20 Harry Potter Characters And The Origins Of Their Names Explained

Harry Potter. That one universe that never gets old. We have never been able to move on with it, and never will, and are proud. Potterheads unite!

Ever wondered what their names meant? And just why J.K. Rowling chose names that would stand out? Wonder no more, we are here with answers.

1. Harry Potter

This is J.K. Rowling’s favourite boy name. Harry here means ‘power.’ Potter might be derived from ‘Potter’s Field,’ signifying a cemetery where unknown or unclaimed people (often, orphans) are buried.

 

2. Hedwig

Hedwig was the patron saint of orphans. An appropriate name considering she was Harry’s only tie to the magical world while he lived with the Dursleys.

 

3. James Potter (Prongs)

Slender points or parts that project from a base, like the antlers of a stag. This clearly goes with James’s animagus form and Harry’s patronus.

 

4. Lily Potter

Lily is a flower that symbolises purity and immortality. The bud withers away in the ground, and a new flower germinates from it, just like Lily gave her life for Harry to live.

 

5. Sirius Black

Named after the pole star. It was also called as the Dog Star, symbolising Sirius’s animagus form. A large black dog is called Padfoot in Yorkshire.

 

6. Remus Lupin

Remus was the twin brother of Romulus (founder of Rome). Both brothers were cared for by a female wolf. Canis Lupus is the scientific name for a wolf. If you appear ‘lupine,’ it means you look like a wolf.

 

7. Hermione Granger

Hermione is the female version of Hermes. In Greek mythology, she was the patron saint of high magic (considering she was the ablest witch of her age). Granger might refer to a character from the novel Fahrenheit 451, whose goal is to preserve all literature and books (pointing to her immense love for books and reading).

 

8. Ron Weasley

Referring to the animal Weasel, who is often misunderstood as an unfortunate animal (pointing to the fact that the Weasleys were unfortunate because of being poor). Weasleys and Weasels have red hair.

 

9. Xenophilius Lovegood

Xenophilia means the love for alien things or people, explaining Xenophilius’s love for the weird and strange stuff.

 

10. Draco Malfoy

Draco is a constellation that appears like a dragon but represents a snake, pointing to his love for Slytherin. ‘Draconian’ or ‘drac’ might also mean harsh, cruel, or the devil, explaining his character. ‘Mal foi’ in Latin means of bad faith or character.

 

11. Albus Dumbledore

Albus means white (maybe for his white beard). Dumbledore in old English stands for ‘bumblebee.’ Rowling said she always imagined Dumbledore roaming the corridors, humming to himself.

 

12. Minerva McGonagall

Minerva was the goddess of wisdom and war. McGonagall, from the Celtic name ‘Conegal,’ means brave. Clearly suits her personality and character.

 

13. Rubeus Hagrid

Grid was a giantess in ancient Norse folklore. ‘Ha’ was a nomenclature element in Norse culture, meaning ‘half.’ So Hagrid was, literally, a half-giant, as his status proved.

 

14. Quirinus Quirrell

Derived from the words ‘co’ and ‘viri,’ it means ‘of two men.’ Can also be a reference to Janus Quirinus, the two-faced God (because of Quirrell’s fate).

 

15. Dolores Umbridge

Dolores, in Latin, means ‘a lady of sorrows and pain.’ Umbridge may be a play on the word ‘umbrage,’ which means ‘a feeling of anger caused by an offense.’ Clearly captured the element of the most hated Harry Potter character.

 

16. Severus Snape

Severe means strict and cruel, which are the two words that Snape was an embodiment of. It also sounds like the Latin word ‘servus,’ meaning ‘servant,’ possibly giving away the doubt of him being a servant of the Dark Lord.

 

17. Fenrir Greyback

In Norse mythology, Fenrir was the half human half wolf son of Loki. Greyback, borrowed from ‘silverback,’ pointing to the dominant male of a pack of Gorillas, shows Fenrir’s power and status in the werewolf community.

 

18. Bellatrix Lestrange

‘Bella’ is derived from ‘bellum,’ which means ‘war,’ and ‘trix’ means ‘a woman who is in a position of power.’ In French, étrange means ‘weird.’ Perfectly explains the weird looking ruthless woman who was the right hand of Lord Voldemort.

 

19. Salazar Slytherin

Taken after António de Oliveira Salazar, the fascist ruler of Portugal, who held extremist ideologies, and ruled using fear. Slytherin might be a play on the word ‘sly,’ considering a snake defined the house and snakes are usually seen as sly creatures.

 

20. Lord Voldemort

In French, ‘vol de mort’ literally means ‘flight from death,’ which signifies how Voldemort wanted to escape death and become a ruthless master of immortality. In many languages, ‘vold’ or ‘volde’ refer to extreme violence, pointing to the measures taken by the Dark Lord.

So now you know. Be the master of information, and show off to your friends. Until we meet again…

Mischief managed! ✨

---

Fact source: Mugglenet
Cover image source