Teler of Aman. That's a pretty late text, but again, if Tolkien was going to go with this 'new'  history he was going to be stepping on more than one idea that he had already published.

In any case, a possibly later statement -- given that it dates from March 1973 -- reveals:

'(...) means 'Maiden crowned with gleaming hair'. It is a secondary name given to her in her youth in the far past because she had long hair which glistened like gold but was also shot with silver. She was then of amazon disposition and bound up her hair as a crown when taking part in athletic feats.'