What is "rian"

Rían is a name of Irish Gaelic origin.

In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Rían was a woman of the First House of the Edain in the First Age. She was the daughter of Belegund of the House of Bëor and cousin of Morwen Edhelwen. Her son was Tuor Eladar and her great-grandson Elrond Half-elven.

Rían was only a young child during the Dagor Bragollach of , when her land was sacked and people killed or fled. Belegund then became a companion of his uncle Barahir and remained defending the land until they were killed in 460. Emeldir the Manhearted, wife of Barahir, led the remaining women and children to safety over the Ered Gorgoroth, and Rían was among those who in the end came to Hithlum.

She was well received there, and in 472 she wedded Huor of the House of Marach, whose brother Húrin was married to Rían's cousin Morwen and was now Lord of Dor-lómin. But two months after their wedding Huor went to the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, and was killed.

No news of the battle came to Dor-lómin, and pregnant Rían became distraught and fled into the wild. She was found by the Grey-elves and taken to their dwellings in the Mountains of Mithrim. Before the end of the year she gave birth to a son, Tuor, but left him to the fostering of the Elves and departed, seeking tidings of her husband. She came to the hill of slain, Haudh-en-Ndengin, amid the wastes of Anfauglith, and there she laid herself down and died.

As a given name or surname, Rian may refer to: