Best names in Tolkien?

[Passdagas the Brown]

I recently started my re-read of the Silmarillion and I realised that one of the reasons why I really love the book is because of the many beautiful names there are in it, and in LotR and Hobbit too of course.
I mean, if Thingol was named Edward or something like that there would have been some major change in the experience of the reader.

I think this is an important observation. Of course* Thror, Thrain and Thorin (and Gandalf) (and most other of Thorin's posse) were lifted directly from the Edda but the majority of names for people and places are of Tolkien's own invention. One of the chief reasons I struggle with other fantasy writing (or Swords and Sorcery) is because their invented names seem fake. Because of his expertise and expansive knowledge and experience in philology and of ancient texts, he knew how to make a name seem real, or how to make a word feel like a name. I think this is his primary tool for establishing and maintaining verisimilitude in his works.

*i.e. I'm new so I might state the obvious sometimes and come off as supercilious, which (of course) I want to avoid.

Though Edward is an old Anglo-Saxon name, and I would be fine with its use in Middle Earth (but not for an elf...)

[narya]

I've been looking through some of the websites and message boards related to the Khudzûl language and all I can say is that it's too bad Tolkien missed out on the Internet - if he would have considered using this technology. I don't know if he would have been delighted or horrified to see how many people are delving furiously into his invented languages.

I agree Edward wouldn't work for an elf.

I'd like to know from whence came the name Gloin son of Groin.

I'm writing a story now and every time someone walks in the door I have to grab a name out of thin air, then try to figure out why I picked that name, then google it to make sure it isn't something egregious. I'm not in anyway systematic with my language.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I'd like to know from whence came the name Gloin son of Groin.

Like most of the rest of the dwarf names, it comes from the Völuspá, the first poem of the poetic Edda (though there is is "Gloi".

[Gorthaur the Cruel]

No idea where Groín comes from. I know Prefab Sprout wrote a song about his dad, though. ;)*

*I am useless at emoticons and usually forget to add them to indicate a joke or attempt at one.