Why Gandalf Is Called Mithrandir In Lord Of The Rings

screenrant.com:

Like many characters in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf was known by multiple names, but why Gandalf is called Mithrandir isn't completely clear. Starting in his teens, The Lord of the Rings author J. R. R. Tolkien enjoyed creating fictional languages with their own histories and grammar systems. He even pretended that he created The Lord of the Rings by translating a story that was already written down in several languages, such as Quenya and Sindarin from Elves, Khuzdul from Dwarves, Rohirric from the humans of Rohan, and Common Speech from Hobbits. Due to this, some of Tolkien’s characters have several names based on whom they are speaking with or where they are.

Gandalf is one of the best examples of a character with numerous names due to his travels. Although he appeared human, Gandalf was actually a divine spirit called a Maia. When Sauron began growing in power, the Valar, a group of godlike beings, sent five Istari, or wizards, to Middle-earth to help those who opposed Sauron. Gandalf was one of these wizards, arriving in Middle-earth thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings began. He never established a permanent home though and instead constantly traveled wherever he was needed. Throughout his journeys, he gained various names when he visited new places and people.

Related: Why Gandalf The White Is More Powerful Than The Grey

Over the years, Gandalf became his most common name, given to him by the humans of Arnor. However, Mithrandir was another popular name for Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings. This was Gandalf’s Sindarin name, used by the Elves and later the citizens of Gondor. Inspired by his continuous travels and gray cloak, Mithrandir meant the Grey Pilgrim, rooting in the words “mith” (gray), “ran”