where did the name come from?
Tolkien derived the name "Gandalf" from "Gandálfr".  In Old Norse, the name means "staff-elf".
Gandalf
Tolkien derived the name "Gandalf" from "Gandálfr", a dwarf in the Völuspá's "Dvergatal", a list of dwarf-names. In Old Norse, the name means "staff-elf". This is reflected in his name "Tharkûn", which is "said to mean 'Staff-man'" in Khuzdul, one of Tolkien's invented languages.
who played gandolf in the lord of the rings UNANSWERABLE
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Gandalf [SEP] Etymology
Tolkien derived the name "Gandalf" from "Gandálfr", a dwarf in the Völuspá's "Dvergatal", a list of dwarf-names. In Old Norse, the name means "staff-elf". This is reflected in his name "Tharkûn", which is "said to mean 'Staff-man'" in Khuzdul, one of Tolkien's invented languages.