A Noldorin hero of the First and Third Age (S/194, LotR/209), possibly the same individual (PM/377-384). His name is translated “Golden-hair”, a combination of glaur “gold” and †findel “head of hair” (PE17/17, 34), ultimately derived from his Quenya name Laurefindele (PE17/119). The ancient nature of this name is indicated by the fact that the medial nd had not yet become nn as was usual in Sindarin (LotR/1115).
Conceptual Development: The name G. Glorfindel appeared in the earliest Lost Tales, translated “Goldtress” (LT2/216). Several variant forms appeared in the contemporaneous Gnomish Lexicon: Glorfinnl amd Glorfingl, translated “Goldlocks” (GL/40). The name remained N. Glorfindel in Silmarillion drafts (SM/37, LR/142) as well as The Etymologies from the 1930s, with essentially the same derivation as the one given above (Ety/LÁWAR, SPIN). In some Notes on Names (NN) from the 1957, Tolkien experimented with inverting the name to Finglor (PE17/119).
prop.n. >> findel