How popular is the baby name Galadriel in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Galadriel.

The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.


Popularity of the baby name Galadriel


Posts that mention the name Galadriel

Middle-Earth baby names: Arwen to Thorin

lord of the rings poster

J. R. R. Tolkien’s 3-part The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) was first published in the mid-1950s.

The trilogy started becoming popular in the U.S. in the 1960s, and this is when we first see LOTR character names (like Galadriel and Gandalf) popping up on the SSA’s baby name list.

It became very popular when director Peter Jackson turned it into three successful movies (released in 2001, 2002 and 2003).

So how did the books and the movies influence U.S. baby names? Let’s check it out…

Arwen

Arwen debuted on the SSA’s list in 1968. Since then, over 2,080 baby girls have been named Arwen. Peak usage was in 2004.

The name Arwen means “noble maiden” in the fictional language Quenya (which Tolkien based largely on Finnish and Latin).

Aragorn

Aragorn debuted on the SSA’s list in 1970. Since then, over 50 baby boys have been named Aragorn. Peak usage was in 2004.

The name Aragorn means “revered king” in the fictional language Sindarin (based largely on Welsh).

Eowyn

Eowyn debuted on the SSA’s list in 1973. Since then, over 1,050 baby girls have been named Eowyn.

The name Eowyn means “horse joy” in the fictional language Rohirric (based on Old English).

Frodo

It’s never been on the SSA’s list, but I know of one in England.

The name Frodo is an English translation of Frodo’s real name, Maura, which means “wise” or “experienced” in the fictional language Westron.

Galadriel

Galadriel debuted on the SSA’s list in 1969. Since then, over 170 baby girls have been named Galadriel. Peak usage was in 2003.

The name Galadriel means “maiden crowned with a radiant garland” in Sindarin.

Gandalf

Gandalf was on the SSA’s list in 1970 only (5 babies named Gandalf that year).

The name Gandalf means “wand-elf” in Westron and other Mannish languages.

Legolas

Legolas debuted on the SSA’s list (and saw peak usage) in 2003. Since then, over 10 baby boys have been named Legolas.

The name Legolas is based on the name Laegolas, which means “greenleaf” in Sindarin.

Peregrin

Peregrin debuted on the SSA’s list in 2011. Since then, over 20 baby boys have been named Peregrin.

The name Peregrin is based on Peregrinus, which means “traveler” or “pilgrim” in Latin. (Peregrin is an English translation of Pippin’s Westron name, Razanur.)

Pippin

Pippin debuted on the SSA’s list (as a girl name) in 2009. Since then, over 30 baby girls and 5 baby boys have been named Pippin.

“Pippin” was Peregrin’s nickname.

Samwise

Samwise debuted on the SSA’s list in 2002. Since then, over 60 baby boys have been named Samwise.

The name Samwise is an English translation of Sam’s real name, Banazîr, which means “halfwise” or “simple” in Westron.

Strider

Strider debuted on the SSA’s list in 1973. Since then, over 240 baby boys have been named Strider.

“Strider” was Aragorn’s nickname.

Theoden

Theoden debuted on the SSA’s list in 2004. Since then, 180 baby boys have been named Theoden.

The name Theoden is based on the name Tûrac, which means “king” in Rohirric.

Thorin

Thorin debuted on the SSA’s list in 1968. Since then, over 1,170 baby boys have been named Thorin. (Commenter elbowin mentions that Thorin is now on the rise thanks to the character being featured in the more recent Hobbit movie trilogy, 2012-2014.)

The name Thorin is based on the Old Norse Þorinn, which means “bold one.”

P.S. Tori Amos’s daughter’s also has a Tolkien-inspired name.

Update, May 2015: The name Tauriel, though technically not a Tolkien name (it was created for the movies), debuted in the data in 2014.

Update: The name Beorn, from a character in the second two movies of the Hobbit trilogy, debuted in the data in 2015. (The Vikings name Bjorn may have been an influence as well.)

Update, April 2019: The name Tolkien itself debuted in the data in 2017. (The second syllable rhymes with the word keen.)

Babies named after Katniss from “Hunger Games”?

"The Hunger Games" (2008)
The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is a young adult science-fiction trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The last of the three books, Mockingjay, was released a few weeks ago.

At the moment, Mockingjay is #5 on the Amazon.com Bestseller List. Catching Fire, the second book, is #13. Hunger Games, the first, is #16.

Movies based on the books are in the works.

What interests me about the series is that most of the Hunger Games characters have odd names. The young female protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, was named after an edible plant called katniss. She has a younger sister named Primrose, a male friend named Peeta, and lives in a world where people are named anything from Glimmer to Plutarch.

We all know that popular books and movies have the potential to affect baby name trends–even create brand new baby names. Babies have been named Renesmee thanks to Twilight, Neytiri thanks to Avatar, Galadriel thanks to The Lord of the Rings…the list goes on.

Could you see Katniss crossing over into the real world as a baby name? How about any of the other Hunger Games names?

(I first learned about these books in a video by Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn, which is a great blog/site/podcast for writers.)

Update, March 26, 2012: As you know, the trilogy is now a movie. And, last weekend, Hunger Games (the film) had the 3rd-best opening weekend of all time (after The Dark Knight and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2). So…Katniss is pretty much a sure thing at this point. If it doesn’t debut in 2011 for the books, it’s bound to debut in 2012 for the movie.

Update, July 21, 2020: The name Katniss did indeed debut in 2012, as did Finnick. Primrose made a return that year as well, as did Gale for baby boys. Two more Hunger Games names affected by subsequent movies include Everdeen (debuted in 2014) and Cressida (re-emerged in 2014). And, going back to the books, the name Rue returned in 2010.