What is the Elvish name for Rivendell?

The Elvish name for Rivendell is Imladris. In Tolkien’s languages, Imladris is a Sindarin name meaning “deep valley,” an apt description of the hidden refuge in the foothills of the Misty Mountains.

Rivendell was founded by Elrond in the Second Age after Sauron destroyed the Elven realm of Eregion. It became one of the last major Elven settlements east of the Misty Mountains and a sanctuary for Elves, Dúnedain, Hobbits, and other allies of the Free Peoples.

The English name Rivendell is essentially a translation of Imladris: “riven” suggests split or cloven, while “dell” means a small valley. In Westron, the Common Tongue represented as English in the text, the settlement was called Karningul.

Rivendell is also known as the Last Homely House East of the Sea. It is where Bilbo lived during his later years, where the Council of Elrond formed the Fellowship, and where the broken shards of Narsil were reforged into Andúril for Aragorn. Gondolin, Mirkwood, and Lothlórien are separate Elven places.