Tharbad

We have no record of the exact date of Tharbad's foundation, but it clearly dated back well into the early Second Age: an account exists of Aldarion of Númenor visiting the town and meeting Galadriel there. Aldarion was known to have founded at least one settlement in Middle-earth (at Lond Daer downriver from Tharbad) so it seems likely that he created Tharbad, too; he died in II 1098, hence the date shown above.

Tharbad stood at the crossing of two important routes through Middle-earth: the river Gwathló leading to the coast, and the North-South Road leading between Arnor and Gondor. Since neither Arnor nor Gondor existed at the time Tharbad was founded, it wouldn't actually have been a 'crossway' for much of its earlier history. It's therefore possible that the town originally had a different name (now lost), and only acquired the name Tharbad later in its history.

The word pata (from which the -bad of Tharbad) is derived can have various meanings. It was derived etymologically from a word meaning 'step' or 'walk', giving rise to a form pâd for a road, way, track of ford (that is, a thing that could be walked over or along). As well as 'crossway', Tolkien gives the similar alternative meaning of 'road-crossing' (which emphasises that the name must have arisen after the making of the North-South Road through Eriador).