Warning: Contains potential SPOILERS for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power introduced a new character as a friend of Isildur, but the character's name teases an important future. Thanks to the intricately deep lore of Tolkien's Legendarium, there's deeper meaning behind almost every name, and while some characters are newly created for the show, the names they're given by the writers could still reveal a lot about their future significance.
While many Numenorean characters in The Rings of Power, such as Isildur, Elendil, Tar-Miriel, Ar-Pharazon, and more are canonical characters with established histories pulled straight from J.R.R. Tolkein's writing, other Numenoreans were created just for the show, such as Isildur's sister Earien and his friend Valandil (played by Alex Tarrant). Both names have a specific meaning in the Eldar's (elven) "Quenya" language developed by Tolkien for with Earien sensibly meaning "Daughter of the Sea," but Valandil's name has ties to some deeper Lord of the Rings lore.
Related: All Of Sauron's Other Names In LOTR & The Rings Of Power
While he doesn't have a major role in his debut episode, Valandil, has a name with a few significant meanings. First, the literal Quenya translation means 'Friend of the Valar', suggesting an allegiance to the angelic beings revered by the elves. The name indicates Valandil's family shares a similar respect for the elves as Isildur's father's name, Elendil, which means "elf friend," which isn't a popular stance in Numenor at this point in the timeline, as the episode indicates.
Why Valendil's Name is Important in Lord of the Rings and The Rings of Power
The second significance of the name is that, according to Tolkein's writing, the name of Isildur's youngest son (and future heir) Valandil, suggesting the older Valandil in The Rings of Power could have a significant role in Isildur's future on the show. Whether he's simply a close companion and ally of Isildur, or if there's something more heroic in store to inspire Isildur to name his heir after him remains to be seen, but having the same name as Isildur's son, whose line would eventually lead to Aragorn, is hard to brush off the significance.
It's entirely possible the name is common in Numenor, although considering the hostility towards Eldar and their customs, it's doubtful the name would be in wide use, and it's also not a name the show's writers would choose lightly or by coincidence. As a big part of the future of Middle Earth, eventually literally cutting the One Ring from Sauron's hand, Isildur will have a significant role in the show, so giving his best friend the same name as his eventual child doesn't seem like an accident, and hopefully plays into the character's future on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.