Just some helpful, easily condensed Tolkien lore for myself and others hoping to accurately explore Arda in fanfiction.
I, Silz (as ElwingAndEarendil), was part of the SSG (Silmarillion Survival Guide) team on CouncilofElrond.com which put together...
In the beginning there awoke the elves in several groups. They called themselves the “Quendi”. At some point early on, leaders traveled to Aman and back to being the people with them. There then occurred the first Sundering of the Elves.
The Eldar decided to make the journey (Vanyar, Noldor, Teleri). The Avari refused and stayed in Middle Earth. Now, as the Eldar traveled following Ingwë, Finwë, and Elwë, the third of the three got lost and met Melian and fell into an enchanted slumber with her. The Teleri then split, with half continuing to Valinor with Olwë as their king (Elwë's younger brother). And so the Noldor, the Vanyar, and a portion of the Teleri made it to Valinor and became Calaquendi. The Teleri of Valinor became the Falmari while the Teleri of Middle Earth became two people's yet again.
Half the Middle Earth Teleri ended up on the shores of the sea in the West under Círdan. They became the Falathrim. The other half found Elwë and Melian and became the Sindar of Doriath (and created the Sindarin language). Pretty much all elves of Middle Earth were, in their beginning, Teleri kindred.
The elves of Middle Earth are collectively known as Moriquendi. Alongside the aforementioned Sindar and Falathrim, there came Nandor (wood elves) and Laiquendi. The Nandor became the Silvan elves of Middle Earth like Haldir, Rúmil, and Orophin of Lorien, or the elves of Mirkwood.
The major elves of the Silmarillion are almost all Noldor or Sindar. Some are of mixed heritage like Galadriel and her brothers who are Noldorin, Vanyarin, and Telerin (Falmari).
Each of the kindreds have a set of characteristics they mostly abide by.
Noldor: dark haired and grey eyes, lovers of craftsmanship and proud of their works
Vanyar: fair/golden haired and grey eyed, most close to the Valar
Teleri: silver haired and blue or grey eyed, lovers of the sea and music
Nandor/Silvan: light haired and blue or grey eyed, rustic woods folk in comparison to the others
There are exceptions, mainly in the Noldor. The descendants of Mahtan sometimes had auburn hair (Mahtan, Nerdanel, Maedhros, Amrod, Amras) and some Noldor like Glorfindel were golden haired but we do not know if this is perhaps due to Vanyarin ancestry. Celegorm is a hotly debated topic when it comes to hair color. He is described as being fair, but not of face or of hair. Could be dark or golden haired. Legolas, Thranduil, and Oropher were Sindar of Doriath. Their golden hair is not explained.
At the time of the War of the Ring, most Noldor resided in Rivendell. The Silvan elves lived in Lorien and Mirkwood. The Falathrim lived at the Grey Havens.
For over achievers, there are six eastern kindreds of elves that Tolkien outlines in the History of Middle Earth book: The Peoples of Middle Earth. They are Avari and do not enter into any tales: Kinn-lai, Kindi, Penni, Cuindi, Hwenti, and Windan. Dorwinion in Rhûn might have been one of their settlements.
