The son of Orodreth in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s (LR/147). In The Etymologies, this name was glossed “Hidden Hero” and given as a combination of hall¹ “hidden” and dîr “man” (Ety/DER, Ety/SKAL¹).

Conceptual Development: This character was first named ᴱN. Halmir in the Lays of Beleriand from the 1920s (LB/75), and the name Halmir also appeared in Silmarillion drafts from the 1930s before changing to Haldir (LR/147). In The Etymologies, his name was initially derived from (rejected) haldir “fur-hunter” (EtyAC/SKEL), and Tolkien also considered deriving it from the root ᴹ√KHAL² “uplift” (Ety/KHAL²). The son of Orodreth did not appear in later versions of the Silmarillion, but the name Haldir was reused for several other characters.

See S. Haldir for further discussion.