Name sounds very similar...

[Androxine Vortex]

I made a character awhile ago and his name was Exthellion but I just came to learn yesterday there is a LOTR character named Ecthelion. Do you think it is too similar? I really, really love the name and would hate to toss it but do you think it's too close?

 

[Anders Ämting]

...I've never even heard of a LOTR character named Ecthelion. Honestly, that's not even a very good name.

I doubt anyone is going to call you out on it, except maybe the most die-hard Tolkien fans. Kinda like how Babylon 5 had an alien character called "Dukhat" while Star Trek had an alien character called "Dukat" - of course people noticed, but it's not really worth getting upset about.

So I say only drop it if it actually bothers you personally. Maybe just drop the H making it "Extellion", or something. That's not that similar.

 

[CupofJoe]

Is your character/stories your character is in LOTR or LOTR adjacent?
I've read the LOTR 3-4 times and I don't remember Ecthelion... now if you were calling someone the Ranger of the North-East, the heir of AlanDale or Elwood Half-Elven....
I know I've used the same character name in two different stories...

 

[Anders Ämting]

I've read the LOTR 3-4 times and I don't remember Ecthelion...

He only shows up in Silmarillion, actually.

So, yeah, I doubt even most LOTR fans know about him.

 

[CupofJoe]

He only shows up in Silmarillion, actually.
So, yeah, I doubt even most LOTR fans know about him.

That was just starting to get to me... thank you for putting my paranoia to rest...

 

[Chime85]

Ecthelion the second is Denethor the seconds father, Gandalf even references him in the film, ROTK when, well, you know what happens (don't want to spoil it for those who dont.)

The white tower in Gondor is also known as the white tower of Ecthelion, after Ecthelion the first. (not a well known fact I admit).

The name you picked may rub a few Tolkien fans the wrong way, being only one letter out; the pronounciation is the same. That said, I don't believe you would be in any legal trouble from it. Names have been found to be repeated many times in books. How many people do you think have a character names Luke, for instance?

x

 

[Androxine Vortex]

Ecthelion the second is Denethor the seconds father, Gandalf even references him in the film, ROTK when, well, you know what happens (don't want to spoil it for those who dont.)

The white tower in Gondor is also known as the white tower of Ecthelion, after Ecthelion the first. (not a well known fact I admit).

The name you picked may rub a few Tolkien fans the wrong way, being only one letter out; the pronounciation is the same. That said, I don't believe you would be in any legal trouble from it. Names have been found to be repeated many times in books. How many people do you think have a character names Luke, for instance?

x

I was actually watching the movie and Gandalf said Ecthelion when i first noticed it. I wasn't concerned about any legal issues but about LOTR fans noticing it. But I really don't think it's that much of a problem

 

[Saigonnus]

I would think it would be fine, since it was fairly obscure even to those that have read LOTR multiple times. I would think if the character is vastly different from Ecthelion, it would differentiate the character in the eyes of the readers. If you later go in and give him a nickname (a long name like his is bound to be heavy for the other characters in the story to repeat over and over), then the readers would likewise call him that nickname as well.

 

[Zero Angel]

Keep it.

Unless your only concern is being different from everyone else of course intentionally and unintentionally. The people that it would rub the wrong way might give you some good press!

I mean, he's a total rip-off of Tolkien. He has a character that is nothing like an obscure character that was mentioned once in the movies but never introduced. Can you believe this guy? I am going to post this on every fantasy forum out there so everyone else can see what a rip-off this guy is of Tolkien for spelling a name similar to a character that if Tolkien was alive today might not remember but is important enough to me to talk to everyone about the audacity of this absurd author that thinks he is good enough to kinda' sorta' borrow but not really because it is spelled different and is a totally different character but close enough to offend me...

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

I mean, he's a total rip-off of Tolkien. He has a character that is nothing like an obscure character that was mentioned once in the movies but never introduced. Can you believe this guy? I am going to post this on every fantasy forum out there so everyone else can see what a rip-off this guy is of Tolkien for spelling a name similar to a character that if Tolkien was alive today might not remember but is important enough to me to talk to everyone about the audacity of this absurd author that thinks he is good enough to kinda' sorta' borrow but not really because it is spelled different and is a totally different character but close enough to offend me...

A corollary to Poe's Law might state that there exists at least one person who would post exactly the above, and mean it with total sincerity.

 

[Zero Angel]

A corollary to Poe's Law might state that there exists at least one person who would post exactly the above, and mean it with total sincerity.

That's true and contributes to my point. I think it would eventually happen (because Tolkien is at least as revered as creationism in the eyes of some--which as I just read is where Poe's Law came from) and if it sounded anything like what I posted rational people would read this and go,

What a lot of hogwash, but now I know of this person and work; maybe after hearing of them 3-18 more times, I will check them out and 1/7 of the people that do this will consider making an impulse buy to see what the hullabaloo is all about.

So good press!

 

[JonSnow]

If anyone needs good character names.... go through a few NHL hockey team rosters and make adaptations of those names. It has helped me in a few cases...some of those dudes have tough, rugged sounding names that translate really well to fantasy. And nobody can accuse you of stealing someone else's work. Just don't adapt some legendary name like Gretzky or Lemieux

 

[Zero Angel]

So no Garetz or Remeux ? You just have to adapt them past the actual name. Change out letters and switch syllables and so forth.

 

[JonSnow]

So no Garetz or Remeux ? You just have to adapt them past the actual name. Change out letters and switch syllables and so forth.

Well I wouldn't immediately see those names and think "Gretzky" or "Lemieux" because they are significantly changed, so I think they would be fine. But don't try Gretskee or Lemyu