Eldest son of Finarfin, ruler of Nargothrond (S/61). His name is an adaptation of his Quenya name Findaráto (PM/346), a combination of fîn “hair” and the suffixal form -rod of raud¹ or arod “noble” (SA/fin, PE17/49, VT41/9).

Conceptual Development: The name Finrod first appeared in the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s, but at this stage he was father of the ruler of Nargothrond (LB/80); see the entry for S. Felagund for the history of this name’s assignment to various characters. This relationship remained true in the Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s, when Finrod was established as the third son of Finwë (LR/113).

In The Etymologies from the 1930s, N. Finrod was given as a derivative of ᴹ✶Phinde-rauto containing ON. phinde “skill” and the suffixal form -rod of rhaud “metal” (Ety/PHIN, RAUTĀ). The name was reassigned to the ruler of Nargothrond in the 1960s between the publication of the 1st and 2nd edition of The Lord of the Rings (MR/104, note §86; RC/738), and soon after Tolkien devised the etymology given above (PM/346).