[QUOTE=Ainaserkewen]I'll bet that when Legolas was born (the character) his name had some kind of history or lineage. It wasn't just any old name out of a "What to name your baby book"
QUOTE]
Legolas is a "reused" name albeit of a v. minor char in a then unpublished work sorry don't have HoME on me for refs. An alternative translation would be Sharp Ears (from laigo lhas) - which might be the nail in the coffin of the pointy ears debate
!
However Green Leaf is clearly the meaning intended since it is included in Galadriel's rhyme and clearly it reinforces Legolas's identity as an elf of the woodland realm, established partly in protest at the damaging effects of the Noldor and their culture. Thranduil's choice of this very simple "nature" name for his son could thus be seen as semi political. But maybe I am reading far to much into this
. Incidentally - I can't remember any other time apart from the rhyme where Legolas is referred to as "Legolas Greenleaf" in the books. I know it has been widely used in marketing bumph .......