Aragorn and his many names
Here is Aragorn son of Arathorn, chieftain of the Dunedain of Arnor, Captain of the
Host of the West, bearer of the Star of the North, wielder of the Sword Reforged,
victorious in battle, whose hands bring healing, the Elfstone, Elessar of the line of
Valandil, Isildur’s son, Elendil’s son of Numenor. Shall he be the king and enter into
the City and dwell there?- The Return of the King
Aragorn or the King of Gondor is a beloved character from the series Lord of the Rings. He has been known throughout the series by various names. These include:
● Elessar - Aragorn’s name as king (Quenya)
● Elfstone - Westron translation of Elessar
● Envinyatar - In the Houses of Healing, he called himself Envinyatar, the
renewer.
● Estel - Aragorn’s nickname during his childhood in Rivendell. It means "Hope". When he was only two years old, his father Arathorn was killed while pursuing orcs. Aragorn was afterwards fostered in Rivendell by Elrond. At the request of his mother, his lineage was kept secret, as she feared he would be killed like his father and grandfather if his true identity as the descendant of Elendil and Heir of Isildur became known. Aragorn was renamed "Estel" and was not told about his heritage until 2951.
● Longshanks - Used by Samwise Gamgee and some of the Men of Bree due to long legs of the dunedain and short legs of the men of Bree.
● Ranger - Aragorn was a ranger. The people of Arthedain became known as the Rangers of the North, a wandering people quite content with living in secret.
● Strider - Used by the Men of Bree. Aragorn met Gandalf the Grey in 2956 and they became close friends. Heeding Gandalf’s advice, Aragorn and the Rangers began to guard a small land known as the Shire inhabited by the diminutive and agrarian Hobbits, and he became known among the people just outside the Shire’s borders as Strider.
● Telcontar - Quenya translation of Strider. This was the name of Elessar’s
Royal House.
● Thorongil - From TA 2957 to TA 2980, Aragorn undertook great journeys, serving in the armies of King Thengel of Rohan, and Steward Ecthelion II of Gondor. Aragorn served his lords in disguise and his name in Gondor and Rohan during that time was Thorongil ("Eagle of the Star").
● The Chieftain of the Dúnedain was a title taken by the Heirs of Isildur
after the loss of the kingdom of Arthedain; sixteen lords of Men, from
Aranarth (elder son of Arvedui, last King of Arthedain) to Aragorn II
Elessar. The title was a hereditary one.
● Wingfoot - When Aragorn first met Éomer, he had hunted the captors of Merry and Pippin across the wide fields of Rohan for four days. In that time, he and his companions Legolas and Gimli had covered forty-five leagues (that is, they had travelled about thirty-four miles each day). Éomer was so astonished by this feat that he gave Aragorn a new name: Wingfoot.
