Name meanings of Harry Potter Characters

Other Wizards; Muggles; Squibs

Bathilda Bagshot: Author of A History of Magic. Bathilda is a German name that means "heroine."

Sirius Black: His first name is the "Dog Star," brightest in the Canis Major (Great Dog) constellation. There are at least two three stars in the Sirius system, and the brightest is Sirius A; it is 10 times brighter than our sun. This star was given god status among the ancient Egyptians and later the Greeks. The dog represented by the constellation was the faithful companion to Orion the hunter, who also is a constellation. Appropriate for a wizard who can transform into a dog. Black suggests the dark nature that wizards unaware of Sirius' innocence assign to him. It also could suggest "black dog," the form he takes when his uses his skill as an Animagus.

Fleur Delacour: Her first name is French for "flower." Her last name means "of the court." A flower of the court could mean a noblewoman.

Dedalus Diggle: Daedalus (the more common spelling) was a craftsman and inventor in Greek mythology. He fled Greece and went to the island of Crete. There he built the labyrinth, a maze that held the Minotaur, a monster man with the head of a bull. Daedalus tried to escape King Minos of Crete, so he built wings of wax and feathers for himself and his son, Icarus. They flew like birds into the sky. Icarus flew too closely to the sun and crashed to earth, dying. Diggle may be from dig.

Arabella Figg: 1) Latin, ara and bellis, or "beautiful altar." (2) Possibly from the German Amhilda, "eagle heroine/warrior." Figg may be variation of fig, a fruit-bearing tree. In Biblical times, the fig tree was important to Roman and Hebrew cultures as a valuable source of food and medicinal ingredients. Its flowering meant winter was over. For Buddhists, this is the tree under which the Buddha received enlightenment.

Mundungus Fletcher: (1) Mundungus means "garbage" or "rubbish." From the Spanish mondongo, or tripe, the linings of cattle stomachs used in cooking. The English considered these stomach linings to be garbage, and "tripe" in English means something is rubbish. (2) Mundungus also is an obsolete term for a very stinky tobacco. A fletcher is an arrow-maker (see Justin Finch-Fletchley).

Florean Fortescue: Florean or (Florian) means "flower." Could be related to florid, meaning (1) reddish or rose colored, or (2) ornamental or flowery. Fortescue may have come from Sir Adrian Fortescue, who was beheaded in 1539 for not being loyal to the Pope.

Miranda Goshawk: Author of The Standard Book of Spells series. Miranda is from Spanish and means "admirable" or "beautiful." A goshawk is a large, powerful species of hawk with rounded wings, long tail and brown or gray feathers.

Grindelwald: The Dark Wizard whom Dumbledore defeated in 1945 takes his name from a city in Switzerland. In German, wald is "forest." Grind is a scab, as in the hardened covering over a scar; could also be grinsen, a grin or big smile. The words grindel or grendel appeared in early versions of several Germanic languages, including English. Grindan in Old English meant "to grind," and further "destroyer," someone who grinds up others. In Middle English, grindel meant "angry." In Old Norse, grindill was taken from "storm," and also meant "to bellow," or produce a loud, frightening yell. In Danish legend, the Grendel was a fearsome, murderous monster of humanoid form. He was later defeated by the Scandinavian hero Beowulf in the medieval story of the same name.

Arsenius Jigger: Author of a book on potions. Arsenius may be from arsenic, a group of several very poisonous metallic elements. A jigger is a liquid measurement, often for liquor, of 1 1/2 ounces.

Igor Karkaroff: Igor is the Russian form of Ivor, from Norse yr (bow, yew tree) + herr (man, warrior); thus "bow warrior." Karkarov is unknown, but off/ov (or ev) is a common Russian name ending. It originally was used by sons who took their father's name (females took eva or ova.) Both suffixes mean "belonging to." Kark may be from the Polish karac, "punishment."

Viktor Krum: His first name means the "victorious one," appropriate for a forceful Quidditch player.

Frank Longbottom: The Franks were a Germanic tribe that settled in France and the Netherlands. The name is derived from a word meaning "spear."

Madame Olympe Maxime: Originally, Mount Olympus was the mighty home of the Greek gods in ancient legend. Olympe is the French form of Olympia. Maxime is a French word derived from the Roman Maximus, or "greatest." This could suggest both her tall height and bravery for going with Hagrid to try and contact the giants.

Rita Skeeter Rita is a nickname form of Margarita, related to Margaret, from Greek margaron, or "pearl." Skeeter is American English slang for a mosquito. This females of this insect are well-known for their annoying habits of buzzing around the head and sucking blood, which they need to lay their eggs. Some people also like to call news reporters "bloodsuckers."

Phyllida Spore: The author of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi has a very plant-oriented name. Her first name is from Latin for "leaf" or "plant." A spore is a body produced by fungi, algae and nonflowering plants that is very protective and resistant to drought.

Emeric Switch: Author of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. Emeric was (1) the name of a saint (1007-1031) who lived in Hungary. (2) A variation of Emery, "ruler of work." To switch is to exchange one thing with another; could be extended to transfiguration, changing one form into another.

Quentin Trimble: Author of a Dark Arts defense book. Quentin (or Quenton) means "the fifth." Trimble may be a variation of tremble, to shake, which a person may do when confronted with dark forces.

Vindictus Viridian: Author of a book on cursing people that attracts Harry's eye at Flourish & Blotts. His first name comes from the Latin vincdicta, or "vengeance." To be vindictive is to want to hurt someone you think has hurt you. Viridian is a durable, bluish-green pigment. From Latin viridis, "green."

Adalbert Waffling: Adal is Old High German for "noble" or "aristocratic"; berta, "bright." To waffle means unable to make a firm decision.

Kennilworthy Whisp: (Author of Quidditch Through The Ages) The closest is kennel, an enclosed cage for keeping dogs. Worthy means means "deserving of respect" or "suitable." A whisp is a flock of snipe (a type of bird). A wisp is a small bunch or bundle, such as of straw; (2) a slight or thin person; (3) something that is light, thin or streaked.

Newton "Newt" Scamander: His nickname is a small, brightly colored salamander. His last name could also be a variation of salamander. Appropriate for a beast guy. The salamander of legend was the "fire lizard," a reptile so resistant to heat that it lived in fire.