Why Gandalf Is Called Mithrandir In Lord Of The Rings

Although the wizard is mainly known as Gandalf in LOTR, he also received various names and nicknames in other languages, such as Mithrandir.

Like many characters in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf was known by multiple names, but why Gandalf is called Mithrandir isn’t completely clear. Starting in his teens, The Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien enjoyed creating fictional languages with their own histories and grammar systems. He even pretended that he created The Lord of the Rings by translating a story that was already written down in several languages, such as Quenya and Sindarin from Elves, Khuzdul from Dwarves, Rohirric from the humans of Rohan, and Common Speech from Hobbits. Due to this, some of Tolkien’s characters have several names based on whom they are speaking with or where they are.

Gandalf is one of the best examples of a character with numerous names due to his travels. Although he appeared human, Gandalf was actually a divine spirit called a Maia. When Sauron began growing in power, the Valar, a group of godlike beings, sent five Istari, or wizards, to Middle-earth to help those who opposed Sauron. Gandalf was one of these wizards, arriving in Middle-earth thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings began. He never established a permanent home though and instead constantly traveled wherever he was needed. Throughout his journeys, he gained various names when he visited new places and people.

Over the years, Gandalf became his most common name, given to him by the humans of Arnor. However, Mithrandir was another popular name for Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. This was Gandalf’s Sindarin name, used by the Elves and later the citizens of Gondor. Inspired by his continuous travels and gray cloak, Mithrandir meant the Grey Pilgrim, rooting in the words “mith” (gray), “ran” (wander), and “rhandir” (pilgrim). Although Gandalf and Mithrandir were the wizard’s most well-known names, he acquired many other formal names and nicknames throughout his thousands of years in Middle-earth.

Gandalf’s Other Names In Lord Of The Rings Explained

Since most of The Lord of the Rings occurred in areas where Elves and humans lived, readers and viewers heard the name Gandalf and Mithrandir most often. However, Gandalf also received the name Tharkûn from the Dwarves, which means “staff man.” In his travels farther south, Gandalf interacted with the human inhabitants of Harad, who called him Incánus, meaning “gray-haired.” However, none of these were Gandalf’s original name. As a Maia in the Undying Lands of Valinor, Gandalf’s name was Olórin, which comes from the Quenya words “olor” or “olos” (dream). When Gandalf returned to Valinor at the end of The Lord of the Rings, he reassumed his name Olórin.

While these were Gandalf’s proper names, he also received many nicknames during his time in Middle-earth. Most of these dealt with the color of Gandalf’s robe. For example, Gandalf was called Gandalf Greyhame, meaning “gray cloak” and changed from Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White when he was reborn to take Saruman’s place. Those who saw Gandalf riding his white horse, Shadowfax, called him the White Rider. More derogatorily, Gandalf was sometimes referred to as Stormcrow due to his arrival often signaling times of trouble ahead. Additionally, Sauron’s followers tended to simply call Gandalf “Greybeard.” Although Gandalf was known by many names and nicknames such as these, The Lord of the Rings primarily focused on his human and Elvish names of Gandalf and Mithrandir.