- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: “witchcraft elf; magic elf.”
- Gender: Male
- GAN-dalf
From the Old Norse, Gandálfr, it’s a compound of gandr (“magic, charm, witchcraft; monster) supernatural being”) + álfr (“elf”).
Gandalf is listed in the Völuspá—one of the earliest poems of the Poetic Edda—as the name of a dwarf, not a wizard. Many dwarf-names in Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings come directly from this same list.
When creating the Grey Wizard of Middle-earth, Tolkien borrowed the ancient name wholesale, changing only the grammar from Old Norse Gandalfr to the more Anglicized Gandalf.
Cultural Impact: Since the publication of The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–55), Gandalf has become one of the most recognized fantasy names worldwide.
Nordic Variations
- Gandálfr (Old Norse)
- Gandálfur (Icelandic)
- Gandalv (Norwegian)
Sources