Elves of Middle-earth

		Quendi All Elves
	Eldar		Avari
Vanyar	Noldor	Teleri
	Falmari	Sindar	Nandor

The major branches of the Elves, with the Elves of Middle-earth shown in bold text. Most of these marked branches never left Middle-earth, but the Noldor are a unique case: they travelled into the West, but the great majority later returned to Middle-earth in the following of Fëanor.

The Elves that dwelt in Middle-earth were, for the most part, those who did not start the Great Journey (the Avari), or those that fell away from it (the Silvan Elves, the Nandor and the Sindar). Of those Elves who left Middle-earth for Aman, many of the Noldor later returned, and there were still some few of this noble people to be found at the time of the War of the Ring.