Gandalf's Elvish Name — Mithrandir

The short answer: Gandalf is called Mithrandir by the Elves — a Sindarin name meaning "Grey Wanderer." His original name in Valinor, used by the Valar and in Quenya lore, is Olórin. He has at least five names in total, each from a different people of Middle-earth, each capturing a different aspect of who he is.

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Mithrandir — The Elvish Name

Mithrandir is the name the Elves of Middle-earth gave to Gandalf. It is Sindarin, and it is the name Tolkien considered most deeply descriptive of his character.

Etymology — Word by Word

Element	Sindarin	Meaning
mith	mith	grey (specifically: grey as mist, pale grey)
randir	randir	wanderer, pilgrim (one who wanders purposefully)

Full meaning: Grey Wanderer / Grey Pilgrim
Pronunciation: MITH-ran-deer (the th is as in "think," not "the")

Why "Grey Wanderer"?

When Gandalf arrived in Middle-earth (around the year 1000 of the Third Age), he wore grey robes — hence his title Gandalf the Grey. But the Elvish name is more than a color description. Randir implies a pilgrim, a wanderer with a spiritual purpose, not merely a traveler. The Elves recognized immediately that this grey-robed figure was no ordinary man — he was someone ancient, moving through the world on a mission that stretched far beyond any single event.

Galadriel, Elrond, and Círdan all use Mithrandir when addressing him. In Lothlórien, Galadriel greets him:

"Mithrandir! Mithrandir!"

The doubling of the name in her cry at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring carries enormous weight — the Elves knew his full nature in a way most Men and Hobbits did not.

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Olórin — His Quenya Name from Valinor

Before Gandalf came to Middle-earth, he existed in Valinor as one of the Maiar — divine spirits who serve the Valar. His name there was Olórin.

Pronunciation: oh-LOH-rin
Language: Quenya

What Olórin Means

The full etymology of Olórin is not explicitly stated by Tolkien, but scholars connect it to two possible Quenya roots:

• ólo- — relating to dreams, visions, and imagination (olwar means vision or dream in some forms)
• olo- — branch, radiant shoot (a metaphor for a being who comes from a greater source)

Tolkien writes in Unfinished Tales that Olórin "was wisest of the Maiar" and that he loved the Elves and walked among them unseen, planting fair thoughts in their hearts and relieving their sorrow. He learned pity and patience directly from Manwë and Varda.

This origin explains why Gandalf — a name given by Men of the North — would never capture the full truth of who he was. Olórin is his truest name.

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All of Gandalf's Names

Tolkien gave Gandalf a different name in every language spoken in Middle-earth — a sign of how widely he was known and how differently each people perceived him.

Name	Language/People	Meaning
Olórin	Quenya (Valinor)	possibly: Dreamer, Vision-bearer
Mithrandir	Sindarin (Elves)	Grey Wanderer / Grey Pilgrim
Gandalf	Old Norse/Mannish (Men of the North)	Wand-elf (staff-wielding supernatural)
Incánus	Possibly Quenya or Haradric	meaning uncertain; possibly "North-spy"
Tharkûn	Khuzdul (Dwarves)	Staff-man
Olórin	The Valar	original true name

Gandalf — The Norse Name

The name Gandalf comes from Old Norse gandr (a wand, staff, or magical implement) + alfr (elf). It was used by the Men of Rohan and Gondor and by Hobbits. It was not chosen by Gandalf himself — it was given to him by the peoples of the North who saw a white-bearded man with a staff and a pointed hat.

Tolkien borrowed this name directly from the Völuspá, an Old Norse poem, where Gandálfr appears in a list of dwarf names. The irony that Tolkien's greatest wizard bears a name from a list of Norse dwarves was intentional — names travel across cultures and change meaning as they go.

Tharkûn — The Dwarvish Name

Tharkûn is the name the Dwarves gave him, in their secret language Khuzdul. It means "Staff-man" — the Dwarves, characteristically, named him for the most visible and practical thing about him.

Incánus — The Southern Name

Incánus is the name used in the South and East of Middle-earth. Its etymology is debated — Tolkien himself said it might come from Quenya Inkâ- (mind, thought) + nûs (nose, but used in the sense of perception), giving "mind-nose" or "one who perceives deeply." Others connect it to a Haradric word. It remains one of the more mysterious names in Tolkien's linguistic system.

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Mithrandir in the Films

In Peter Jackson's films, Mithrandir is used by Elves when addressing Gandalf directly. The most famous instance is in The Two Towers, when Legolas recognizes the returned Gandalf the White:

"Mithrandir!"

Legolas says this with awe — because as an Elf, he knows that Mithrandir is more than a wizard, and seeing him return transformed means something profound has happened.

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The Name That Was Not Spoken

Tolkien notes that Gandalf's true name — Olórin — was never spoken aloud in Middle-earth except in the most private moments with those who knew his nature fully, such as Galadriel and Círdan the Shipwright. To most of the world, he was Mithrandir or Gandalf. This secrecy was intentional: the Istari (wizards) were sent to Middle-earth to inspire and guide, not to reveal their divine origin.

Círdan, who had foresight beyond most Elves, recognized Olórin's greatness at once and gave him Narya — the Ring of Fire — saying:

"Take this ring, Master, for your labours will be heavy; but it will support your hope and rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill."

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Explore More Elvish Names

The pattern of Mithrandir — combining a color or quality with a personal descriptor — is the foundation of Sindarin naming throughout Tolkien. If you want to build your own Elvish name using the same methods, see our Elvish Name Generator Guide.

For more translated phrases from the films — including Elvish spoken by Gandalf, Arwen, and Galadriel — visit our Movie Quotes page.

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Mithrandir na randir en Arda — Mithrandir is the wanderer of the world.