Thorin Oakenshield. Balin. Dwalin. If you grew up with Peter Jackson's movies or sat through a 5th-grade reading of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic, these names probably ring a bell. But honestly, most people just remember "the hot one," "the fat one," and "the one with the white beard." It's a bit of a mess for the casual fan. There are thirteen of them, after all. That is a lot of names to keep straight, especially when they mostly rhyme.
The names of the hobbit dwarves aren't just random sounds Tolkien liked. Far from it.
If you look at the names—Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Thorin, Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Ori—you’ll notice a pattern. They sound old. They sound rhythmic. That’s because Tolkien, who was basically a professional language nerd (a philologist, if we’re being fancy), didn't pull them out of thin air. He literally lifted them from a 13th-century Icelandic poem. It’s called the Völuspá, part of the Poetic Edda. There is a section in that poem called the Dvergatal, or the "Tally of Dwarves."
Tolkien took those names and breathed a weird, stubborn life into them.
Where the Names Actually Came From
Ever wondered why Gandalf is the one leading the dwarves? In the original Old Norse text, "Gandalf" is actually listed as a dwarf name. It roughly translates to "Staff-Elf." Tolkien saw that and thought it was such a strange contradiction—a dwarf named elf?—that he decided the character must be a wizard who looks like an elf-friend but hangs out with dwarves. The names of the hobbit dwarves are essentially a medieval grocery list turned into a high-fantasy legend.
Most of these names have literal meanings in Old Norse. Thorin means "Bold." Bombur means "Tubby" or "Swollen." Dwalin means "The Dawdler." Tolkien wasn't being subtle. He was building a world out of ancient syllables.
It’s kind of wild when you think about it. We’re still talking about these names in 2026 because they feel "right." They have a weight to them. When you say "Gloin," it sounds like something that lives under a mountain. It’s heavy. It’s earthy.
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The Rhyming Problem
Let's be real. The rhyming is why we get confused.
- Fili and Kili: The young, energetic ones.
- Balin and Dwalin: The brothers, one wise, one a warrior.
- Oin and Gloin: The brothers (Gloin is Gimli’s dad, by the way).
- Dori, Nori, and Ori: The other set of brothers.
- Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur: The cousins who aren't part of the royal "Line of Durin."
It's a lot. Most readers just give up halfway through the first chapter and wait for the action to start. But Tolkien used these rhymes to show family units. In a culture where lineage is everything, having names that echo your kin makes sense. It’s a branding exercise for the Longbeards.
The Heirloom of Thorin Oakenshield
Thorin is the big one. His full name in the books is Thorin II. But everyone calls him Oakenshield. Why? Because during the Battle of Azanulbizar, his shield broke and he grabbed an oak branch to defend himself. It’s a nickname that became a title.
This is a recurring theme with the names of the hobbit dwarves. Dwarves in Middle-earth actually have "true names" in their own secret language, Khuzdul. They never tell these names to outsiders. Not to Bilbo, not to Gandalf, and certainly not to the reader. The names we know—the Norse ones—are just names they use when traveling in the "outer world."
Imagine having a name so sacred you’d die before letting a Hobbit say it. That’s the level of secrecy we’re talking about. The names we see on the page are essentially aliases.
Why the Movies Changed the Vibe
When Peter Jackson took on The Hobbit, he had a massive problem. In the book, the dwarves are kind of interchangeable. They all wear colored hoods and complain about their tea. To make a billion-dollar movie trilogy, you can't have thirteen guys who look the same.
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This is where the visual identity started to clash with the traditional names of the hobbit dwarves.
For example, Bofur (played by James Nesbitt) got the funny hat. Bombur became a silent force of nature who could sprint faster than anyone expected despite his size. Thorin became a brooding, Aragorn-lite king. These changes were necessary for the medium, but they sometimes obscured the linguistic roots Tolkien cared about. In the text, the names were the characterization. In the movies, the prosthetics had to do the heavy lifting.
The Missing Women
You might notice something about the names of the hobbit dwarves: they’re all male. Tolkien did write about dwarf-women in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, specifically Dis, who was Thorin’s sister and the mother of Fili and Kili. But in the actual narrative of The Hobbit, it's a total "no girls allowed" club.
Tolkien’s explanation was that dwarf-women are so similar in voice, appearance, and dress to the men that other races can't tell them apart. This led to the joke in the Lord of the Rings movies about dwarves "springing out of holes in the ground." But in terms of the names we're tracking, Dis is the only female dwarf name Tolkien ever gave us.
How to Actually Remember Them
If you’re trying to memorize these for a trivia night or just to impress your kid, don't try to learn them all at once. Group them by their "job" or their vibe.
- The Royal House: Thorin is the leader. Fili and Kili are his nephews. They are the "main" dwarves of the plot.
- The Wise Elders: Balin is the one who visits Bilbo later. Dwalin is the first one to arrive at Bag End.
- The Workers: Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur. They aren't royalty. They're just there to get the job done (and eat).
- The Background Crew: Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, and Gloin. They handle the logistics, the fire-starting, and the general grumbling.
Actually, Gloin is probably the easiest to remember because of the connection to Gimli. If you’ve seen The Fellowship of the Ring, you’ve seen Gloin at the Council of Elrond. He’s the grumpy one sitting next to his son.
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The Linguistic Legacy
The names of the hobbit dwarves have influenced every fantasy game you’ve ever played. Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft, Warhammer—they all owe a debt to the Dvergatal. If a dwarf's name ends in "-in" or "-ur," it’s because Tolkien decided that’s how dwarves should sound back in the 1930s.
He basically took a dead language and turned it into the gold standard for an entire genre.
But it wasn't just about sounding cool. Tolkien wanted his world to have "depth." He felt that for a story to be believable, it needed to have a history that felt like it stretched back thousands of years. By using names from the Poetic Edda, he tapped into real human history. He anchored his secondary world (Middle-earth) to our primary world (Earth).
When you say the name "Thorin," you aren't just saying a character's name. You're echoing a 700-year-old poem. That’s why it sticks. That’s why it feels more "real" than a name like "Zorg" or "Blork."
Actionable Steps for Fans and Writers
If you're a writer trying to name your own characters, or just a fan wanting to dive deeper, here is how you can use this knowledge.
- Look to History: Don't just invent sounds. Look at Old English, Old Norse, or even Sanskrit. Real languages have a phonetic logic that "fake" languages often lack.
- Use Alliteration and Rhyme: Tolkien used these to show family ties. If you have a group of characters, give them a linguistic "uniform."
- Research the Source: Read the Völuspá. It’s a short read and honestly pretty metal. You’ll see exactly where Tolkien got his inspiration.
- Understand the "Public vs. Private" Name: Give your characters a reason for their names. Is it a nickname? A title earned in battle? A name hidden from enemies?
The names of the hobbit dwarves are a masterclass in world-building. They prove that even a simple list of names can carry the weight of a dying civilization, a lost kingdom, and a hoard of gold guarded by a dragon.
Next time you’re watching the movies or flipping through the book, look past the beards. Listen to the names. There’s a thousand years of history in every syllable.
To dig deeper, start by looking up a translation of the Poetic Edda. Compare the list of names in the "Dvergatal" section to the Company of Thorin. You will find almost every single one of them right there, waiting in the 13th century. It is the ultimate "Easter egg" that has been hiding in plain sight for nearly a hundred years. Check out the work of Tom Shippey, a renowned Tolkien scholar, if you want the high-level breakdown of how Tolkien’s philology created the foundation for modern fantasy. He explains the "Staff-Elf" Gandalf connection better than anyone else on the planet.