The Lord of the Rings – The Rings of Power: The many names of Gandalf – what is the wizard’s real name?

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Officially, we haven’t seen Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” yet. Unofficially, however, we are pretty sure that the stranger who goes on the journey to Rhun with the hairyfoot Nori Brandyfoot is the grey wizard from “The Lord of the Rings”.

At the beginning of the second season of “The Rings of Power”, however, the stranger vehemently refuses to accept a name chosen by Nori. Nori makes many suggestions: Doderich, Andweis or Fredagart, however, are not names that the stranger feels comfortable with.

He even says that names are not something you can just give. Rather, names are what you are. And if someone said your name, it would make your heart glow. A somewhat strange statement for a character who is at home in the Tolkien universe. Because many characters have several other names in addition to their common name, which they have received from other peoples.

This statement is particularly strange if it turns out that the stranger is actually Gandalf. The (formerly) grey wizard has numerous names in many languages. For example, he was given the name Gandalf by the people of the North. But there were also many other names, nicknames and nicknames:

• Gandalf – by People of the North
• Mithrandir – of the Elves
• Grey Wanderer / Grey Pilgrim / Grey Messenger (Westron)
• Tharkun – of the dwarves
• Incánus – from the Haradim
• Gandalf Greycoat – of the Rohirrim
• Stormcrow – by Théoden
• Láthspell – von Gríma
• the Grey Fool – by Denethor II.
• We will know Feind
• White Rider
• Gandalf the White – after the fight with the Balrog
• Olórin – Original name from Valinor

So Gandalf’s true name is Olórin. He was given this name in his youth in Valinor. It remains very exciting to see whether and which of these names the stranger will ultimately adopt as his own. It is definitely not Doderich.