From Gandalf to Galadriel: The Middle-earth Names Quiz

Gandalf was a Maia, a spiritual being born in Valinor who chose to go to Middle-earth in the guise of a wizard. His name was Olorin.

Gandalf wore gray.

Radagast was a rustic wizard who was less involved in the affairs of Middle-earth than Gandalf and Saruman.

Barad-dur means "dark tower."

Minas Tirith is the Tower of the Guard -- it had formerly been called Minas Anor, the Tower of the Sun.

Minas Morgul was an ominous and terrible place.

When the Balrog was awakened, it killed Durin VI and drove the Dwarves out of Khazad-dum, and therefore it was called Durin's Bane.

Thorin had grabbed a piece of oak to use as a makeshift shield at an earlier battle, earning his nickname.

The Prancing Pony had been owned and operated by the Butterbur family for decades.

Lobelia Bracegirdle married Otho Sackville-Baggins and became Lobelia Sackville-Baggins (the hyphenation is due to a peculiarity of Hobbit lineage).

Eriador was an older name for the region by the time of "The Lord of the Rings," but it was still in use by some people.

Tom and Goldberry are (possibly) primordial nature spirits. Their origins are quite mysterious.

It's Aragorn, son of Arathorn (technically, Aragorn II, son of Arathorn II).

Gandalf actually calls him "Legolas Greenleaf" at one point.

The Elves called it Moria. The Dwarves adopted that name as well after the Balrog forced them to abandon the kingdom.

Mazarbul is Dwarven for "records."

Galadriel's ring was called Nenya. She used its power in the past to preserve the beauty of Lothlorien.

Several of the Stewards of Gondor, as well as the tower at the top of the city, were named for Ecthelion, an Elf who performed astonishing feats while defending Gondolin from Morgoth.

When Aragorn took his place as king of the reunited kingdom after the War of the Ring, he had to create a name for his royal house. He chose Telcontar, Quenya for Strider.

The tower is called Orthanc.

A rough translation of Isengard is "iron fortress."

Theoden leads the Rohirrim to aid Gondor in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where he is killed.

Grima Wormtongue was a servant of Saruman who spied on Rohan.

Tolkien adapted Old English into the language of Rohan. Eowyn in that language translates as "horse-joy."

Erebor is also known as the Lonely Mountain.

Isildur cut off Sauron's fingers but did not destroy the ring.

Narsil is the sword, later carried by Aragorn, reforged in Rivendell and renamed Anduril.

It's Smeagol's Precious.

Meriadoc is a member of the Brandybuck family.

Celebrimbor crafted the rings under the influence of Sauron, who was in disguise.