Being a child of the nineties, I am a huge fan of the Harry Potter books (and movies, of course). I've always been amazed by the stories and characters and how intricate the plot is. J.K. Rowling really puts a lot of thought into every detail of the story. So I was excited to see that we would briefly discuss Harry Potter in class today. We discussed the names of the characters, and how they helped show which characters were "fancier." For example, the Malfoys (the rich, snotty bad guys) have a French name. "Mal foi" means "bad faith." Compare this to the last name Potter or Riddle. Furthermore, when Tom Riddle wanted to sound fancier and more intimidating, he changed his name to Voldemort.
We were also told that "Harry" is short for "Harold." King Harold II took an arrow to the eye (reminding me very much of the notorious lightning bolt scar above Harry's eye).
This all interested me so much that I decided to research the names of the other characters. Surely J.K. Rowling put a lot of thought into naming her characters (judging by how much thought she puts into every other aspect of her books). After only a few minutes of searching I found out that my suspicion was correct. Almost every character had some interesting meaning or reason for their name.
First, I'd like to mention Voldemort since he was already brought up. Originally named Tom Marvolo Riddle, we soon find out that this is an anagram for "I am Lord Voldemort." This brings a fun meaning to the last name "Riddle" since his name was indeed a riddle. I also looked up the meaning for Voldemort since I knew it was French. "Vol de mort" is apparently French for "flight from death," which is an incredibly appropriate and fitting name for the character since Voldemort has found ways to cheat death.
Next, I looked at the main trio of characters-- Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Unfortunately these characters didn't have exact meaning to their names. For example, Rowling got Hermione from a Shakespeare play that she liked and in interviews she has said that Harry is her favorite name for a boy (although the connection to King Harold and his unfortunate arrow to the eye can not be denied). Ron, however, means "ruler's counselor," which might refer to his relationship with Harry as his right hand man.
Now back to the Malfoys. It has already been stated that their last name means "bad faith," but what about their first names? Draco is Latin for "dragon," and Lucius is suspected to be a reference to Lucifer. Draco's mother, Narcissa, is a reference to the Narcissus flower (which is said to be what Narcissus was turned into after he fell in love with his reflection. The Malfoys are a very posh family that cares very much about appearances, so Narcissa seems to be a fitting name for the matriarch.
Albus Dumbledore is a great figure that is loved by many and I think his name has a wonderful and lovable meaning. "Albus" is Latin for "light" (and he is considered the leader of the "good guys," or the side of the light). "Dumbledore" is another word for bumblebee-- J.K. Rowling once said that she imagines the headmaster being a very musical person and that he would often hum to himself.
Hagrid, the trusted groundskeeper at Hogwarts, has a rather humorous name. Rowling said that to be called "hagrid" in old english meant that you had a rough night; she also said that the giant is also a big drinker.
Perhaps the two most obvious names are Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Sirius is Harry's godfather, and has the ability to turn into a big, black dog. Sirius is the brightest star in the sky but it is also called the "Dog Star." The last name "Black" is simply because the dog he transforms into is black. Remus Lupin, on the other hand, is a werewolf. "Lupin" means "wolf-like" in Latin, and Remus refers to the story of Romulus and Remus, the two babies who were abandoned but then raised by a she-wolf.
When Harry was a baby, he was left on the porch-step of his aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Dursley. Dursley is the name of a small town in Britain. Dudley, the pudgy and obnoxious cousin of Harry, is a play on the word "dud." Petunia was an angry and bitter woman who grew up jealous of her sister (and Harry's mother), Lily. The sisters were opposites in that while Petunia was angry and bitter, Lily was a light-hearted and loving individual. The sisters were both obviously named after flowers, but it is what these flowers symbolize that is so interesting. Lilies are thought to symbolize innocence and purity, whereas petunias represent anger and resentment.
Perhaps my favorite character is Severus Snape, the menacing potions master with a sketchy past and questionable motives. "Severus" is Latin for "stern" or "sharp," and the professor certainly is both of these things. A "snape" is a boggy patch of ground, but perhaps more appropriately, to "snape" someone means to rebuke or hurt them (and Severus is always full of ways to torture his students).
Another popular professor is Minerva McGonagall. She is portrayed as being a wise but strict woman. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom and war (much like the Greek goddess Athena). Professor McGonagall also played a huge role in the final battle against Voldemort and his followers at Hogwarts in the final book.
Now I come to the birds (because I just love them so). Hedwig, the beautiful snow owl that serves as a faithful companion to the Boy Who Lived, is a reference to Saint Hedwig, who was considered a noble and pious saint. Pigwidgeon, the bumbling little owl that belonged to Ron, means "petty or small." And of course, there's Fawkes, the magnificent phoenix that provided loyal companionship to Dumbledore and helped Harry in a time of need. As you may know, phoenixes tend to burst into flames when they reach the end of their life cycles, but then they emerge anew from the ashes of their former selves. It only seems fitting that the creature's name is a direct reference to Guy Fawkes, the mastermind behind the plot to blow up Parliament.
Even the names of the Hogwarts houses have meanings but for the sake of time I'll only mention the two main ones. There's Slytherin, the house where the cunning and ambitious students go. This house is represented by an emerald snake. Slytherin is obviously a play on how snakes move-- they slither. This also paints a picture of how shady characters or even evil characters move or can be described. You could easily say that Draco slithered to his father's side, or Bellatrix slithered towards her next victim. Gryffindor is where the brave students go (and the main heroes of the story). This house bears the sigil of a golden lion. "Gryffin d'or" is French for "golden griffin." The griffin is a half-lion, half-eagle creature and is considered a divine symbol. The griffin also became the adversary of serpents (Gryffindors and Slytherins are notorious enemies and competitors).
I have to force myself to stop here or else I'll find myself listing every single character, spell, and curse used in the stories. It seems as though J.K. Rowling put a ton of thought into every character and spell, and this adds so much more depth and detail into what I already thought was a vibrant and detailed world.
Sources:
http://www.theninemuses.net/hp/4.html
http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/1/Ronald
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